Road Trip

Babe's POV

Paradise Creek'

The car drove past the signboard and I heaved a huge sigh of relief because we were almost at our destination. I can't really say if it's good to be back in this community or not. It's been over four years since I left. 

I hope everything is still the same. I hope he still remembers me. 

I turned my attention from the window to study my  best friend, Fred who was busy singing along to Taylor Swift's song so loudly his vocal cords could get ripped off. He didn't care, he just wanted to show his love for the music.

🎶You've got that long hair slick back, white t-shirt

And I got that good girl faith and a tight little skirt

And when we go crashing down, we come back every time

'Cause we never go out of style, we never go out of style🎶

I grinned widely as I watched him whip his long brown hair sideways as he danced happily along to the music. He grinned back at me in turn, showing his deep dimples and that made me chuckle.

"Can you reduce the volume of the music? It's too loud for Christ's sake" I screamed at the top of my voice, giggling as I said it.

He turned off the music permanently as to my convenience. 

"I know you're not a fan of Taylor Swift, but I never knew it was this serious. That woman is a goddess of music" he huffed.

I clicked my tongue before facing the road back as I held on to the steering wheel like dear life.

"I know you're not a fan of long trips which is the reason why you're distracting yourself with the loud music. You don't want to show how scared you are. Scared baby" I mocked and he glared at me.

"Take that back" he commanded.

"No," I yelled back.

I pulled my tongue out at him and he scrunched his nose together.

"Take that filthy word back, b*tch" 

"Never! You're a scared baby" 

I didn't bother looking at him after that because I'm hundred percent sure that he was sulking in his seat.

Fred is my childhood best friend, assistant boyfriend and bodyguard. He made me realize all of his responsibilities even before we clocked ten. 

"You know you can actually stay with my mom and I, right? You don't have to move to Hamilton" He persuaded like he'd done for the past one week. 

My mom suddenly woke up one morning and decided she was moving to Japan with her new boyfriend, Alan. She hadn't put me or my education into consideration before she made that decision. I guess it was on the influence of the 'love' she has for this new toy of hers.

After much begging and pleading to let me stay back alone at the house because I wasn't ready to move thousands of miles to a place where I can't even say hello to save my life, she gave me two options.

Either I go stay with my dad and his wife or I stay with my aunt in Paradise Creek'. 

It's obvious I chose the latter as I'm on my way to my aunt's place in my mom's car. I lived in Paradise Creek for two years with my mom years ago until she decided we were moving for an unknown reason just like now.

Before my mother and her boyfriend left for their trip, she didn't bother to ask me how I was going to get to Hamilton in Ontario, she didn't care if I walked, flew or jumped.

She never cared, not since I was old enough to say my alphabets and I in turn don't give a shit about her.

A part of me is actually happy about the move because that way, I get to escape from that monster. I could still feel the impact of his last assault on my back.

"That'll be too much trouble for you guys, I don't want to be an extra baggage for your mum" 

I explained, hoping he'll understand.

"You know you're never a burden to us, Babe" 

"I never used the word burden. Are you using those vocabularies on me, right now, Freddy boy?" 

He hated him anytime I called him that. It gets on his nerves and almost all the times I do, he'll attempt to strangle me to death. 

When I told him about my unexpected plan to move to Hamilton, he'd asked me to stay with him and his mom. He said he could talk to his mom who will in turn persuade my mom to let me stay. 

That will be totally impossible.

The reason is, my mom is an obnoxious, proud human. I'm not sorry I used those words for her because she looks down on anyone who's not up to her status. Her parents are rich and she grew up as a rich kid until she had me and we're living an average life. Though our worth is the same as every other average family, she still thinks she's some super rich woman from Beverly hills.  

"Stop changing the topic, Babe" he scolded me.

"But we can avoid it, right?" I asked and he rolled his eyes.

He turned to face the window and I smiled before I focused my attention on the road. 

When I reminded him I'll be leaving in three days time, he made me agree to a road trip even though he hated road trips himself and he also promised to let me drive the car. Since he was 18; legal enough to drive and I wasn't, we agreed to switch places in case we met cops on the road. 

"I think that's a pub right over there" he suddenly pointed outside. "I need water or something," he suggested.

I parked the car  in front of the pub, we both came down and walked in side by side.

"What will you love to get?" 

The question came as soon as we stepped foot into the pub. I looked up and saw the lady, smiling as she chewed her gum loudly. The top she was putting on could size a five month old baby, it was right above her navel, showing her piercing and revealing half of her large boobs.

"Water, for start" Fred coughed and replied behind me. His response made me turn away from the lady and I faced Fred to see that he was already sitting.

"You were staring at her so hard I thought your eyes would stay glued on her body" 

"I wasn't staring" I lied.

I took out my phone from the pocket of the jean jacket I was putting on and checked to see if I missed any calls or messages.

All I had was a text from Pinky, my cousin, asking if I was close. 

"How close are we to the house?" I asked Fred, so I'll know the response to give Pinky. 

Fred brought out his phone and checked the map we were using.

"Ten minutes," 

I groaned loudly.

"If I knew we were that close, I wouldn't have let you talk me into stopping" 

"We didn't even have a discussion on whether we should stop or not. I mentioned it and you…" 

He was interrupted when the pub lady came with our bottles of water. 

I opened the led immediately and gulped down a large quantity. As I dropped the water back on the table, I noticed that the lady was still beside us, grinning at us.

I smiled back at her awkwardly and gave Fred the look. He shrugged his shoulders and looked somewhere else.

"Are you guys new around here?" She asked and I nodded.

"Ah, I can see. What are you doing here? I mean in a town like this. You don't belong here in anyway" She asked another question.

I was shocked at her outburst.

"What? Ehm! Private issues" I replied curtly.

"We're here to visit family" Fred explained and raised his eyebrow at me.

"What?" I mouthed. He ignored me.

"Have a good stay around here. The city is quiet, I know you'll love it if you mind your business" 

"Thank you" We both chorused.

"We didn't owe her any explanation or answer" I chastised his action.

"You were giving her an unnecessary attitude," he said.

"I wasn't" I disagreed.

A loud scream made us turn abruptly, infact, I was startled.

"Stanley, how many times will I tell you to stop bringing your gang around here?" 

As the pub lady was walking towards the set of guys standing at the door, probably to chase them back, one of them slipped into the pub, like he could care less.

"The boys just want to eat" The guy called Stanley replied.

"I don't remember getting hired as a cook for you wolves" she screamed in his face and turned towards the kitchen.

"Don't you dare touch anything in that fridge, Hunter?" She also yelled at the guy that slipped in.

Hunter?

I whipped my head back so fast I could break my neck to check this 'Hunter'  and see if he's the person I wished he was. Much to my disappointment, he was facing the fridge as his back was turned towards my direction. 

"I think we should leave, these people look dangerous" Fred suggested.

I nodded before roaming my eyes at the little crowd of seven men that just entered the pub.

They all looked like they were in their early thirties or late twenties and oh boy, do they look like they could snap my neck in a second?

My eyes met with that of one of them and I quickly looked away. I stood up to follow Fred to the counter so we would pay for the water when I suddenly bumped into a hard wall. 

I look up to see a set of green eyes staring hard at me. His gaze was empty, cold and lifeless even though he looked my age which made him different from his crew. Even though he looked older, I could still recognize him, he was Hunter. Same Hunter who was my best friend during my stay in Paradise Creek. 

"I'm sorry," I quickly apologized. I stood rooted at the spot, hoping he'll recognize me. 

Suddenly, he started walking closer to me, and I was forced to move back until my legs hit the diner table.

"Apology doesn't fix anything, Princess" he growled into my ear and I shrieked in fear. My fingers were shaking already. I didn't know how it happened but as a result of the close proximity, my finger touched something at the side of his shirt. 

When I looked down, I realized it was a gun. Wide eyes, I looked back and forth from him to the gun and then back to him. 

"Get the heck away from the poor girl, Hunter. You're scaring her" The pub lady yelled at him, saving me in time. 

"Okay Angela. Anything for you" 

He winked at me as he walked away from me. He had recognized me. He called me princess like he used to. 

"Who was that?" Fred asked as I met him outside.

"I have no idea" I lied. 

Little did I know that it won't be the last time I'll be seeing him that day or any other day...