Ch. 52

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive?" Walter asked Nelly, as they climbed out of the car. It was towards evening, around two hours before sunset, and they had decided to stop for a brief lunch.

"Oh, definitely sure," said Nelly, patting Walter on the shoulder as if he had done this many times before. "Dan and I will manage."

In the course of their day's journey, Dan and Nelly had somehow talked themselves into taking turns driving. They had decided on having Dan sleep while Nelly drove, then Nelly switch off and sleep while Dan drove and so on. Nelly claimed that this was the most efficient way to handle the long trip. They seemed quite the giddy pair of boys about this little adventure, and Walter couldn't help but smile a little at their enthusiasm.

"I can't believe we're only in Indiana," Laurie exclaimed, as she looked around.

"We're making great progress," Nelly said, putting his arm around Laurie in an affectionate manner. "Don't worry, Laurie -- we'll be in California in no time."

"How much longer do we have left?" she asked, smiling at him.

"Two days at the most, I bet," said Nelson. "If we go at this pace, less than that."

They went inside a diner and ate together. Dan and Nelly were planning the trip to California there, discussing the best routes to take and time management. After they were done eating, Walter was watching Dan and Nelly argue over a map when Laurie looked at him and cleared her throat.

"I need to go to the bathroom," Laurie announced, flashing her eyebrows at Walter as she got up.

"All right," said Nelly, absent-mindedly, as he poured over the map. Laurie wasn't taking her eyes off of Walter, and he got up with her.

"I'm going for a walk," Walter said. He didn't hear Nelly's reply -- he was busy stalking after Laurie. She led him to a more private area in the back.

"What's going on?" Walter asked her.

"We're going to be stuck in that car with Dan and Nelly for another two days," she told him.

Walter raised an eyebrow at her, but Laurie threw her arms around him and kissed him before he could inquire further. Walter allowed his hands to fly up to her waist and rest against it as he leaned into her, kissing her in return. Walter hadn't realized how much he had wanted to touch her until that moment, when he felt as if he were going to melt with her from just their contact. He could hear Laurie sigh into him and he pressed closer to her, savoring the feel of the moment with great intensity so he could relive it again later in his mind. They kissed for a long while, hands going in places that would make Walter blush to look at if he saw it from an outsider's perspective. They eventually parted with great reluctance, and went back through separate ways as if they hadn't wandered off together.

Walter didn't realize how much time had gone by until he came back and found Dan and Nelly waiting outside the diner.

"There you are," exclaimed Nelly. "We were wondering where you were. Where's Laurie?"

Laurie appeared just then, looking quite casual with her hands in her pockets.

"Sorry," said Laurie, "I went for a walk and lost track of the time."

Dan gave them a strange look, but he said nothing. The four of them once more piled into the car. Nelly was back to driving again, and Dan settled in as he tried to sleep. Walter took the notepad from where it was resting between him and Laurie and started to write on a new page:

"Journal Entry, June 23, 1969 -- I'm stuck in a car with Nelly and Dan. It could be worse, but luckily Laurie is here. Wish I could talk to her properly, though. It's kind of cramped back here, and a little stifling, even."

Walter paused and glanced at Laurie. She was looking through a paper bag, the one she had gotten from the general store a few states back. Walter wondered what else she had bought. Laurie glanced up and smiled when she caught Walter watching her. Walter smiled in return. Laurie settled in her seat as if she was going to nap, though there was still probably more than an hour of evening sun left. Walter turned back to the page, looking at what he wrote, then started to write again:

"Setting sun in the horizon, pointing towards Agent Orange. How appropriate the colors of the sky -- it could only be made perfect if the clouds formed the mocking features of a forced smile. Nelson is oblivious, as is Dan. How little we know of the road that stretches out before us, twisting like the curls of rope that could lead to a trap or even to the net that is cast with a final toss over a murderer on the loose. Laurie knows, but she follows nevertheless; her loyalty has certainly been proven but who knows how she would be in the face of true peril."

Walter blanked out for a moment, and when he finally saw what he had written, he frowned. Did he usually sound like that? He almost tore up the paper, but he just shook his head and resumed writing:

"I suppose the trip isn't as bad as I had initially imagined it was going to be. Dan and Nelly are surprisingly quiet, and it's good to have Laurie here."

Walter turned to look at Laurie. He didn't feel like writing anymore. It had started off as a bit of a joke, but he didn't have anything amusing to show Laurie now. Even if he had, she was dozing off already so he gave up and tossed the notepad aside. Maybe he wasn't suited for this whole journal-writing business.

The sky gave way from deep orange to darker purple hues and finally blackness as the car continued on into the night. Walter looked around him, at the occasional passing car, at the back of Nelly's head, and Dan's sleeping form. Then he looked at Laurie. It was pretty dark in the car, and he had an idea. He would normally hesitate with something like this, but he didn't think Nelly or Dan would notice even if it was relatively light. Walter shifted in his seat and put his arm around Laurie. She stirred a little then looked up, smiled sleepily, and settled her head against his shoulder. Walter rested his chin on Laurie's head and sighing, he closed his eyes for a moment.

Walter would occasionally awaken to the sound of the engine roaring. At one point the car stopped and Nelly and Dan switched seats. Walter opened his eyes to check on them, but didn't move to let go of Laurie. The car started again, and Walter fell into a deeper sleep. When he awoke, the sky was pink behind them. Laurie was still asleep, and it seemed Nelly was barely coming out of his own slumber.

Walter watched the sun rise and the scenery around them grow brighter. Laurie made a small sound next to him as she woke up. She pulled away from Walter as she sat up straighter. Walter let his arm fall to his side again and had to stretch slightly to bring the feeling back to his limbs. Laurie gave Walter a slightly blurry smile that made her look sweet. She put her head back on the seat and closed her eyes for a moment.

Walter looked for the notepad he had exchanged back and forth with Laurie the night before but couldn't find it. He searched around the seats, then pulled out the paper bag at Laurie's feet. He rifled through it, not really expecting to find the notepad, but curious about what she had purchased anyway. Two more notepads, some apples, a spare pen, a brush, contraceptives, and...

Wait, what?

Walter stared at the package in his hand and blinked to see if the words that identified its contents would go away and be replaced by something else; that it would be a mistake on his part, and they were really aspirin after all, or cough syrup. He looked up to find Laurie staring at his hand as if she couldn't recall purchasing the item.

"Just in case," she told him, finally.

Walter tossed Laurie's purchases back in the bag and handed them to her without a word. He felt his face burning, and he looked out the window for a few seconds to clear his head.

"Morning already?" Nelly asked, as he stretched.

"Hey, Nelly," said Dan. Then he looked in the rear-view mirror. "Everybody ready for some breakfast?"

"Sure," said Laurie. Nelly agreed, and Walter just nodded and pretended words had come out of his mouth.

"Nearest eatery is fifteen miles," Dan said. "Saw a sign a couple of minutes back, so we should be there soon."

"I wish I could stretch out my legs, more than anything," said Laurie.

"I know what would help us," Dan grinned, then started to sing, "She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes."

"Oh, no," said Laurie, laughing.

"That's what I'm talking about," said Nelly, as he joined in, "She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes."

Walter closed his eyes for a moment and cringed, but couldn't help but chuckle at the scene. Nelly and Dan sang their hearts out for Walter and Laurie all the way to the rest stop.

"She'll be coming 'round the mountain..."

Walter looked out the window. The flat prairie stretched out before him, making their surroundings look barren and cold, even though Walter could already feel the day's heat coming through the window. This was a new world, and the sky seemed bigger in this place, where there was not a building in sight for miles.

"She'll be coming 'round..."

Mesmerized by the beauty of this foreign landscape, Walter slipped into a dream-like state and remained there for the rest of the morning.

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To be continued...