Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Avery: Hello friends you are looking beautiful today (: how is your life going? What? You don't want to tell me you just want to read the chapter? Fair enough, go ahead its right there:

-Moxie-

I sat on the hood of the car with my head back, letting the sun kiss my face. I took my large circular sunglasses out of my purse and placed them on top of my head. I couldn't wait to be back on the road again, although I would definitely miss Ralph. Ralph was the type of person who was never afraid to be himself, never rude or boastful, and most importantly he never stopped smiling. I liked that smile, it was bright and joyful, it made me want to smile, even if I was having the worst day of my life. I could see him through the kitchen window, he was talking to his mom about something, they looked like they were fighting about something. I could also see a package on the table, it was not that big but it probably had something important inside. As Kick and Gunther hauled the last of our luggage into the car Ralph picked the package up off the table and came outside.

"We're ready to go." I heard Kick say as the trunk slammed closed.

"Finally." Fiona exclaimed, from where she sat on the driveway.

"Remember to check for a certain stowaway." Christina joked, she and Ronaldo were sitting on the grass whispering about something. I knew that something was going on between those two.

"Hey," Ralph said to me, leaning against the hood of the car, the package still in his lap. "Can you do me a favour?"

"Anything." I told him with an eager smile.

"Can you bring this package to my friend in Memphis?" He asked, handing me the package.

"Memphis?" I said is disbelief, he nodded. "You want me to somehow convince my friends to go to Memphis just to give someone a package? Why can't you just mail it to them?"

"Because its expensive and it takes too long, plus she's a runner and might not even be in Memphis by the time the package arrives." He explained.

"She?" I asked, slightly in disappointment.

"Louise," He replied "She used to be my girlfriend, but than she ran away and left only a note, telling me that she was leaving to pursue her dream of being a dancer and that she was sorry. Every time we talk she's in another state, we send eachother stuff but this was a personal request."

"And the last time you talked she was in Memphis?" I asked, he nodded again. "So she might not even be in Memphis when we get there?" I was trying not to explode and start yelling at him for being so stupid.

"If she's not there go to the Summerville theatre in Memphis and ask for Tessa Bronwyn, she'll know where to find Louise." He said nonchalantly, I wanted to smack him.

I slumped my shoulders, trying to process the words that he was saying. I was confused, he wanted me to bring a package to some dancer girl named Louise who may or may not be in Memphis? Was he insane? And what am I supposed to do if she's not there? What if Tessa Bronwyn doesn't know where Louise is? This is sounding more and more like a wild goose chase to me.

"So you want me to just drop everything and find your ex girlfriend and give her a package?" I asked in disbelief. What did I see in this boy? Was he just buttering me up like toast so that I would say yes without a second thought? Was this his big scheme? Well no, I refuse, it's not my fault that he's too cheap to send the package.

"Please Moxie help me," He begged, that cute and innocent look forming in his big blue eyes, but all I saw was a wall of deceit and lies.

"What's going on?" Gunther asked as he approached Ralph and I.

I couldn't wait to tell Gunther this, he would laugh and punch Ralph in his stupid dumb blonde face.

"Ralph was just telling me that he wanted us to drive to Memphis and give his ex girlfriend a package." I explained.

I could see Gunther's eyes widen for a brief moment then return to normal. After a short pause he turned to Kick, who was leaning against the car talking to Kendall.

"Thelma, Louise, time for a road trip," He declared. I was glad he said that, meaning we could leave, I sighed in relief. "We are going to Memphis." Wait what did he just say?

"What?" Kick and Kendall yelled simultaneously.

"We are delivering a package to Ralph's friend." He explained.

He wanted to do this? He wanted to drive to Memphis for a girl who might not even be there? Why did he even want to help Ralph? By the looks of the last few days he seemed to hate Ralph. Boys really just don't make any sense to me.

"Gunther why on earth would we go all the way to Memphis to deliver a stupid package?" Kick exclaimed, he was infuriated. He wasn't going to let Gunther have his way, we were not going to Memphis. That is when Jackie came outside and wiggled her way into our conversation.

"What's going on?" She asked, in her nosy and curious way.

"Ralph wants us to go to Memphis," I explained bitterly. "Deliver a package to Louise."

"Louise?" She looked confused and turned to look at Ralph. I'm guessing she had no idea that her cousin ever had a girlfriend.

"Ex-Girlfriend." He explained, he looked away from her, probably guilty that he never told her.

Jackie's eyes widened for a moment, I could tell that she was slightly hurt by not knowing these things. She probably wished that she and Ralph had a better friendship, or that they could be closer as cousins. It can be hard sometimes, I wish I still talked to certain people who I had known years ago. My mind flashes back to the people I've met in my life, people on vacations, people in the towns and cities I moved in and out of as a kid.

"Maybe you guys should go to Memphis." Jackie whispered, was she insane? Wait, don't answer that.

"Why?" Kick said as if she were an idiot, deserving a hard elbow in the chest courtesy of Kendall. He could have said that nicer.

"It's just that Ralph let you guys stay here and it was nice of him," Jackie said defensively. "It's the least you could do to repay him."

Was she blackmailing us? If it wasn't for her we would be in Seattle by now helping Ember and Brad pack up their stuff, we could be driving home right now. What has Jackie given us? A detour and a flat tire, and now she's giving us another detour? Was this her plan all along? Keep us from ever getting to Seattle. Well we will get to Seattle, one way or another.

"We'll do it." Kick said confidently. What is he doing? Did he take crazy pills this morning?

"But Kick-" Kendall started to say, but Kick gave her a look that made her stop in the middle of her sentance. It was a look that said "trust me" and no matter how many times they fought and quarrelled they trusted each other.

"I'm Kick Buttowski, and Kick Buttowski always returns a favour." Kick confidently proclaimed, a large smile crossed his face.

"And Kick Buttowski always talks in the third person." Christina mocked, causing Mouth, Fiona, and Ronaldo to laugh.

"Guys, we're going to Memphis." Gunther said excitedly as we got in the car, giving one last goodbye to Jackie and Ralph. I groaned, this is going to be a long detour.

()()()

I drew an invisible line with my finger across the map that Kendall picked up at Cracker Barrel. Tracing the borderline of New York and slowly descending through Pennsylvania, then West Virginia, past Kentucky, my finger then found Memphis and lay there. Our destination, where we would find a girl who wanted so badly to be a dancer that she ran away from her boyfriend, her home, and her life. I imagine her tall and thin, dancers are always so thin, with good posture, also a dancer trait. She is probably a blonde, perhaps not even a natural blonde, but I'm sure she always has her hair in a sock bun at the top of her head. Elegant and proper, like a beautiful ballerina. But her feet are probably disgusting, all dancers have blistered gross feet. What am I doing? I spent the last two days crushing on some guy and now I'm obsessing over his ex-girlfriend's feet.

What are we supposed to do if she's not there? I guess we will cross that bridge when it comes. I delicately folded the map back up and stuffed it in Kendall's bag.

()()()

Moxie's Play list #6

"Memphis is a f***ing long drive" or "What the first one said"

Maps by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

If I Had You by Adam Lambert

We Used to Wait by Arcade Fire

Memphis Tennessee by Elvis Presley

Nantes by Beirut

Everything Goes My Way by Metronomy

The Garden by Mirah

All That You Are by Ecoline Crush

Set Fire to the Third Bar by Snow Patrol

Gimme Sympathy by Metric

Moxie's side notes: Why do I have the oddest feeling that this is my karma for that joke I played on Gunther?

Avery: Before you ask no I did not choose the name Louise cuz of Thelma and Louise I chose it because of a different pop culture reference which you may or may not understand in due time. (picks up dogs) So make sure you review our story we put up new chapters every- whenever I finish them.

Say goodbye Spiderman! Yeah there's no Spiderman… Lol I'm no Jenna Marbles…