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[color=silver][indent][indent] [i][color=fc94af]“Be safe, don't do anything I wouldn't.”[/color]

[color=bd8c7d]“Okay, mom.”[/color]

[color=fc94af]“Dress for the weather, and if you run out of any money call me, okay? Fin or I can send you some.”[/color]

[color=bd8c7d]“Yes, mom.”[/color]

[color=fc94af]“Call me every evening without fail so I know you're safe.”[/color]

[color=bd8c7d]“Uh huh.”[/color]

[color=fc94af]“-Give Ems my love and tell her that I expect her to be safe too. Oh, and, if you decide to get freaky make sure to wear protection-”[/color]

[color=bd8c7d]“O.KAY. We are [b]not[/b] doing this. Bye mom, love you! I'll send Emi your regards!”[/color][/i] The phone practically smashed against the kitchen counter as [url=https://scontent-lhr8-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/46558924_129788841268759_5772983729255746461_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-lhr8-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=107&_nc_ohc=U4OFIjfcZ38AX9KrUau&oh=e83f7e2eecd2e1e1305a7f6fb871f4ff&oe=5EB4127F]Josephine[/url] looked at Emilia sheepishly. [color=bd8c7d]“Shit, I'm sorry, you know mom and how she's like, haha... She sends her regards!”[/color] Josie laughed nervously as she returned to her open luggage. Under some old pairs of shorts and a printed Twenty One Pilots tee were three pringles cans and some energy drinks tucked away carefully as if carrying contraband on an aircraft. [color=bd8c7d]“I got your pizza fix by the way.”[/color]

Emilia abandoned her shiny golden suitcase on the kitchen table for the moment to come over and peer at her best friend’s wares. Her eyes lit up seeing the multi-flavored goodness of the pizza-flavored chips concealed within. [color=ffff1e]“You are the absolute best, Josie! You know that, right?”[/color] She could have honestly hugged Josie then and there. Grandma Hedvig was adamant that Emilia only needed one tube of Pringles for the opening leg of this wild journey the crew was embarking on. She was worried she wasn’t going to make it to the promised land of Las Vegas. Luckily for her, she knew people had her back.

That was one lesson if anything Emilia learned from everything that had happened in the previous month. There were plenty of people that had her back. They all had their different ways of showing it, but she had enough friends that cared about her and wanted to see her happy. The fact that people still wanted to hang out with her and invited her on massive cross-country road trips. Josie was the first person Emilia had over since the… incident. It was a nice return to normalcy. She really knew how to keep Emi’s mind off things.

[color=ffff1e]“Seriously, you’re a lifesaver. I tried to load up on vital supplies at Target yesterday, but Gramma was watching me like a hawk. I only got one thing of orange soda!”[/color]

[color=goldenrod]“That is because you don’t need any more than that! You do not need to be racking up dental bills on the road!”[/color] The clap back came from well down the hall, where Gramma Hedvig was likely still sitting on the couch watching TV. 

[color=ffff1e]“Gramma! How the fudge did you even hear me?”[/color]

[color=goldenrod]“I am not that old yet, my little Lia! A teacher’s ears hear all!”[/color]

Emilia smiled nervously at Josie before whispering, [color=ffff1e]“It’s OK. When we get to McDonald’s to pick up the drinks for everyone, I’m just gonna get another couple extra beverages for us. We should be set that way.”[/color] 

[color=bd8c7d]“As long as we pick up some fries as well. There’s no such thing as too early.”[/color] Josie whispered back as she hid her contraband once again. If there was anything she liked more than hair dye during a 4am meltdown, it was food. Sami and Rey came to mind, as the best chefs in BHHS, and that thought alone caused her stomach to grumble on time. 

[color=bd8c7d]“I swear, with Sami coming along I feel we’ll gain a few pounds before the trip is up.”[/color] Not that she was complaining because that man can make some godly fucking food, but a girl’s gotta look nice for her man-that-is-not-actually-her-man. [color=bd8c7d]“Yeah, no, these leather pants are a bad fuc- fudging idea.”[/color] Josie quickly corrected herself, following Emi’s colourful replacement of the expletive. [color=bd8c7d]“Can I leave them in your room for now? They’re just taking extra space when I can bring like, more pringles or something.”[/color] Josie pulled out some tight fitting leggings with a grimace, showing them off for Emi to see. She [i]tried[/i] to experiment with her clothes for the trip, but now that she had a chance to examine everything one more time… She found herself regretting that ASOS binge more than ever.

Emilia gave Josie a look when she revealed the shiny pants that she indicated. They definitely did not look like they were going to be the least bit comfortable for a long trip through the country. Then again, she bought herself a brand new black leather jacket for the trip, so who was she to judge? [color=ffff1e][i]Actually, I should go get that jacket if we’re going to be getting ready to leave soon…[/i][/color]

She smiled at her friend. [color=ffff1e]“Sure thing, Josie! C’mon, we can go put it in the closet in my room!”[/color]

The two girls headed upstairs towards Emilia’s sunny retreat, even if the room had seen a lot more clouds lately. It was clear there had been some redecorating done in between prom and today. The vanity mirror that held a bunch of couples photos was now laid bare with just a few shots of Emilia with Josie, Reyna, Ava and a couple others lining the frame. Faded blue circles of sticky tack dotted the yellow walls above her bed, whatever they held up long since dispatched to the garbage. A pile of discarded clothes lie in front of the closet, mostly rejects from Emilia’s golden suitcase that were destined to be washed when Grandma Hedvig had the time. It was the closet that she gestured to. [color=ffff1e]”Should still be plenty of room in there from packing last night! Go ahead and select a hanger… although… if you want to let me borrow them, they might go well my new jacket…”[/color]

[color=bd8c7d]“Well, our sizes are the same… Go ahead and try.”[/color] Josie handed the cursed pants over to Emilia. She knew two burritos would be all it takes before the leggings would burst on herself, and the damned thing had [i]fake[/i] pockets. Cursed, really.

It was easy to notice the missing pictures of B all over. She’d been to Emi’s before the incident, and her room had been as if cupid had vomited all over. Now, Josie sort of missed that, at least Emi was happier then. Josie examined one of the photos on the vanity, smiling back at the picture of two middle school girls covered in flour from a failed attempt at participating at their local bake sale. 

[color=bd8c7d]“Your grandma still doesn’t let me live that down.”[/color] Josie said, pointing at the picture. [color=bd8c7d]“How was I to know that whisking all that flour at once would be a bad idea?”[/color] 

Emilia accepted the leggings and quickly dropped the cut-off shorts she was wearing to try them on. [color=ffff1e]“Yeah, but think of the life experience we got from that! We now know that white is definitely not a good color for either of us to dye our hair! And we definitely know not to eat anything that Mikayla Shaw makes unless the pipes need a good cleaning!”[/color] 

As she pulled the pants up on her legs, they were a little snug but they were coming on nicely. There wasn’t a lot of black in Emilia’s wardrobe, as she usually preferred to stick to the bright colors of the palette, but these were working for her. She fished her leather jacket off the knob of her chair and slung it over her yellow tank top. The dark colors just made her tank and the bright blue pendant stand out even more by contrast. [color=ffff1e]“What do you think? Do I look totally badass now? Could I demand protection money like this?”[/color]

Nobody could rock the bright colours better than Emi, so seeing her in a near all-black ensemble was a rare but glorious sight. [color=bd8c7d]“Maybe you can demand protection money from babies first.”[/color] Josie giggled, examining Emilia from head to toe. No matter the outfit, Emi still looked too sweet and wholesome to really give off the dangerous bad girl vibes, but she could certainly try. [color=bd8c7d]“You look great, hun. Oh! What if we do something cute with your hair too? We can rock up with matching space buns!”[/color] Josie’s bright pink hair was half tied away from her face in [url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/0b/c6/cf/0bc6cfb83acfb7bd3f7f5733adce6924.jpg]two messy space buns[/url], leaving wavy wisps to frame her oval face.

[color=ffff1e]”We totally could! And then I can really intimidate all those babies into giving me their candy!”[/color] Emilia laughed for a second before quickly backtracking. [color=ffff1e]“I’m just kidding, of course. I would never do such a thing. Babies are so sweet and innocent and pure. Let me see, I think I have a headband buried in the closet from that time I was a hippie for Halloween. We can use that to hold my hair back while you do your thing.”[/color]

As the blonde started digging through the back of her pile of clothes looking for the elusive headband, she attacked the mounds with gusto until she suddenly stopped. It was a split-second before she fell to her knees, bawling as tears started to fall, spared from hitting the floor by the collected fabrics.

Josie, although alarmed, was prepared for Code Blue. Quickly as Emilia's mood swings hit, Josie bounded over to her friend to wrap one arm around her, holding her close as her other hand was busy unlocking her phone to open Spotify. [color=bd8c7d]“I got you, I got you,”[/color] She uttered lightly, until her finger selected the perfect song. The familiar voice of Ariana Grande filled the room, just barely louder than Emi's sobs.

[i]Don't matter how, what, where, who tries it
We're out here vibin', we vibin', we vibin'[/i]

Josie lightly sang along, rubbing circles into Emi's shoulder and letting Ariana Grande handle the rest. [color=bd8c7d]“That asshole doesn’t deserve your tears, ‘pick it up’ girl.”[/color]

Emilia’s sobs started to ebb as she turned to her bestie, hands still clutching the faded gray Los Angeles Chargers t-shirt that wasn’t burned with the rest of Brandon’s belongings. There was no way it belonged to anyone in the house. The family stuck to their Minnesota roots as Vikings fans. It was definitely the Mendoza boy’s gear. Emilia started to cry in tune with Ariana’s beat as she let Josie envelop her in comfort.

In the doorway, the eldest member of the household appeared, still in her tracksuit, grey hair bound up in a way that combined Josie’s dual buns into one giant one. [color=goldenrod]“Oh thank god. I could hear her crying over Hoda Kotb. You have her taken care of, Josie dear?”[/color]

[color=bd8c7d]“I got her, don’t worry. She’s already calming down, see?”[/color] Josephine held her tighter just as Ariana Grande began belting the pre-chorus. She put down her phone in front of Emi as she began to grab at the t-shirt in her hand. [color=bd8c7d]"Trash doesn't belong in your house, let me get rid of it for you,"[/color] she muttered as she began prying Emi's fingers off the shirt.

Emilia eventually relented and released her grip from the garment.

[color=goldenrod]“Here,”[/color] Hedvig said, taking the t-shirt from Josie. [color=goldenrod]“I will dispose of this and then we might as well get you girls over to the school as long as I am up and moving.”[/color] She headed back towards the door before turning around. [color=goldenrod]“Thank you for taking care of her, dear. You may need to do that a bit on this trip…”[/color]

The granddaughter shook her head. [color=ffff1e]“I… *sniff* I’ll be fine, Gramma…”[/color]

[color=bd8c7d]“As long as I have battery on my phone and a voice to sing along, I’ll make sure Emi can always calm down.”[/color] Josephine promised Hedvig with a smile. 

Hedvig nodded as she went downstairs to get some lighter fluid and matches from the garage. There was always time for a quick barbecue, no matter what the cops said.

Emilia turned back to Josie and buried her head in her friend’s shoulder. She kept moving in time to the song as she began to calm down. [color=ffff1e]“Thank you, Josie. You always got me covered…”[/color]

Thank the gods for Ariana Grande. Josie sighed with relief as Emilia stopped shaking in her arms, still crying but definitely something that she could recover from. [color=bd8c7d]"We'll always have each other's back. I'll always save you, whether its from spit or tears,"[/color] she added.

Eventually, the song came to an end and only when Josephine felt convinced that Emilia was doing fine did she let the blonde go. [color=bd8c7d]"Come, I'll fix up that concealer of yours then I'm gonna make you look [i]hot[/i]. Then, we're gonna step into the car park with you looking as fierce as Ariana did during her Billboard performance in 2016, deal?"[/color]

The formerly-sobbing girl gave a final sniff and nodded, keeping herself from dabbing at the mascara that was running down her face. [color=ffff1e]“That sounds good. I’d like that.”[/color]

[hr][hr]

As the sun glistened off the bright white paint of the 1996 Volvo 850 that ambled its way through the hills of Los Angeles, the driver muttered to herself in soft Swedish that could not be understood by the other two occupants of the vehicle. Although one could hazard a guess that the cursing was directed at the two teenagers on their phones, ambling through the crosswalk at a snail’s pace while they deciphered the latest IG stories on their phones. After the two finally lurched out of the car’s way, Hedvig punched the gas as efficiently as she could manage, which meant the Volvo was soon back up to its cruising speed of 35 mph.

[color=goldenrod]“Hmmph,”[/color] she grunted as the street was finally clear of the phone slugs. [color=goldenrod]“I swear, kids these days can’t even be bothered to look up at the scenery if it isn’t coated in some filter of rabbit ears or rainbow hoodies or something,”[/color] she commented, unaware that her passengers were also looking into their phones at the moment. At least as best they could while monitoring the four trays of drinks that the girls had split between themselves. [color=goldenrod]“And how many kids are coming on this trip you had to buy that many drinks for them? No one else have a dollar to spare? I keep telling you not to let them take advantage of you, little Lia.”[/color]

[color=ffff1e]“Gramma, it’s fine!”[/color] Emilia assured her. [color=ffff1e]“It’s dollar drinks for a reason! And there are a lot of people, like 12 or 13 of us I think AJ said. Besides, Josie needed her fry fix. It’s very important to set a proper tone for the day.”[/color]

[color=bd8c7d]"Wait, 13? I thought some of these were doubles..."[/color] Josephine looked down at one of the trays in her possession with despair. So much for her two plastic cups of orange fanta. Hopefully someone would appreciate it as much as it deserves... She wondered who all would be coming along - no doubt they were all close friends of AJ or Val. That... probably meant Nate was also coming along.

[color=ffff1e]“Wha?!? They aren’t doubles! There’s one for everyone!”[/color] Emilia nervously laughed trying to cover up her plan. It was clear how effective that was as Hedvig gave her granddaughter a side-eyed stare of disbelief.

[color=bd8c7d]"Shi..."[/color] Josie cut off before she could finish her swear, aware that she was in the car with Emilia and her grandmother. And her concerns were confirmed as she found a small-ish group together in the parking lot of their old high school, the face of Nathan Matthews clear right beside Leon Barnes. [color=bd8c7d]"I... Is it too late to leave?"[/color] The prom drama was still too fresh in her mind, and the pink hair was a clear indication of it.

Emilia was well aware of what happened between Josie and Nate at prom. It was the trade off in their sessions of the past month as they both had romantic grievances to air out. Emilia even helped decide the new color of hair that Josie was going to switch to. Pink was so cute on her. But she did have a solid friendship with Nate from their time in the photography club, and she was ready to act as an intermediary between the two. It was the least she could since Josie had been helping her so much lately. 

[color=ffff1e]“It probably is at this point,”[/color] Emilia confirmed. [color=ffff1e]“But it will be OK, Sophie. I’ll support you. He won’t be able to hurt you. Besides, Sami will be here. He won’t let anything happen to either of us.”[/color]

[color=goldenrod]“That Sami,”[/color] Hedvig chimed in. [color=goldenrod]“You tell him to be careful and stop leading with his face, ya? I am not going to be able to patch him up for a while, so he better not be trying to get into a fight in every state he visits!”[/color]

That did earn a giggle from Emilia. [color=ffff1e]“I will tell him, Gramma. Thank you for driving us.”[/color]

[color=goldenrod]“Of course, Emilia,”[/color] Hedvig said as she brought her only granddaughter in for one of those hugs that were designed to warm even the coldest heart during those long Minnesota nights. [color=goldenrod]“Remember, if you need me, I am a call away, and we will fly you back home if you need it. You are loved, my dear.”[/color]

[color=ffff1e]“I’ll try to remember, Gramma.”[/color]

With Emilia settled, Hedvig turned her attention to the other passenger. She reached back and pulled Josie in as well. [color=goldenrod]“And you, my dear, the same goes for you. You will be all right on this trip. You two have each other at the very least. Keep supporting each other and the country will fall to its knees in front of you. You are such a strong girl. You remember that too.”[/color]

Josie resisted the urge to Emi-cry at her words. She returned the hug enthusiastically while making sure to protect the cartons of drinks in her lap. She considered Hedvig like one of her own grandmothers at this point, as her only grandmother from her mother's side had already long passed. She appreciated the sentiment, smiling back warmly at Hedvig before nudging Emi with her elbow. [color=bd8c7d]"Thanks Grams, I'll be sure to look out for Emi for the two of us. She's in safe hands on this trip."[/color] Josie assured the elderly woman once again.

Josie then turned to look at Emi, then out the window towards the parking lot outside. [color=bd8c7d]"We should get going, it's almost time to get in the van."[/color] If she stayed in the car any longer, she'd beg Grams to take her home to avoid her inevitably awkward encounter with Nate.

[color=goldenrod]“Good. Time for you to get going. I am already missing my stories to see you two off. You should depart,”[/color] Hedvig affirmed.

Emilia nodded, trying to juggle her own trays of McCafe beverages and dollar drinks as she opened the Volvo’s door to get out. She set the liquids on top before fishing her suitcase and her backpack out of the trunk, acquiring Josie’s gear at the same time. When her grandmother was confident everything necessary had been removed from the vehicle, she gave a quick wave and took off back to the Seger homestead.

Emilia looked at Josie to make sure she was all right with everything before they went to join the others. [color=ffff1e]“Hey, it’s like Gramma said. We’ll be fine. We’ll just hide out in the van or the RV or…"[/color] The blonde trailed off as she finally caught sight of everyone who was present in the parking lot. There was no AJ, but Sami was there, as was Aleks and Reyna and Ava and ...her.

Katie fudging Callaghan. Bags in tow.

Emilia turned back to Josie. [color=ffff1e]“Oh my god, Josie, why is she here? Why is Katie here?!? I...no. I can’t. I can call Gramma, she can come back and get us. I can’t… She… she…”[/color]

Just like how Josie had her own demons to face, Emi seemed to have hers too. Immediately as promised, Josie went into protective mode, rushing to make sure that Emi wouldn’t start crying again. [color=bd8c7d]“Emi, no, you said so yourself. It’s too late.”[/color] Josie looked between her and Katie, internally panicking as well. How were they supposed to enjoy a peaceful trip when their troubles would be following them the whole way? Josie loved Katie, she did, but she wasn’t looking forward to the next few days. 

[color=bd8c7d]“Look, we’re bad bitches, okay? You look amazing with your hair and makeup done, with your badass leather look and you [i]will[/i] carry on and wow everyone at that parking lot. Katie or no Katie, we’re gonna enjoy this damn trip. Now, are you coming with me or am I going to have to make a fool of myself in front of Sami without you?”[/color] Josephine looked at Emilia pointedly.

The blonde was desperately trying to keep the tears from flowing for a second time before noon, and it looked like Josie’s words were going to be enough this time. No Ariana needed. She bit her lip and nodded back to her BFF. [color=ffff1e]“No… no. You’re right. I’m right. We… we’re right. We… we can do this. Also, if anything, Sami’s probably already done something, so we should be in the clear, right? Right.”[/color] If Emilia had a hand to twirl her hair, it would be in knots right now. However, with the luggage and the drinks occupying her limbs, there was nothing to do but take in a deep breath, ignore the heck out of Katie for now and deliver the payload she and Josie had brought. [color=ffff1e]“OK. Let’s get over there.”[/color]

The two slowly made their way towards the area of the parking lot where Sami was congregating with some of the other members of the trip that weren’t named Katie or Nate. [color=ffff1e]“Aloha, everybody!”[/color] Emilia nervously stammered out, completely muting the effect of her leather-heavy outfit. [color=ffff1e]“Hope everyone is thirsty! But not too thirsty…”[/color] She looked around but didn’t spot the person who actually got her and Josie involved in this crazy cross-country road trip. [color=ffff1e]“Where’s AJ at? His beverage is gonna get all warm… and drank…”[/color]

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