A/N: It's short, I know. I apologize. I'm trying to move this along because I know what the story is. It's just taking some work to get it moving forward. Hopefully you'll stick with me and keep reading to see what awaits these characters. Thank you for your patience with me!
Annie stood at the bus depot, nervously worrying her bottom lip. It was cracked and chapped from all the chewing on it that she had done recently so she pulled out a tube of vanilla flavored chapstick and put it on her lips. Still Annie licked her lips as she stood in line at the ticket counter, weighing her options. She didn't know what the hell she was doing at this point although that was probably the best part of all of this. It would be harder for a Watcher to track her if she didn't have a plan. Still it made her nervous to think that she didn't know what she was really doing.
She purchased a ticket to Chicago and hoped for the best but waiting for the bus wasn't easy. It was going to be at least 45 minutes before the bus was going to leave and that meant that she needed to do something to fill that time before she started to over think this move she had just made. She sat down, off the side so she wasn't in anyone's way, and she pulled out her guitar. Tuning it up, Annie strummed the guitar for a moment before starting to play. She wasn't doing it to get any money but when people started to drop money into her guitar case, Annie didn't stop them either. Any spare change that she got could be used for a meal or anything really. While she had money, the less she had to dip into the funds her father had given her, the better in Annie's opinion. She hummed along with the song as she played, swaying a bit. It was soothing to her to be able to play a little music right now. It cleared her already cluttered mind and made her feel better about what she was doing.
In her head, a mantra started to play over and over as she convinced herself that she would be alright. She could do this. Annie was strong. She could handle packing up and leaving. She could handle taking off without a real plan. Annie would make it to Chicago. She'd find Nick Gant, wherever he might be in the Windy City. She'd get whatever help from him that she could, even if she wasn't sure why she needed to find him in particular. Annie would make it through this and Division wasn't going to find her. She was going to be alright.
Annie looked up when she heard the announcement made that she could board her bus. She thanked the few people that had gathered around to hear her play and gathered up the money in the guitar case, stuffing it into the pockets of her jeans. She could use it to grab a snack before she left after all. Then she put away her guitar, gathered up her things and headed to the waiting bus, only stopping long enough to purchase a soda and a bag of chips from the nearest vending machine before she lined up with a handful of other people.
Annie was nervous as she placed her suitcase and guitar case into the compartment on the bus but she kept her backpack with her as she climbed onboard. Her drink and chips were in one hand as she got onto the bus, finding a seat. Annie tucked her backpack under her seat and settled in near the back of the bus, sitting at the window. She was one of only a handful of people that were already boarding and Annie got the feeling that this bus wasn't going to be full when it left. That felt reassuring to her because the less people that she had to deal with on her way to Chicago, the better off she would be. Human interaction was something that she wasn't sure that she could handle right now after all.
She pulled out her iPod and stuck the earbuds into her ears. Keeping the volume low, she turned it on and let the music shuffle. It was like the thing had a mind of its own as it played various songs for her. All of them seemed to hold a common theme. The songs were melancholy and slow. It was perfect for the mood that she found herself in. She stared out of the window as a few more people climbed onto the bus, taking seats rather sporadically. So far no one was sitting too close to her and that was fine with Annie. She didn't have the mental capacity to actually hold a conversation right now anyway.
When the bus started, Annie's eyes started to flutter closed. Between the music and the hum of the engine, it was enough to put her to sleep. She let her eyes close though, drifting off as the bus pulled away from the depot. It would be a long drive with a couple of stopovers. That would at least give her a chance to stretch her legs and get something to eat. Right now all that she wanted to do was to sleep for a bit and forget about everything else going on in her life. That was all she needed and somehow sleeping on this bus already felt like it was going to be the best sleep that Annie had gotten in some time now.