Erica woke as she was dowsed in water. "What the fuck! Mother fucker!" She screamed as she came up swinging.
"Cool it child." A tall man said pinning her back down.
"Who the fuck are," She trailed off as Tanya stepped out from behind him.
"Erica I'd like you to meet my dad." She chuckled as Erica gave up all fight at once.
"G'morning hun." He laughed "A little hair of the dog?" He asked offering her a bottle of Jack.
"Ohhhhh." She muttered as she shot to her feet and disappeared behind a tree. Tanya laughed as she could here poor Erica losing the contents of her stomach.
"Well that will teach her." The old man laughed. "How was the ride? I take it not good from your friends night." He chuckled.
"The ride was fine…. She just…"
"I don't need to know. If she wants to tell me she will." Just then Erica returned from behind the tree.
"Oh my god that was horrible." Erica grumbled as she slid down to the ground. Tanya laughed and handed her the bottle of jack.
"How bout a beer instead?" Erica said giving a look like she just sucked on a lemon.
"Dad?" Tanya asked as the old man handed her and her friend a beer.
"When you lose that oh my god I'm gonna throw up feeling you can join me and Tanya's mom for some breakfast." He laughed as Erica flopped backward on the ground. Then he made his way over to the dieing camp fire a few feet away to add more wood.
"Man what a night." Erica sighed.
"Yeah." Tanya agreed lying back next to her on the ground.
"I had the strangest dream." Erica chuckled.
"Oh yeah what's that?" Tanya asked taking a drink of her beer.
"Well I was at the bar and I saw Mark and…"
"It wasn't a dream." Tanya blurted cutting her off.
"What?" Erica asked in an almost panicked voice.
"Yeah they were here." Tanya producing a cigarette lighting it.
"Were?" She asked meekly lighting a smoke of her own.
"Yeah they left last night." Tanya said taking a long drag off her cigarette.
"Oh…" Erica sighed. "What happened last night?" She asked.
"Well as you know you were tanked." She laughed.
"Yeah I know that part." She said rolling her eyes.
"Well Mark was at the bar last night and all I know is you went to get another drink and disappeared for a while and when you came back Mark was carrying you. OH and apparently he's Texas." She laughed at the memory.
"He's Texas?" The tall red head chuckled softly.
"Yeah don't ask me, it probably made perfect sense in your drunken stupor." She laughed out right. "They stopped in here on there way back home." Tanya sighed.
"Damn." Erica said sitting up and putting out her cigarette. "Tanya man…" The red head trailed off Tanya sat up to look her in the eye. "I really fucked up." She said taking a large drink of her beer.
"I know." Tanya smiled removing the bottle from her hands. "But let's not do that again." She laughed chucking the beer into a garbage can.
"Man I miss him." She said as a forced smile took over her face. "How could I…." She said shaking her head.
"Because it scares you?" Tanya offered.
"You know what the worst part is?" Erica wiping tears out of her eyes. "I can't fix this. I really fucked up this time." She said flopping to her back again. "I can't even call him to say I'm sorry." She said lighting another cigarette. "But what ever, it's over now." She said as the same forced smile worked its way over her face.
"It's not over." Tanya said finally.
"Oh and why do you say that?" she asked raising an eyebrow.
"What if I told you I have a number where you could reach him?" Tanya said almost excited.
"You do?" Erica sat up quickly as a large smile spread across her face.
"Adam gave me his number before they left." Tanya smiled.
"But you know for damn certain Mark hates me." Erica sighed.
"Hate? That's not what he said last night." She offered pulling a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket.
"He doesn't?"
"No, Not at all." Tanya smiled waving the piece of paper in front of her face. "Okay then… Okay… we… just have to find a phone." Erica said grabbing the paper.
"Not before we eat." Ashley blurted.
"Where the hell have you been?" Tanya asked as she climbed to her feet.
"I woke up a little before you guys and Paul decided to show me around." She smiled. "Where is that bastard?" She laughed.
"He had to take off this morning." A small woman not much taller then Tanya said.
"MOM!" Tanya blurted as she hugged her for what seemed like forever.
"Yeah, he showed me around before he left." Ashley smiled as she was handed a plate with eggs and bacon on it.
"Thank you sir." She beamed. Tanya's dad grabbed his chest in fake pain.
"Sir?" He whined. "You can call me beast, or dad, or James…. Just not sir, Mr. or anything like that…makes me feel old." He continued to mutter as he pecked his wife on the cheek.
"But hun, you are old." She laughed sticking her tongue out at him.
"Wow I can say with out a doubt those are your parents." Erica laughed as she set down her now empty plate.
"You guys about done sulking?" Her dad chuckled handing Erica a plate of food.
"Yeah I'm about done feeling sorry for myself." Erica laughed as her and Tanya shared an all knowing look.
"Well good then." The tall brunette said taking a large drink of his beer. "So when are you guys heading out?" The short woman said hugging her daughter again.
"I'd say about an hour." Tanya smiled to her friend.
"Why the rush if you don't mind me asking?"
"We have to find a phone. And chase destiny." Tanya giggled.
"You sound like me." The old man said taking his wife's hand.
"Well you guys better hurry." The old man smiled pulling his wife to him in a small kiss. Tanya pounced to her feet hugging her mom and dad.
"I'll see you guys next year." She smiled fondly at them and headed down the dirt road to find where they had left their bikes.
"Thank you for everything." The tall red head smiled.
"No problem, any friend of our little Tanya's is a friend of ours." Erica smiled awkwardly as she was pulled into a hug by both of Tanya's parents.
"Well thank you… again." Erica smiled then followed behind Tanya.
"I guess that means me too." Ashley smiled hugging her friend's parents tightly then running to catch up with the other two.
"Your parents f'n rule." Ashley grinned as she caught up.
"Yeah there cool." Tanya smiled back.
"So you go a whole year with out seeing them? Don't you miss them?" Ashley asked.
"Yeah I miss them, but I have a life out here." Tanya sighed.
"So you'd never consider going back and staying with them for a while?"
"If I'm living my life right I shouldn't have to." Tanya said stopping to light a smoke. "Besides I made my dad a promise, I won't come back till I have life experience." She chuckled.
"Yeah good luck with that." Erica burst out laughing.
"AH HA!" Tanya squeaked spotting the bikes next to the bar.
"Okay which direction shall we go?" Tanya asked swinging a leg over her bike.
"Ummm I'd say east I think I saw a phone a bit back that way." Erica said putting on a pair of sunglasses and pulling her hair back in a tight pony tail.
"Alrighty sounds good to me." Tanya laughed kicking over her engine. Ashley followed the two out on the road. She knew from the moment she left her ex behind life would be different, but she had no way of knowing how the road sucks you in. She found her self attached to these two women that had really become sisters. Part of her understood how these girls where happy going one place to another, but a part of her was torn as she looked back and saw Tanya's parents at the edge of the road waving at them as they pulled out. How could they deny themselves the right to get attached to anyone? How could they just leave everything behind? She shook it off as she pulled up next to Tanya who had a huge smile stretched across her face.
"I guess I'll figure it all out one day." She sighed as they continued down the road.