Chapter Text
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Kate finally tears open the bag of peach rings she’s been fighting with for the last couple of minutes, upending all of them neatly into the cup of swirled, hazard-bright slush she’s got clamped between her knees just as Gale’s front right tire dips into a divot in the patchy dirt road.
[Tyler’s sand-colored successor to Clifford, retrofitted to the max as she happens to be, still succumbs to rural infrastructure on rare occasions.]
Kate yelps, shoving her plastic dome back into place before she loses even an ounce of her winnings. She sips, her mouth playing with the straw while her eyes scan the horizon for encroaching wall clouds. When her gaze slides to the left, she finds Tyler struggling to contain his laughter.
“There a problem?” She’s using her straw to fish out sugar circles now, tapping to zoom the radar in further with her free hand.
“Not a one,” Tyler assures. “Doctor Dandelion’s got a few surprise layers to her is all. That mind of yours on a massive sugar high? Can’t wait to witness the genius overflowin’.”
“I yielded Hayes for Fayetteville. No signs of significant build-up, we go to 7-11, because that’s obviously the only reason we’re on the wrong side of state lines.” She shakes her head, loosening her seatbelt so she can pivot and have a decent view of the more elusive parts of the sky along Gale’s path. “You agreed to the deal, cowboy, I’m just enjoyin’ my victory.”