The Wanderers by Sarah Barkoff

Author:Sarah Barkoff
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, adventure, mental illness, contemporary, teen, social issues
Publisher: Evernight Teen

Chapter Twelve

We continue on our way to Michigan. Hours go by in silence. There’s no talking, no music playing on the radio, only the sound of the tires hitting the pavement and the occasional hum of a semi riding next to us.

Finally, Nolan reaches over and turns the radio on. “Classic rock?” he asks, stopping on one of the only stations coming in.

“I hate classic rock,” I say.

He turns the knob some more.

“Ooh, leave this song on,” Casey pipes in from the back seat. Her mood has lightened, and she’s embracing the road trip vibes. She’s got the hood of her sweatshirt up, her pretty face peaking out from behind wispy pieces of her long, red hair. She looks grungy, yet sexy all at the same time, like every guy’s fantasy of the girl next door. “Sosie loves this song, too, don’t you, Sosie?”

We make eye contact through the rearview mirror, but I quickly turn my attention back to the road, sapped from my confession a few hours earlier and exhausted from the lack of sleep.

Casey sings along to the radio at the top of her lungs. She hooks her arm through Terry’s and tries to get him to sway back and forth to the music.

He doesn’t budge and instead sits stoic, like a statue made out of cement. “What is this shit?” Terry asks. “You can’t honestly like this.”

“Are you kidding me?” Casey answers. “This is only one of the greatest bands to have ever existed. You’ve never heard of Simon and Garfunkel? See, told you, Sosie. We’re the only ones I know with good taste in music.”

“Good taste in music. Yeah. Okay,” he retorts.

Her eyes are still on me. She doesn’t look away. It’s like she’s trying to send me a telepathic message. I’m receiving it, but I pretend not to. She’s waiting for me to back her up, waiting for me to say something in defense of the band. I don’t, the song ends, and the moment passes. She stares into her lap, hands folded.

I turn the radio down. “I’m thinking we’ll be in Frankenmuth around three o’clock, maybe four, if we hit traffic.”

“You planning on stopping by the shop today?” Nolan asks.

I nod. “Then I was thinking that we’ll leave tomorrow, sometime in the morning or early afternoon,” I announce for everyone to hear. “If it’s okay, I thought we could get a hotel room tonight. Don’t worry, though, it’s on me. I’ll put it on my dad’s credit card.”

“How far are we from Michigan right now?” Casey asks.

“About three more hours,” I tell her.

“Three more? Fuck my life. I’m bored,” Casey declares. “Is anyone else bored?”

“I am,” Nolan raises his hand.

“Let’s play a game!” Casey suggests.

“I have a better idea, why don’t we all be quiet, or better yet, why don’t we all take a nap? There, there, close your eyes and fall fast asleep.” Terry pulls Casey over to him, trying to get her to rest her head on his chest.

She tears out of his grasp and instead bounces, animated and enthusiastic into the space between Nolan and me.

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