Roadtrip

Izzie’s POV
We pulled out of Mia’s driveway and she drove over to my apartment. She was focussed on driving, quietly clenching the steering wheel of her car. I’ve only seen her like a few times before. Mostly when someone tried to hurt me, she was always the first to defend my honour, but there was no one hurting me now. That made me think of the one other time I saw her like that.... I couldn’t be.

She pulled up to my building, and glanced over to me. “Iz, I’d rather have you staying here. Is there any chance you are going to let me go alone?” She was avoiding my eyes, fumbling with her hands. I unbuckled my seatbelt and turned my whole body towards her. “M, you are fucking scaring me. This is serious isn’t it?”. She nodded. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” she shrugged. “Do I know what’s going on?”. Another shrug, I saw one tear roll down her face. Fuck! I hated seeing her like this and in the back of my mind the thought I had earlier was fighting to the tip of my tongue. Ready for me to blur it out.

I put my hand on hers, pinching them softly, forcing her to look at me. “Mia, I’m thinking the worst right now, are you going to let me say it and then laugh about it, because I was too stupid to even think about it?” This time she looked me straight in my eyes and I could see everything in it that I was so scared of finding there, hurt, fear, oh the fear. My oh so strong best friend, the one who didn’t fear anything. Except for one thing, the one thing I was sure was happening again.

“So it is what I’m thinking what it is?” She nodded quietly. Damn! “Allright, we need to get out of here fast, help me pack my things” We both got out of the car, walking over to my apartment, I opened the door and paused for a second before going in. I hugged Mia, giving her a kiss on her cheek “Babe, we will get through this, I promise you”.

Jimmy’s POV
“Mr. Sullivan?” I heard a voice on my phone.
“Hmm?” I answered sleepily, who would call me Mr. Sullivan anyway?!
“The Van is ready for the pickup and every necessary items are also packed, when will you and your… friends arrive here?”
“What Van?” I frowned and looked down on myself, I was still dressed.. perfect, so if I had to pick something up I was ready to go.
“Mr. Sullivan, you didn’t forget the Charity Race starting today do you?” the man on the end of the line asked and now he was talking… the Van.. oh shit!
“No, of course not. We were waiting for your call all the time.” Damn!!
“Good, so when will you be here so we can hand over the keys and explain a few things?” He asked and I tried to find a watch to see what time it is.
“Well.. what time is it now?” I asked him, I couldn’t find one.
“9 in the morning.” Explains why I wasn’t awake before.
“Then what about 2?”
“Well, if you thing that will be enough time… fine with us.” The guy said and I frowned.
Enough time for what?
“Sure. Can you send me the address by message, we will be there by 2.” I didn’t give him the chance to reply and hung up.
I looked at my phone and made a conference call with, Brian, Johnny, Matt and Zack.
“Guys?”
4 groans sounded over the phone.
“We gotta pick up the Van at 2, then we have to get going…” I said and again 4 groan.
I hope it was groans and not moans… but pleasure sounds different… anyway…
“Guys.. We signed that we would attend to this Charity thing.”
“We?” Matt’s annoyed voice sounded over my speaker.
“Yes.. alright, I signed us up but WE agreed.” I clarified.
“Why are you up at this unholy hour?” Zack muffled voice.
“They called me… to pick up the fucking Van.”
“Didn’t you lose your driving license 2 weeks ago?” Johnny asked and I scratched my head.
“Well yeah… so I am out of the driving circle, HELL YEAH!” I yelled.
“Damn you, James! Where do we meet?” Brian came to the point.
“Johnny will pick me up then we can pick up the Van and then drive over to each of you?”
“Hey.. why me?” Johnny complained.
“Cause I am not allowed to drive. And you are the shortest…” I said and grinned.
“Alright guys, see you in a bit…” I hung up and walked to my bathroom to get ready.

“JIMMY???” My doorbell and the yelling outside of my door woke me from my nap.
“I’m coming!” I yelled back and walked to the door.
“Damn, its nearly 2 you wanted us to pick up the stupid Van.” Johnny stood in front of my door a travel bag in hand.
Oh right, that’s what I had to do…
“Yes, let’s go, we can grab my bag on the way back when we drive over to the rest of the guys.”
“Fine.”
Johnny and I drove over to the address I received and I saw a guy in suit waiting for us next to our new Van.
“Mr. Sullivan? And Mr...?” The guy asked and looked at Johnny.
“Seward.” Johnny answered before I could say a funny name, Short Shirt learned during the years.
“Alright, so here is the Van and here are the keys. On the passenger seat you will find a folder with a map as well as a phone.”
“Why is that?” Johnny asked.
“On the map, we marked you a few checkpoint where we rented you hotels and be careful with the phone, don’t lose it, it has a special function which will be helpful for you during this trip. You have to scan certain checkpoints, but everything is described in the folder. We thank you guys very much for making this Charity Race work and we will see us hopefully in the end of the trip with a lot of money for the less fortunate.” The guy said and I nodded, then we said our goodbyes and walked to our new home for the next weeks.

“Let’s go Johnny and pick up the others.”
“I guess we will find out where we have to go first in this map, right?” Johnny asked and looked at the map with excited eyes.
“Yes, but let’s wait for the others, so we can announce it together.” I replied and Johnny climbed into the driver seat.
We drove over to my house I grabbed my bag and the other things I would need.
“You really need all that shit?” Johnny asked.
“You also got your instrument with you, so do I?” I told him, while Johnny tried to fit my drum kit into the Van.
“Dude, with your Drum kit there is no place for the rest of the guys.” Johnny and I looked at the remaining place and damn, he was right.
“Fine, then I gotta at least take my keyboard with me, or how am I supposed to write songs?”
“Fine, get the keyboard. I will unload again.”

When we arrived at Zack’s he was already standing outside two huge bags in hand as well as his guitar.
We just threw everything in the back and drove over to Brian, he had even more luggage and 2 guitars with him. I shook my head, if I had known this, I would have let my drum kit in the back as well.
Last was Matt and he stood there with one bag and nothing else.
Perfect, this would go quickly.
Matt opened the trunk and began to curse, “Who the fuck took 3 bags with him? BRIAN?”
“Well, I need a lot of stuff, what can I do?” Brian tried to explain.
“Everybody takes one bag… and damn it Brian one guitar is fucking enough, look at the Van, how are we supposed to drive with 5 people in this when everywhere is your fucking shit lying around.” Matt began to yell at the end of the sentence and I was glad, that my drum kit wasn’t in the trunk anymore.
“Fine, I will sort through my things and let one bag at your house, okay?”
“2 bags!” Matt answered angrily.
“Zacky also got 2” Brian complained.
“Damn you!”
“Either you two will fucking get rid of two bags, or I will decide this for you…” Matt took one of the bags out and was about to throw it away but Zack and Brian ran to the back to save their clothes.

30 min. later all of us had one bag and one instrument in the trunk and we started our Race.
Matt sat next to Johnny, who was driving.
He opened the folder and looked at the map then turned to us with a grin.
“First stop – SAN FRANCISCO”

Mia’s POV
My car was packed with our stuff. I know my original plan was to put Izzie on a bus in the next city, but I also was aware of the fact that I probably wouldn’t get away with it. And now she knew what was going on, I like having her around. It was really selfish of me to take her with me, but she was my best friend and just as I would do all of this for her, she was doing it for me, she sure wouldn’t want it any other way. I think I needed her around, to keep me sane, because I know I was going out of my mind fast.

“Babe, can we make one stop on the way out?” She had a big grin on her face. I couldn’t help but smile. Izzie was so damn happy and optimistic all the time, even in a situation as this. “Sure, but we have to make it short. Where do you want to go?” Izzie chuckled “I want to tell that lame ass boss of mine to his face that I am going to quit” I laughed “Hell yeah! We can totally make time for that!”

I pulled up to the shabby diner Izzie had been working at for the past 6 months. The pay was okay according to her, but anything else... not so much. Izzie almost jumped out of the car and I could see that she was keeping herself from running to the door. She opened the door with a big smile “Gooooooooddddmorning bitches! Where is Marc?” I walked after her and saw her jerk of a boss come from the backroom “Well, well miss Izzie, being 2 hours earlier for your shift is different from the 2 hours late you normally are.” He smirked cockily. “I’ve never been late to any of my shifts at this lousy diner, but if I were you, I wouldn’t wait for me today, or tomorrow or the day after tomorrow for that fact. Because, my dear Marc.....” She walked up to him and put her face really close to his “.....I quit”. She flicked his nose with her index finger, leaving him stunned as she turned around and marched out of the door “Gooooddddbyyyeeee bitches!” she screamed.

We were driving for 4 hours already and Izzie still got the giggles once in a while. “Oh my god, that was so damn epic” I smiled at her enthusiasm. She calmed down again “So babe, where are we going?” I shrugged.
“I don’t really have a plan. What about we drive for about another 4 hours and see where we will be?”

Izzie grabbed the map out of the glove compartment and studied it. “SAN FRANCISCO!!” she screamed after a few minutes. “Fuck Iz, you startled me, that’s dangerous!” She looked at me “Oh, yeah, sorry, I just got excited. We can go to San Francisco, seems like fun anyway, I’ve never been!” I smiled, this little road trip got my mind of things already and even though I knew this happy feeling probably wouldn’t last.... for now I was choosing not to let everything else catch up with me and enjoy this moment with my best friend “San Francisco it is then!”

Notes

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