To Be The Strongest

[Mitsuko2†]

((Andrew continued from It's a Long and Winding Road...))
Carmen and Andrew from: It's a long and winding road
Penelope from: Profetic counterfiet


The expressway's winds blew rapidly and the fog of the rain clouded the skies surrounding the rapidly moving vehicle as it sped down the path at about 70 MPH. The two figures situated in said vehicle were progressively looking through their windows, attempting to get a view of something, or someone. Two days. That's how long they'd been driving in this car, only stopping in order to eat some of their cardboard tasting food and when they took about an hours rest in the residential district of the island. They didn't even want to stay there long, the rolling muck-colored van their main base.

Carmen Somerset, to the viewers simply girl number 19, was becoming bored with just driving around, though the façade she put on would fully contradict that sentiment. She frowned slightly when Boy number 13, Andrew Ponikarovsky (or "pants" as he liked to be called), drove straight trough a large puddle, splashing mud onto the window she was looking trough. She looked at the boy as he trained his eyes on the road, but she was sure she'd seen him look at her a few times.

"Andrew, please be a bit more careful. That startled me." She looked to him innocently. In the back of her mind though, she wanted nothing more that to just plant her oversized axe right into the back of his head. She couldn't take one more second of his nervous ramblings or his shy peeks at her. She did NOT like him at all! She'd rather it if he were to just crash the damned car and put her out of her misery.

"Oh... I'm sorry Carmen. I didn't mean to hit the ditch. I just can't see very well in this rain." He said with a sideward glance to his beautiful passenger.

The two continued on down the expressway, a steady silence surrounding them. Carmen's head pounded against the glass of her window lightly and she3 sighed audibly. Perhaps she should just off this fool now and be done with it. She wondered if the rest of the sisterhood was doing alright. So far, they seemed to be alive, but she couldn't be sure that they weren't already dieing. If she could somehow meet up with Ali, or even Sera, she could lose this idiotic boy.

Andrew looked at the girl through the corner of his eye and sighed inwardly. He had hoped for one of those Hollywood endings to that little situation when they first got the car. Y'know, how the girl would act all shy, then totally be all over him. But alas, this blonde bombshell was nothing doing. He turned his head to look at her, trying to bring up the subject without sounding too desperate.

"Umm, Carmen? Can we talk?" He asked innocently. She turned her head to him slightly and nodded.

"Yeah. Keep your eyes on the road though." She said apprehensively, maybe being a bit too cautious, there was no one out here in this rain anyway.

"Yeah..." He turned his head to the outside, but he really wasn't too focused. He was more concerned with how to put this.

"Carmen... are you still mad about what happened back on the first day?" He had chickened out, sure, but this conversation might lead in that direction anyway.

"I thought we had decided not to talk about that." She growled, while somehow maintaining that innocent aura. She was quite the actress. Maybe she'd try out for Broadway when she was out of here. That's right... WHEN she was out.

"Yeah... but there's nothing else to talk about, and I want to make sure we aren't like, getting off on the wrong foot." He said with a bit of a frown.

She looked up at him and frowned as well, but before she could give him any type of answer, a scream rung through their ears. Andrew swung his head to look at he road instead of Carmen and saw about 20 feet in front of the van a frightened girl who seemed like a deer in the headlights, which she pretty much was. Andrew swerved the car to the left, but on the wet road it did more that that. The car spun and hit a stray tree branch, knocked to the ground by the storm. The van hit it full force and flipped over, sending the car, and it's occupants rolling. The blow was so strong that Andrew smacked his head against the side window, cracking it and his head wide open. Carmen was saved from that same fate by the airbag. Andrews didn't come in time.

The frightened girl, Penelope Withers, was stunned. Were the people ok? What should she do? She ran over to the van, which was on it's side, and called out to the people inside.

"Are you all right?! Hello?!"

Carmen lifted her head and struggled to breathe with the air filled bag pressing against her small chest. She heard the girl's call and answered.

"I'm fine. But I'm stuck. Help!!" She yelled out. Even she needed help once in a while.

Penelope attempted to climb on top of the van, so she could open the door, but her boots wouldn't allow it. She quickly grabbed her stiletto heels and tore them off her boots with a newfound strength, or maybe it was just the adrenaline. She then was able to climb onto the van. She pulled the door open and helped the girl out. Carmen grabbed onto her arms after pulling off the seatbelt and, grabbing both hers and Andrew's daypacks, climbed out and onto the ground.

"There's a boy in there. Help him too." She called to the girl. She didn't really feel like sticking around though. So as the girl attempted to help Andrew, she shouldered the packs and sprinted off. You snooze you lose, the strong survive, and Carmen was strong.

Penelope looked in only to see the bloodied head of Andrew Ponikarovsky. He looked to her weakly and shook his head slowly.

"Sorry girl... I won't last." He said solemnly. He sadly apologized to Adam, because he wanted so dearly to see him again. Looks like tha A-team was missing another member. Penelope climbed down after being sure the boy was indeed dead. She looked around. The other girl fled. She picked up her mace and pack quietly, and decided it was time, time for her to survive. She'd find a group, and survive as long as she could.


Penelope Continued elsewhere
Carmen continued elsewhere


MALE STUDENT NO. 13 - ANDREW "PANTS" PONIKAROVSKY - DECEASED