Chapter Text
Arizona, Winslow — 1995.
The car drives through an already empty road, when Matthew figures we should probably stop for gas. We stop at a random gas station we find nearest us, our old and busted up dodge dart about to run out of gas. Two freshly 18 year-olds taking on a few day long trip— decided only one day before, just to get away from everything. Leaving our small town to visit the brighter side of California— how impulsive of us, I think as I lean my head back against the headrest. I start to space out into my own thinking until Matthew knocks on my window to call me out of my immersed thinking and I roll it down.
“Ey, Curtis, d’you want something from the store? ‘M about to go get us some sandwiches for dinner.” Matthew asks me, his voice deep and firm even when he isn’t meaning to be.
“Gummy bears?” I reply back, wrapping the blanket tighter around me when I feel the cool breeze passing me on my skin from the somber night.
“You got it.” Matthew walks away to the store, and I roll my window back up; snuggling more into the passenger seat. He comes back a few minutes later. Matthew walks back to the car, opening the car door and getting back in the driver’s seat. Holding a generic white “Thank You!” bag on his arm, he puts it down on his lap and picks out our sandwiches.
“We ain’t having dessert ‘till we finish the sandwich, alright?” He sternly tells me, and I just nod obediently. Matthew tosses me a ham and cheese sandwich, already pulling the plastic wrap off his turkey and cheese one.
We both eat in comfortable silence, the sounds of the ambient night and soft chewing and occasional noises of laughter from looking at each other for too long filling the car. After we finish, Matthew grabs my trash and puts it in the plastic bag. Matthew hands me the gummies I asked for, and he opens up the potato chips he got himself.
“Trade?” I hold out a few pieces of my candy to him, looking at him hopefully. Matthew grabs a handful of his chips, holding it out to me to grab in exchange. I beam at him— taking his chips with my free hand, while Matthew grins with satisfaction and immediately downs the gummies. I chuckle, eating the chips he gave me. I savor the taste, finding them comforting to me despite how basic people could really call them.
“I’ll never know how you can down things so quickly without choking.” I crack a goofy smile at him, and he smirks back at me.
“It’s a special talent of mine.” Matthew shrugs and keeps his smirk smug, putting our trash back in the bag to throw away.
Matthew gets out of the car with the trash, throwing it away at the outside trash can. He quickly comes back to the car, getting the car ready to drive again.
“You wanna make a bet on how long it’ll take to find the nearest motel here? I betcha forty.” Matthew starts driving again, staring between mainly the road and occasionally turning back to me.
“Thirty-five!” I internally exclaim at the same time. I’ve always been one to win at bets like these, and I love a good game of betting to begin with.
“Betcha five dollars.” Matthew speaks smugly as if he’s ever gonna get the five dollars, considering our pretty low budget for this trip.
“Bet! Just make sure you have your money to pay me after I win!” I smugly talk, knowing I’m gonna win. I might be being a little egotistical, but it’s better than nothing, right?
I nuzzle into the blanket still bundled up around me, and yawn— staring at the vacant road and finding a semblance of what seems like comfort to me. I dream for these moments at night. Just a night full of silence, comfort and warmth. Would Matthew ever want to feel this way? I wonder while I start to doze off. He’s always so… Matthew.
Stubborn, rugged, and confident. Though, I like to believe he’s just a tender-hearted person under all that. He’s kind, in ways that other people wouldn’t think is, but I know him. He wouldn’t just start up this whole plan if it wasn’t for nothing.
He doesn’t care about just things considered “useless” to him, so maybe this trip is important to him— so I guess I should be grateful about it too. Maybe I’m right, maybe I’m not. It doesn’t matter either way, because I’m about to pass out and forget this thing entirely.
“You tired, Curt?” I nod, snuffling back into the seat again— pulling the blanket closer to me again.
“You ought to get on to sleep then. I’ll wake you up when we’re there, ‘Kay?” He starts to speak in a lower tone, not wanting to startle me. I nod one last time, closing my eyes and relaxing my tense body. I look at the car’s time clock one last time, 10:29. before mumbling one sentence.
“Good night, Matt.”