[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/200402/dc8e6d15ae014ad68bd56290854e89ed.png[/img] [img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/685234225556750362/695178937483001856/leonnate.png[/img] [hr] [hr] [/center] [color=silver][indent][indent][indent] Even though Nathan had woken up two hours ago, he had been lying in bed for at least an hour, looking up at the cracked ceiling of his basement bedroom. Today was the day that he and his friends had planned to leave town and travel across the country. That wasn’t really what was bothering the young man. No, the feeling that was eating him up inside was guilt. Guilt: because he had yet to tell his sister that he was planning on not coming back. So there he was, still in bed, chewing on the inside of his cheek and rehearsing the dialogue in his head for the fifteenth time. With a frustrated grunt, he threw off the covers and finally got out of bed. After a quick shower and finally getting dressed, Nate grabbed the two duffle bags he had meticulously packed the night before and his backpack before heading upstairs. At the kitchen table, he found his sister eating breakfast with her back turned to him. Nathan paused in his tracks. He sighed before dropping his bags on the floor as noisily as possible to announce his presence. His sister didn’t move a muscle, much less turn around. She was still pissed. A deep sigh left the boy as he rounded the table and took a seat across from Addison. [color=AD5050]“Hello…?”[/color] he asked while tilting his head, almost laying it flat on the table trying to make his sister look at him. But she just stared down into her bowl of cereal without acknowledging his existence. [color=AD5050]“Look… I know you are angry.”[/color] He started as he leaned back in his chair, staring out of the window.[color=AD5050] “But I just can’t… stay here anymore. I just can’t watch him walk around like a zombie and sit in his chair as he stares out into the void. I need to get out of this fucking city. I- I need to find out who the fuck I am! And I can’t do it holed up in this house.”[/color] he lamented. His head snapped back to attention as his sister suddenly stood up, stormed towards the sink and threw her bowl into it. [color=ACEDEE]“Just shut up, Nate…”[/color] she hissed and stomped out of the kitchen and up the stairs. [color=AD5050]“Come on, Addie!”[/color] the boy called meekly after his sister before hearing her bedroom door slam shut. He rubbed his face in frustration, exhaling loudly out of his nose. Getting up from the table felt much heavier after hearing the hurt in her voice. But he had people expecting him. So he slowly got up, grabbed his keys off the table and headed out the front door. There in the driveway stood the beautiful creature that Chris had helped restore to its former glory: his grandfather’s old Volkswagen Camper. Nate let his hand caress the now shiny green exterior before he slid the side doors open. The inside the van now resembled a [s][i]very[/i][/s] tiny apartment beautifully decorated by Ivy and fully stocked with snacks courtesy of Ava. Nathan couldn’t help but smile while he loaded his bags in the back and jumped into the driver’s seat. Starting the van, you would think it was brand new. Now, it was purring like a kitten, whereas before it was coughing like an asthmatic chain-smoker. Chris really was a miracle worker. The young man put on his Spotify playlist, pulled out of the driveway and was on the road toward his first stop: his best boy Leon’s house, which took about 3 seconds of drive time down the street. Rolling down the window, Nate stuck out his head and looked up to the open window he knew was Leon’s. [color=AD5050]“Come on, big boy! We’re going to be late!”[/color] He yelled, honking the horn to hopefully tear his friend’s attention from staring at his abs in the mirror. [color=1E90FF]“Clothes, check. Deodorant, check. Toothbrush...ehhhh, check!”[/color] The young athlete murmured to himself as he went over everything he had packed in his duffles and backpack. Leon particularly hated packing, not so much the act of it as the responsibility of making sure he had everything he needed. He forgot things pretty often and if it wasn’t something important to bring with him, it was something as mundane as a stray sock left in a hotel room. Despite all that, he was determined, it took him nearly a week to convince his dad to let him go on this trip at all, instead of focusing on more training before college; eventually pops relented. Satisfied he had everything he needed he quickly threw on a dark grey, sleeveless hoodie, grabbed his stuff and headed straight for the do- [color=869647]“Where do you think you’re going?”[/color] [i]Ah shit…[/i] Dropping his bags he turned around to face his father. [color=1E90FF]“Hey pops, uh..out, remember? We talked about this?”[/color] The older man looked Leon up and down a bit, almost analytically, his eyes slightly scrunched up.[color=869647]“Oh I remember...but you’ve clearly forgotten something?”[/color] Slowly he stepped forward. Leon however, looked rather confused, [color=1E90FF]“Forgotten what? I got all my stuff packed, I did my morning run, did my weight lifting,”[/color] he said all this while counting on his fingers, [color=1E90FF]“I mean..I know I forgot to eat breakfast, and I know I know, 2,000 to 3,000 calories a day, but that’s why I packed the protein shake and we’ll have plenty of food on the trip an-”[/color] and almost immediately Leon shut up as his old man embraced him. [color=869647]“Listen, kid: you don’t forget to hug your old man before you leave for a long trip. You go out there and have fun, but when you get back,”[/color] and almost as if to emphasize with a tighter squeeze, [color=869647]“I’m gonna really bust your ass to train before your first day of school, got it?”[/color] Relieved, Leon hugged his old man back, clapping him hard on his back, [color=1E90FF]“Got it pops.”[/color] That’s about the time he heard the familiar honking and muffled voice of his bestest broseph stalin. [color=1E90FF]“Alright pops, I gotta go, I’ll give you a call later when I get a chance!”[/color] With that he grabbed his gear, bolted out the door, shoved it into Nate’s van before he clambered into the passenger seat. [color=1E90FF]“Go. Drive.”[/color] And before he knew it, he was off, his dad waving from the door in the rear view mirror as Leon breathed a sigh of relief. [color=1E90FF]“Perfect timing man, thought I was gonna shit a brick when pops stopped me in the doorway.”[/color] Nathan just laughed and turned the engine back on and drove away. [color=AD5050]“How is the old man? I’m surprised he even let you go! You’ve got to send him training updates every day I’m sure…”[/color] he joked as he looked religiously in the side mirror, driving a large van like this was so much harder than he thought. Leon sighed, rubbing his head, [color=1E90FF]“It took some convincing, but yea I was just as surprised as you.”[/color] Leaning back in his seat to look out the window he continued, [color=1E90FF]“He actually took it better than when I broke my arm when I was twelve, you remember that right? When I climbed up the neighbor’s tree and fell? Bastard grounded me for a month [b]and[/b] made me run double time suicide runs.”[/color] His legs still hurt just thinking about it, but that was all in the past and it was time to look forward to something fun...speaking of looking forward. [color=1E90FF]“So...how did you sister take the news?”[/color] Nate fell silent, biting his lower lip. After a while he just shrugged [color=AD5050]“As good as she could have I guess…”[/color] he paused again as he drove down the familiar streets. [color=AD5050]“She’s pissed. Who can blame her, being alone in that house with that man.”[/color] He tightened the grip on the steering wheel. He felt himself getting worked up so in his mind he counted to three before letting it go. [color=AD5050]“But let’s not dwell on that! We just have one more stop and then we’ll be on our way to adventure!”[/color] He exclaimed excitedly. Leon paused, slightly dumbstruck as he had to think a moment, [color=1E90FF]“Wait...who are we picking up again?”[/color] [color=AD5050]“Valeria… AJ said she didn’t have another ride.”[/color] The other man sighed making a left turn towards where he remembered the Drake residence to be located. [color=1E90FF]“Oh...shit...dude I don’t know if I should even be in the same car as her right now, she might not even come if she sees me rolling up with you.”[/color] He scratched the back of his head as he looked out the window, still remembering how as of late she’d been avoiding him like the plague, or at the very least someone with really bad B.O. A small laugh escaped Nathan [color=AD5050]“She’ll have no choice dude… what’s going on with you two anyway?”[/color] He asked as they drew closer to her house. [color=1E90FF]“Dude, I already told you, we went to prom, I took her home and then next time we were at school she started avoiding me. I don’t know what the hell I did, I thought we had a fun time and I mean...I know I can be pretty dense, but I’d like to think I know when people are having fun.”[/color] He leaned back into his seat, his eyes scrunched tight trying to think of what to do, [color=1E90FF]“I wish I knew what to tell you, but I’m just as lost as you are...if only there was a way we could get her to tell us why she keeps avoiding me…”[/color] [color=AD5050]“Well you’re about to find out...she’s out on her driveway”[/color] Nate pointed a finger to the small figure standing with her arms crossed on the sideway. [color=1E90FF]“Fuck, fuck, shit, fuck uh, uh uh…”[/color] Leon looked around frantically, he needed to hide, somewhere, anywhere. Finally looking behind him, a bulb lit itself in his head. [color=1E90FF]“Nate, I know I do a lot of stupid shit, but trust me when I say, this is my best idea yet.”[/color] Without further words, Leon slipped out from his seat and clambered into the back, threw the packs aside before laying flat and covering himself up with the luggage, becoming one with the duffle. Surprised by his best friend's sudden movement and swerved the van as he tried to regain his composure. [color=AD5050]“Leon what the fuck?!”[/color] He exclaimed, turning to look back at Leon burying himself under all of their bags. His head poked through the luggage, [color=1E90FF]“Leon isn’t here right now, please don’t blow my cover.”[/color] His head slowly receded as though he were slipping his head beneath water. [color=AD5050]“Whatever dude…” [/color]Nate sighed as he put the van in park, shaking his head. He got out of the van trying to smile as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. [color=AD5050]“Hey Valeria! You ready?” [/color] [/indent][/indent][/indent][/color]