Jay loaded his duffel bag into the trunk of the car next to his case of beer. He had started to think the day would never arrive. He was more than ready to get the trip started. He'd told Emma he'd pick her up at her house after school. She'd somehow managed to talk her parents into letting her tag along. Jay still couldn't believe Mr. Simpson had agreed. After everything that had happened last year he figured they'd never let Emma anywhere near him much less let him take her on a road trip. But Greenpeace had pulled off her magic and in less than thirty minutes the two of them would be headed to Wasaga Beach. Jay slammed the hood of the trunk and started to climb into the driver's seat when he spotted Alex walking towards him, suitcase in hand. Jay smiled, grateful that she had changed her mind.
"Told you, you couldn't live without me," Jay teased until he noticed the black eye and swollen lip. The teasing tone disappeared from his voice and was replaced with something close to concern. "What happened?"
"Save the hallmark moment, Hogart. Let's just get out of Toronto," Alex said, handing him her bag.
He watched her grimace before clutching her side and walking around the car. He continued to watch as she eased herself down onto the passenger seat and pulled the car door shut.
He watched her until she asked, "Are we going or what?"
He added her bag to the trunk before climbing into the drivers seat and pulling out of the driveway.
"We've got to pick up one more," Jay said when they were a few blocks away from his house.
"Who?" she asked, shooting him a confused look. He hadn't mentioned anyone else going and Ellie hadn't mentioned going out of town.
"Greenpeace," he answered.
Alex couldn't control the urge to gag. It was safe to say that she and Emma weren't friends. They'd never gotten along and she was pretty sure they never would. Not to mention Alex felt a pang of guilt for Ellie. Did Ellie know Emma was going to see Sean? Was Ellie even invited to join this little road trip? Alex felt anger wash over her. How was she going to last two hours in a car with Nature Freak? She slouched down in the seat further biting back the pain that shot through her side before asking, "Whose idea was that?"
"It certainly wasn't mine," Jay replied, keeping his eyes on the road so Alex wouldn't be able to read the guilt on his face. He wasn't sure how Alex had remained in the dark about his fling with Emma but he was definitely grateful she hadn't found out.
"Unbelievable," Alex muttered. "What about Ellie? Was she invited?"
"How the hell should I know?" Jay replied, glad her anger was geared towards Sean and not towards him. "I didn't plan this little party. I'm just the taxi driver."
The car fell silent as they pulled up in front of Emma's house. There were two suitcases on the front step but no sign of the blonde. Jay shut off the car and climbed out praying Mr. Simpson wouldn't answer the door. As he reached the front steps the door opened and Emma walked out followed by Manny. Jay cringed as he realized who the second suitcase belonged to.
"I hope you don't mind," Emma sad with a weak smile, "My mom wouldn't agree to let me go unless Manny went too."
Jay rolled his eyes annoyed at the last minute addition to the carpool but he didn't argue. He simply bent down and picked up the two suitcases and carried them to the car. Jay waited by the car as Emma said goodbye to her parents. He ignored the glares Mr. Simpson was shooting his way by flipping up the seat and pretending to be cleaning out the car.
Alex pushed on the pair of Oakley's that Jay had stolen for her birthday and rolled her eyes as Emma and Manny climbed into the car. She couldn't help but wonder if a two hour trip with Nelson and Santos was really the answer to her problems or the start of even more. She waited until Jay climbed in beside her before asking, "Can we go now?"
Jay ignored the question as he started the car and pulled away from the curb as the car fell silent. Jay reached down and turned on the radio. He turned the volume down from its normal ear numbing range to one that wouldn't cause Emma and Manny to go deaf but left it on the rock station he'd been listening to the night before. Jay tapped along to the beat on the steering wheel as Alex starred out the window and Emma and Manny chatted quietly in the backseat as they flipped through some fashion magazine. The road trip was under way and Jay wondered if it could get any weirder.
"Could you puh-lease turn this crap off?" Manny whined from the backseat about thirty minutes later. "I seriously think my ears are about to bleed."
"Not Britney enough for you?" Alex asked sarcastically turning slightly to look at the annoying girl in the backseat.
Jay snickered but kept his mouth shut. The next few days were going to be interesting if nothing else. He looked in his rearview mirror and made eye contact with Emma. She smiled meekly, then turned away. Jay looked down at the gas gauge, noticing he'd forgotten to stop for gas before going to the Ravine last night. He turned on his blinker and pulled into the closest gas station.
"Oh, thank God!" Manny cried over dramatically as Jay flipped the seat back and she climbed out. "My bladder was about to explode."
"That'll go great with your bleeding ears," Alex mumbled as she climbed out and flipped her own seat up so Emma could get out.
"Wow, Alex, who knew you had a sense of humor?" Manny replied, glaring at Alex across the car.
"Manny!" Emma hissed, trying to stop the scene that was about to happen.
Manny plastered a fake smile on as she rounded the car and linked arms with Emma. The two disappeared into the store, leaving Alex and Jay alone outside. Jay unscrewed the gas cap and started pumping the gas as Alex walked around to join him.
"Can I have the keys?" she asked, holding out her hand, "I need to get something out of my bag."
He pulled out his keys and handed them to her before teasing, "Just don't drive away and leave me here with those two."
"Don't tempt me," she replied and he wasn't too sure if she was serious or just joking.
Alex popped the trunk and dug around in her bag. She pulled out a prescription bottle and put it into her pocket before slamming the trunk down. She tossed Jay his keys before heading into the gas station.
"Wow, I'm so glad I let you talk me into this," Manny said sarcastically as she and Emma scanned the chip rack.
"What exactly would you have been doing instead, hanging out with Toby or maybe playing third wheel to JT and Liberty?" Emma asked, picking up a bag of BBQ chips.
"Good point," Manny agreed, picking up a bag of plain chips and causing both girls to laugh. "Does Alex know about you and Jay?"
"No!" Emma answered a little louder then she'd meant to. "And I'd rather her not find out while I'm stuck in a car with her."
"Don't worry, Em, my lips are sealed," Manny said, pretending to lock her lips then tossing the imaginary key over her shoulder. She opened up the pop cooler next to her and grabbed two bottles of water and handed one of them to Emma before adding, "It's not like they could hear me over that crappy music anyway."
Emma laughed as she followed Manny to the checkout counter where Jay had just finished paying for gas. She looked around but didn't see any sign of Alex. She figured she must be in the bathroom.
"We'll meet you outside," Jay told them. He handed them a bag with a couple bottles of pop and some snacks before turning around and heading towards the bathrooms.
Alex flushed the toilet and exited the tiny stall. She stood in front of the mirror starring at the bruise that surrounded her eye. Her mom's boyfriend had gone ballistic last night, breaking down Alex's bedroom door and slamming her into the wall. She'd been scared, more scared then she'd ever been before. It had been the sign she'd been looking for to change her mind about the road trip. Alex splashed some cold water on her face before gently patting it dry with a paper towel. She stood up clenching her jaw against the pain in her ribs from where he'd kicked her. She let out the breath she'd been holding before reaching into her pocket and pulling out the bottle of painkillers with her mother's name on them. She popped one pill into her mouth and then with a hand full of water swallowed it down. One last look in the mirror and she pocketed the pain killers and headed out of the bathroom.
"Jesus, Jay give me a freaking heart attack, why don't you?" Alex said, jumping slightly at the sight of Jay leaning against the wall right out side the bathroom.
"Just making sure you're alright, sweetheart," he teased as he reached and gently touched her cheek.
"Don't touch me," Alex replied, slapping Jay's hand away and returning her sunglasses to their rightful place.
Jay laughed as she pushed past him. It was funny how they'd fallen right back into the pattern of sarcastic banter and witty insults. He loved harassing her and he loved her sarcastic comebacks and quick witted responses. It was like old times without the sex.
"Emma and Manny are waiting in the car," he said, catching up to her as she headed for the door.
"Joy," she mumbled sarcastically as she pushed the door open and stepped out into the sun light.
Jay opened the driver's side door but before climbing in, he leveled Manny and Emma with a look and warned, "Spill anything in my car and die."
"It's just water, Jay. I don't think it'll hurt anything," Emma said sliding off her flip flops off and tucking her legs underneath her.
"Spill anything in my car and die," Jay repeated, causing Alex to snicker and Emma to roll her eyes. He finally climbed in behind the steering wheel and buckled his seat belt. The second the car turned on, it was filled with annoying pop music causing both Jay and Alex to groan. Jay turned off the radio and turned around in his seat to look at Emma and Manny. "Rule number one, don't touch the radio."
Manny smiled wickedly before replying, "I thought rule number one was not to spill anything in your car."
The car erupted into laughter from all three girls. Jay sighed as he put the car in drive and mumbled, "Great, I'm stuck in a car with a bunch of fing comedians."
Alex snickered as she reached over and ejected Manny's CD. She thought about tossing it out the window but instead handed it back to the teen queen.
"Uh, oh," Manny sang out, taking the CD from Alex's hand and putting it in her hot pink CD case. "You just broke rule number one." Then she looked at Emma and asked, "Or was it rule number two?"
"Better than breaking your face," Alex replied, leveling Manny with a look.
Manny slouched back in her seat, pouting slightly as Alex popped in her own CD. It was something Ellie had made for her, a mix of hot new releases and Downtown Sasquatch's newer stuff. It wasn't Jay's loud obnoxious music and it most definitely wasn't Manny's pop crap. She turned the volume up slightly as she rolled down her window to let the warm air in.
"Is that Craig?" Emma asked as the first song began to play.
"Yeah," Alex replied as she propped her feet up on the dashboard and ignored the angry look Jay shot her. "It's his band's new song courtesy of Ellie."
"Not bad," Emma said, leaning up between the two front seats. "Can you turn it up some more?"
Alex reached for the volume knob and turned it up even more as she began to tap her foot against the dashboard. She never thought she'd agree with Cause Girl about anything but even she had to admit the song was good.