“Wear glasses.”
I snapped my fingers. “Perfect!”
She laughed and climbed into bed beside me. She got beneath the covers, and immediately fell into place in my arms. She didn't turn off the lights though, and she remained to where she could see my face if she wanted to.
“This has something to do with your dream,” she stated.
“Sort of.”
“Your mom?”
I nodded.
“You want to see her, don't you?”
I raised my brow, looking at her. “You really can read my mind,” I told her, to which she smiled.
“Just your face. You called Ava too, didn't you?” she asked, and I nodded again. “Did she tell you?”
“She said it's in Louisiana, but she doesn't know. She told me she'd call me and tell me the town,” I told Julie.
“Louisiana wouldn't be that far away. I'm sure between you and Liam, you can figure out a way to get there. GPS in your phone or something?” she suggested, but upon seeing my curious stare, she asked, “What?”
“You're actually behind this?”
She shrugged slowly. “If cancer was a person, I'd want to ask it why, too. Isn't that life's biggest question?” she asked.
I thought there might be some truth in that.
Why?
“The Outsiders.”
Julie took a minute to think, then she reached over and flipped off the light. Laying against me, she whispered, “It seemed funny that the sunset she saw from her patio and the one I saw from the back steps was the same one. Maybe the two worlds we lived in weren't so different. We saw the same sunset.”
“Goodnight, Julie.”
“Goodnight, Falon.”
♥
Ava called me at six, and told me the name of the town. She sounded weary, so I made sure to tell her I loved her before I hung up this time. She said she loved me too, but I knew she was still praying I would change my mind.
I wouldn't.
Julie and I packed before Liam and Hilary, and met them in their room. When we got inside, Julie and I told them about my mother.
Liam looked nervous. “Are you sure about that? Road trips are fun, but when this turns into Thelma and Louise and I'm driving that truck off a cliff because you decided to kill-”
“It won't be like that,” Julie told him, glaring. “You watch way too much TV.”
He shrugged. “I'm just saying. If I was in his shoes, visiting the person that hurt me, control would be one of those things that would be scarce,” he replied.
He had a point.
“Julie will be with me. I'll be okay,” I told him. Julie squeezed my hand for support.
Liam sighed and shrugged. “Whatever you say, man. Louisiana, here we come,” he replied.
♥
First, we went to Mississippi. The sights were beautiful, but living in the south my entire life, a lot of it wasn't new.
The trip was going to be a doosy. But we figured by the next day, we would be there, bright and early. Julie would be with me, and everything would be fine.
And then, we blew a tire.
It was cliché too, and scary. Liam and Hilary were lucky I wasn't speeding when it happened. Otherwise, they might have learned how to fly.
I pulled us safely off the road, and turned off the truck. Julie was the first to get out and she went around the back of the truck toward the blown tire and Liam and Hilary.
“Are you okay?” I heard her asking as I got out. I walked around the back of the truck toward Julie and the tire.
Hilary was clinging to Liam, and nodding. “I'm okay. Is everyone else okay?” she asked, her hand moving to Liam's face. “Are you okay?” she asked him.
Liam nodded. “I'm great. What happened?” he asked, looking to me.
I kicked my bare rim and shook my head. “Blew a tire. Is everyone sure that they're okay?” I asked, looking at all of them.
They all nodded, and Julie even smiled at me. “Everyone is fine. Do you have a spare?” she asked.
I shook my head. “Not a chance. Does anyone know what number we're suppose to call for a tow truck?” I asked.
Julie and Liam took out their phones, and then Liam started to laugh. “Well, the number won't help anyway. I have no service,” he said, waving the screen to prove it.
“Same here.”
I looked at my phone, and it told me the same thing. No service, no numbers, no idea exactly where we were or how close a town or gas station was, nothing.
“Maybe someone should check the road,” Liam suggested. All of stared at him, having no idea what he was talking about.
“Why?”
He widened his eyes, staring at us as if we were stupid. “I'm pretty sure I watched this scary movie. Four kids break down on the side of the road? Blown tire, no cell phone service, road trip? The next thing you know, some crazy guy with a chainsaw or knife hand is going to come after us.”
Julie rolled her eyes, and I actually started laughing. She looked at me as if I was stupid, but I knew, if we were out here past dark, she would start seeing it that way too.
“Well, we're not in Texas, and I could scare away Freddy, so I'm guessing we need to worry more about Michael or Chucky,” I told him.
Liam nodded. “Or zombies. If a zombie bites me, you have to promise to kill me. Right then,” he told me.
I reached forward and we shook on it, as Julie was busy rolling her eyes again. “You both have completely lost your minds,” she told us, shaking her head.
“You know, the skeptic usually dies first,” Liam suggested.
Julie crossed her
