Life

The gentle breeze from the air vent hit he young man in the face as he flew across the vast plains. His grip on the steering wheel was tight and his knuckles were white against his skin. He was tense. Every few seconds he would look back to make a head count. To make sure that all four were still there. He would then look to his right and count the last person. They had been driving for the past three hours. The sun was finally rising off in the east giving the air a new spirit. The beauty of the new day took the young man aback. He simply looked off into the sunrise, remembering why he had left.

"This is real beauty. This is what I've been looking for."

He closed his eyes for a second and loosened his grip on the steering wheel, reminiscing on the events that happened only a few hours ago.



"Jason! Jason wake up!"
A small hand was shaking Jason awake. He groaned slightly and shifted under the covers.
"Jason! Mom says it's time for dinner. She wants you to eat something."
Jason groaned louder, turning towards the person. He opened his eyes slightly to be met with the blurry image of his youngest sister, 10 year old Michelle. He wiped his eyes lightly and looked towards the clock. It was seven thirty. He opened his mouth and spoke,
"Tell her... I'll be down in two minutes."
His voice was deep and groggy from the sleep. His throat burned and he still had the taste of cheap beer in his mouth from the party the night before.
"Okay."
The small girl skipped away from the bed. Her long ponytail bouncing up and down as she did so. She turned the corner around the door and disappeared.



The car began to shake violently and Jason was ripped from his memory as the van began to veer off towards the side of the road.
"Crap!"
He quickly regained control of the vehicle. He was losing his grip on his conscience. He needed to sleep. He quickly veered off to the side of the road and parked the car. He looked to his right to the young girl sleeping there. Her long golden brown hair cascading down from her head, covering her face. He reached over and shook her slightly.
"Araka... Araka, wake up. We need to switch."

 

Will reclined in the back, guitar on his lap. "Kason, let her sleep. I'll take over." He said, sitting up and going up next to his friend. "Trust me, you guys all need some sleep." He said, dropping his guitar pick into his pocket and sliding his hoodie on. He grinned as the large hood fell over his head. "Here, I'll drive. Go sleep some man." He said to Jason.

 

"I ain't sleeping yet, so I can switch with you anytime Will. Thought that I don't got a slightest clue where we're going, but guess that anything else than homes fine, eh." Moby grinned sligthly at Will as rolling one of the windows down and lightning a cigarette. "Good thing that I didn't take anything to drink with me other than water, so I can drive too. Thought that Araka herself suggested it. So Will, if ye need me, I'll be in my happy world for few hours", Moby said as he put the large headphones on and continued the smoking... Only thing that was in his mind was the night before the leave.

"Moby, you useless pile of...! Come downstairs, right NOW!"

Pictures of his drunken dad surrounded his mind and he remembered the whole scene.

"What is it now?" Moby yelled to his dad.
"They policeman's called again and sid that you've been stealing again from the shop near us!"
"I have done nothing! I've got proof that I haven't been out today!"
"You useless excuse for a son, I paid to the police to be quiet but you never learn!!" Moby could hear his father coming upstairs.
"What's this?" His father observed the room and smelled the cigarettes. "You've been smoking again in the house! Now you've got it..." He grabbed Moby and tried to punch him, but as Moby had been used to it he easily avoided it. This time, he had enough, and he punched back as his father fell to the floor. He quickly grabbed his jacket and put his shoes on and runned downstairs. He took some money from his father's wallet and rushed out of the door. He could hear only the words that mattered which his father yelled from the house. You ain't welcome back.

As he snapped out of his thoughts in the car, he mumbled to himself. "Freedom. Great."

 

"Put that damn cigarette out" Alex said to Moby. "Hey!" He said pushing him in the arm and then stretching over him and knocking the cigarette out his hands. "You might not be at home but your not smoking that stupid thing when your in my car" He said when Moby took the ear phones off.

"Pull over again" Alex said to Will "I'm driving" Alex could see that he was about to protest but then looked at Alex and pulled over. Alex climbed over some sleeping body opening the door and climbing out. He stretched as Will got into the middle of the car again. "Were stopping for some gas at the next station" He told those who were awake. But he was mainly saying it to himself. Once they reached the next station the border wasn't much father. Then there was no turning back.

 

Will shrugged. "Dunno where we are but I'm fine if you guys want me to drive." He said, sitting back down and playing his guitar. A les Paul Standard, Ebony finish with an Ivory pickguard. His birthday gift on his 6th birthday. Holding the guitar brought back memories of that birthday, and of a week later. He felt his head start to bob and soon he was asleep, guitar slack in his grip.

 

"Don't worry about the driving shifts" Alex answered Araka's unanswered question. "I prefer been behind the wheel anyway, that way if I die in an accident I know I can't blame anyone else." He said with a smile on his face. He didn't feel it particularly funny but it seemed right to smile when he said it. And were about four hours away from good old Dallas Texas.

They had all left California that morning early that morning and had been on the road pretty much all day. Except for the pit breaks and the lunch they had stopped for. Alex then remembered why they were going and began to dread it. He had called his uncle and asked him if he and a couple of friends could come down and spend some time at his guest house for there break. He was reluctant at first but when Alex told him that his mom had suggested it he agreed. Alex wasn't sure what they would do if and when his uncle found out about it but they could all figure that out when it happened.

Alex saw the turn off for the petrol station so he turned into it. When they had arrived he got out filled the car and then climbed back in.

"Alright well since this is the last stop I guess ill buy some food and drinks. You want anything specific?" He asked Araka since she was the only other one awake.

*Please note that if I see a post as spam and with Hope's consent the post will be deleted.*

 

Will stumbled out of the car. "I'll come. I know what everyone likes. I'm usually sent anyway." He said, trying to get his fast breathing and heart rate under control. He had fallen asleep yet even a glimpse of the dream scared him. He set his guitar back in on the seat and stretched. " Hey Akara... do you still have dreams about your past?" He asked, wondering if he wasn't the only one.

 

Jason shifted in his seat slightly. He was slipping in and out of his dream state after moving over to the back seat. He felt the car rumble beneath him as the continued down the long stretch of road. In his mind the events of the day before continued to play out, over and over.


His feet felt heaving as he dragged himself down the stairs to the dining room. The chandelier's glow gave the hall a very romantic feel that would make any woman swoon as soon as they walked through the door. It had worked many times when Jason brought over a friend. Jason reached the bottom of the staircase and was greeted with his mother, running out of a doorway towards him. Her hair was in it's usual black curls, bouncing up and down as she hurried toward him. She seemed to float as she came towards him. Her long velvet dress was hiding her feet, giving him that impression.
"Honey!"
She finally reached him and encircled him in a tight embrace. She smelled sweet like honey. Yet there was a strong whiff of lavender. He recognized it right away. It was his, and her, favourite perfume. The one he had bought her two years ago for her birthday.
"Come, come."
She had released him from her embrace and was holding his scruffy face in her hands.
"We have a big surprise for you."
She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the dinning room


He shifted slightly and opened his eyes. They had stopped. He squinted his eyes as the bright sun finally registered to him. He needed that sleep. He wasn't sure how long he had been out. But it wasn't enough for his body. He straightened his body and looked outside. They were at a gas station. A few other people were still asleep. Up in the driver's seat, Alex sat looking at Araka. They were talking about food. Jason groaned a bit and got up.

"If you don't mind, can you guys get me some Pringles? I'm starving"

He gave them a weak, sheepish smile.

 

Alex was getting somewhat impatient. It was cold outside and he wasn't wearing his jacket. He had taken it off earlier during the car ride and assumed that someone had taken it to use as a pillow or blanket. "Hey Araka I'm heading in, I'll see you in there." He said to her. He then checked his pocket to make sure that his wallet was there and headed in. When he walked in he nodded to the man who was at the till and grabbing a basket he began to fill it with some of the peoples requests and other quick things to eat.

Alex walked to the counter and placed the stuff he had grabbed down. The guy was about to put his item through, "Oh, just hold on a second I have a friend coming in, she's probably going to be getting some more things" Alex told him. The guy just simply nodded and waited.

 

Will saw Alex and groaned. He put everything back and strode up to his friend. "Here." He said, handing his friend 5 dollars. "That should cover my pop." He said, striding back to the van, brushing past Akara as he crawled into the large vehicle. He couldn't sleep so he sat on the edge of the van, next to the door. He had his guitar and decided he would spare the others from hearing it. Especially since some were still trying to sleep.

 

Jason took into account her question. He breathed in deeply and then slowly let all the air out. This is when he noticed Alex. He was fidgeting slightly as he waited for his response. Without even waiting he went off.
"Hey Araka I'm heading in, I'll see you in there."
He went off across the lot and into the store. Jason let out a sigh. Alex never really liked him. If he did he had a weird way of showing it. It was quiet a shame though. He actually liked Alex. Quite a lot. He let out another sigh and looked at Araka again.
"Yeah, sure. I'll go. It's better then being stuck here in this cramped up van. I could use the stretch session."
He slowly opened the door he was sitting next to and stretched as he was greeted by the cool air. He rubbed his arms, trying to hide the goosebumps that had developed on his forearms. He quickly reached back into the car and into a small bookbag in-front of where he was sitting. He pulled out his Minolta X-700. His first camera. He closed the door quickly with one hand as he placed the camera around his neck with the other. He went around the car towards Araka. As he got around he picked up his camera and adjusted it quickly.
"Smile."
Araka looked towards him as she heard him and he hit the shutter release quickly. She looked... pretty through the viewer. He smiled as he looked down at his camera and advanced the film.
"So let's go."
He went off ahead of her, not waiting for her to answer.

 

"No not yet." Alex responded to Araka. "I was waiting for you to see if you wanted anything." He said as he gently pushed her hand down that had her wallet in. "And ill cover it, If you feel to strongly about it you can pay next time." He said.

Alex knew that he wouldn't let her pay the next time either, He wasn't sure why but he didn't feel right having other people pay for anything of his. Even if most of it wasn't for him. It felt as if they were saying he couldn't take care of himself or something along those lines. It wasn't as if he was showing of flaunting his money or anything, But, well I guess it just helped his self esteem.

"Anyway anything else you want before I pay?" He asked giving her a weak smile.

 

"We are roughly two hours and a half away from there house. But to be honest I'm not to sure how long we would be able to stay. It took awhile for me to bring my uncle around to the idea in the first place. And then he only actually agreed because I told him we were on break and waned to do some travelling."

Alex climbed into the driver's seat and waited for the others to get into the car. "Seatbelts on?" Alex asked without looking at anyone to confirm they had them on. Making sure everyone was in the car he pulled out of the station and headed towards his uncles. He thought back to a couple of days ago. He was packing his bag and his mom walked in.

"You leaving?" she asked him.

"Mom? I didn't see you there. I'm going away with some friends for awhile." He answered her

"When will you be back?"

"After the weekend"

Alex's attention was brought back when the car began bouncing because he had gone off the road a little bit. He quickly pulled the car back onto the road and hoped that he hadn't woken anybody up.

"I should pay more attention" He said aloud.