Chapter 2: Abby

The sun kissed the horizon behind us as the miles past by. I wasn't sure how long it would be before my parents noticed the note that I had left. I gave them a fairly strait forward excuse about going off to "find myself". I only hoped they bought it. Abby was sleeping in the back leaning up against Tristan. Sam was passed out on a closed rear window. A single trail of drool dribbled from his mouth. I had to giggle to myself.
Emma and I sat making small talk about where we were supposed to meet her cousin in Venice Beach. Gradually we approached Blythe, the last reasonable rest stop before the border. We had only been driving for a few hours but it felt like an eternity.

"Are we gonna stop?" Abby broke the silence from the back seat.

"Yeah. I have to pee and someone else needs to drive." Emma yawned. "And I need coffee! Lots of coffee!"

"Sounds good! I think I see the exit up ahead!" Abby pulled her dark reddish blonde hair up into a scrunchy.

I had know Abby since we had hit puberty. Her mother had abandoned her after her father died and neither of her sister was speaking with her. We were the only family she had right now but I wouldn't have bragged about that!

Blythe came into view. Emma pulled into a fast food chain and turned off the car.

"Ok people! Get out!" She laughed.

Everyone, deliriously tired smiled at her and piled out of the car and into the more than accommodating bathrooms. I pulled my dark brown hair up into a knot and splashed some water on my face. My brown eyes looked as tired and stressed as I felt.

"You ok Val?" Emma asked rubbing my back.

"Yeah...fine. I just need to eat and get something to drink. I will feel better in a while!" I lied. I was really worried about what was probably going on right now at my house. I knew my mother would support me but my right winged politician step father would bitch about this for the rest of my life. I could hear him now..."How ungrateful! After all that we have done for you! You need to finish school not sow your wild oats all over the country! Why can't you be more like Courtney!"
My evil step sister who only appeared innocent and pure for "her" daddy. When really she was a chronic pill popper who preferred her percocets over what her doctor was supposed to giver her for her menstrual cramps. I sighed heavily and put my "it's my birthday and I so happy ya know it" face on and went to order some grub with the rest of the clan.
I wondered how Abby was taking all of this in. She was probably glad to just leave all of her bad memories behind and hoping to start fresh in a new place. At least that's what she told me.
Abby had turned eighteen a few weeks before me. Her father, a once a famous musician left her a healthy trust fund. Which is one of our inspirations for our adventure and also a sore subject. Her mother's only point of contact in the last 5 months were the papers that Abby had been served announcing her mothers plan to sue her for the trust fund she though rightfully hers. He had left the bitch nothing.
Ever since his death six months ago Abby had been in a downward spiral. This was the first time in weeks that I'd seen her smile. Maybe it was because of who we were also meeting in Venice Beach. His name was Clayton and they had met during a recent tribute to her father last summer in LA. He had a band and he surfed. He made her week in the knees when she kissed him. The only reason I even tolerated him was because he made her happy. Sometimes I wondered what the hell she was even thinking.
We finished our assault on the town of Blythe and bid it farewell and continued on our journey. Abby took the wheel and soon we were on the highway again watching Arizona fade away.