"LAURA, CAN YOU GET THAT MAP FROM HOWIE AND SEE WHERE I NEED TO TURN AT, PLEASE?" KEVIN ASKS, GLANCING UP AT HER.
"SURE." SHE MUMBLES SLEEPILY, LEANING OVER THE BACKSEAT. "COLUMBUS" HAD FALLEN ASLEEP ON THE JOB, NOT TO MENTION THE MAP. TUGGING AT IT CAREFULLY, SHE SLOWLY MANAGES TO FREE THE MAP FROM UNDER HOWIE'S HEAD.
"WE'RE ON THE INTERSTATE RIGHT NOW." KEVIN EXPLAINS, PASSING INTO THE OTHER LANE. "WE SHOULD BE COMING TO SOME SORT OF CONJUNCTION SOMETIME SOON."
"I CAN'T TELL FOR SURE." LAURA SAYS, SCRATCHING HER HEAD. "THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS MAP. GEE, ACCORDING TO THIS, WE AREN'T EVEN ON A HIGHWAY."
"WHAT?" KEVIN ASKS, GIVING HER A FUNNY LOOK. "TAKE THE WHEEL FOR A SECOND AND LET ME SEE THAT." LAURA PASSES HIM THE MAP AS KEVIN HANDS OVER THE WHEEL. "LET'S SEE...." KEVIN PONDERS, EYEING THE MAP. "WHAT THE... IS THAT A LAKE?! WHAT IS THAT?! HOW'D THAT HUMONGOUS LAKE GET THERE?!"
"KEV?" LAURA INTERRUPTS, STILL HOLDING THE WHEEL. "IT LOOKS MORE LIKE SOMEONE SPILLED SOMETHING ON IT."
"AND HOW'S THAT?" KEVIN ASKS HER, STILL INSPECTING THE MAP. "THERE'S NOTHING IN HERE TO SPILL."
"ASK HOWIE." LAURA SUGGESTS. "HE WAS SLEEPING ON IT."
AT THE MENTION OF HIS NAME, HOWIE SITS UP IN THE BACKSEAT AND YAWNS. SLURPING LOUDLY, HE LEANS OVER THE SEAT WHILE GROGGILY ASKING, "ARE WE THERE YET?"
"WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE." LAURA EXPLAINS, GLANCING BACK AT HIM. "HEY HOWIE, WIPE YOUR MOUTH. YOU'VE BEEN DROOLING IN YOUR SLEEP."
"OH, THANKS." HE SAYS, WIPING HIS MOUTH WITH HIS SLEEVE. "HEY KEV, HAND ME THAT MAP. REMEMBER, I'M NAVIGATING." KEVIN, SUDDENLY KNOWING WHERE THE
MYSTERIOUS MOIST SPOT ORIGINATED FROM, EYES HOWIE AS HE PASSES THE MAP TO HIM.
"WHOA, WHO GOT THE MAP WET?!"
AS BRENDA LEANS FORWARD AND SCANS THE BUS WITH HER EYES, SHE NOTICES THE FEW OTHER PASSENGERS ALSO SLEEPING. FALLING BACK INTO HER OWN SEAT, BRENDA YAWNS
ONCE MORE AS SHE, AGAIN, LOOKS OUT THE WINDOW. "WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?" SHE ASKS HERSELF, STARING BLANKLY THROUGH THE GLASS. "BRIAN? ESTHER? WHERE ARE YOU?"
"DON'T SAY IT." HE WARNS IN A LOW VOICE. "DON'T SAY ANYTHING."
"I TOLD YOU SO." DIANA CHIMES, A SMILE ON HER FACE.
A.J. PUTS HIS HANDS OVER HIS FACE AS SHE CONTINUES TO RUB IN THE STUPIDITY OF HIS MISTAKE. "I TOLD YOU ORLANDO WAS THAT WAY, BUT NO, YOU SAID YOU KNEW WHAT YOU WERE DOING. BUT WHO WAS RIGHT? WHO WAS RIGHT, A.J.?!" WHEN HE MAKES NO ATTEMPT TO ANSWER HER QUESTION, SHE CONTINUES.
"YOU KNOW, I OUGHTTA BLAB THIS TO EVERYONE I SEE. HEY EVERYBODY, WE WERE ONLY 2 HOURS OUT OF ORLANDO AND A.J. TOOK US TO ALABAMA! MAYBE I'LL CALL THE PAPERS. GET THEM TO DO A COVER STORY ON THIS ENTIRE INCIDENT. THOSE TEENYBOPPER MAGAZINES WOULD EAT IT RIGHT UP." SHE PAUSES FOR A MOMENT, THEN ADDS, "BUT, I WON'T."
A.J. SIGHS WITH RELIEF WHILE UNCOVERING HIS FACE, "THANKS, DIANA."
"IT'LL COST YOU THOUGH."
"WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?! UH, HOW ABOUT MONEY?"
"NO."
"FAME?"
"NO."
"FIRST DIBS ON THE BATHROOM EVERY MORNING?"
"SOUNDS NICE, BUT NO."
"THEN WHAT?!" A.J. ASKS IN AN EXASPERATED TONE. "DO YOU WANT ME TO KISS YOUR FEET AND BE YOUR PERSONAL SLAVE FOR A WEEK OR SOMETHING?!"
DIANA LOOKS AWAY, A SMILE SPREADING ACROSS HER FACE. "OH NO. NO NO NO NO NO. YOU WOULDN'T DARE..." A.J. GROWLS, SHAKING HIS HEAD.
"OH......" BRIAN LAUGHS, BEAMING AT HER. "YOU MEAN, CHICAGO? NOW, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO GO TO CHICAGO?" BRIAN ASKS, PULLING INTO A GAS STATION.
"I DUNNO. I REMEMBER HOW MUCH I ENJOYED A TRIP I TOOK THERE ONCE TO VISIT AN UNCLE." ESTHER REPLIES, LOOKING DOWN AT HER LAP. "I ALWAYS WANTED TO GO AGAIN SOMETIME."
"BUT I'M JUST WONDERING WHY I SHOULD TAKE YOU TO CHICAGO." BRIAN IMPLIES WITH A SMILE AS HE PULLS THE CAR TO A STOP AND GETS OUT. "WHY NOT NEW YORK, OR SAN FRANCISCO?"
"I DIDN'T SAY YOU HAD TO. I JUST SAID I WOULDN'T MIND GOING THERE." ESTHER INSISTS, UNBUCKLING HER SEATBELT.
"WE'LL GO TO CHICAGO." BRIAN LAUGHS, AS HE OPENS THE CAR DOOR FOR ESTHER. "NOT TO MENTION, WE DID PUT ON QUITE A SCENE BACK AT THE HOTEL ABOUT GOING THERE ANYWAY."
"REALLY? YOU MEAN IT?! SO, WE'LL GO TO CHICAGO?!" ESTHER EXCLAIMS, PUTTING HER HAND OUT FOR BRIAN TO TAKE.
"ANYTHING FOR YOU, MY LOVE." HE COOS, TAKING HER HAND IN HIS AND KISSING IT SOFTLY. "BUT YOU'RE PAYING FOR GAS!"
"WHY YOU LITTLE.......!' ESTHER GROWLS PLAYFULLY, JUMPING OUT OF THE SEAT AFTER BRIAN.
"HOPE YOU HAVE YOUR VISA CARD!" BRIAN YELLS BEHIND HIM THEY RACE INTO THE STATION.
