She did admittedly feel a little bad leaving the mess in there. It was almost like her usual brand of worry, where she’d worry about something inconsequential for hours on end even if there was little she could do and it wasn’t as bad as she thought it was.
Except…
Nora still had to push out the thought of the police coming and then questioning them and then finding out about Orion and then doing God only knew what. She didn’t even know what they would do in these cases or what the charges would be, nor about how people back home would react. And then… that’d pale in comparison to the fact that Orion was-
Keep breathing.
As she opened the door out, she saw Ruth’s Jeep waiting for them waiting for them outside, with her head peeking out with a look that, to Nora’s guess, was concern. She waved, despite the tremble and the fact that she could probably tell they were crying.
Try not to worry. It’s fine for right now. No one knew, as far as she was aware. She’d have some time before they got questioned, probably. How long would it be, though? An hour? Tomorrow? A week?
Best just enjoy it while she can.
ROAD TRIP!!! :) :) :) YAY
Two girls and a grandma in a car
Moderator: SOTF Supers Staff
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“Ladies,” said the tired woman over the intercom, “Hello, welcome to McDonalds, what do you want to order today?”
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...
“Ladies,” said the tired woman over the intercom, “Hello, welcome to McDonalds, what do you want to order today?”
“Uh… hamburger meal.”
It wasn’t the healthiest, but it’d do.
It wasn’t the healthiest, but it’d do.
“Oreo mcflurry and 10 piece nuggets combo, please.”
And Ruth said she wanted a Southwest Salad, fries, and a coffee.
…
Nora forgot that they had salad at McDonalds'. But it was probably too late to change. Their order was already being rung up. And she didn’t mind the burger and fries.
It was simple. Easy.
And a few minutes later, they were at the window. Nora smiled through her scarf and said ‘thank you’ to Ruth.
…
Nora forgot that they had salad at McDonalds'. But it was probably too late to change. Their order was already being rung up. And she didn’t mind the burger and fries.
It was simple. Easy.
And a few minutes later, they were at the window. Nora smiled through her scarf and said ‘thank you’ to Ruth.
Melodie actually wanted a kid’s meal, because she hadn’t been this self indulgent in years.
“Thanks,” she said, and hoped for a hotel with a nice pool to swim in, and then realized that since she wasn’t on a road trip she had no swimsuit and also had multiple open wounds on her body. Life was unfair. Everything was unfair. When the employee handed them the bags through the window and she took out the mcflurry it was half melted.
But she was alive, so, like, that was better than, like, Yvette right now. Which was nice.
Anyways…
“Do you want a nugget?”
“Thanks,” she said, and hoped for a hotel with a nice pool to swim in, and then realized that since she wasn’t on a road trip she had no swimsuit and also had multiple open wounds on her body. Life was unfair. Everything was unfair. When the employee handed them the bags through the window and she took out the mcflurry it was half melted.
But she was alive, so, like, that was better than, like, Yvette right now. Which was nice.
Anyways…
“Do you want a nugget?”
She never thought she’d see a burger again. Maybe? But she unwrapped the burger and stared at it.
It was a typical McDonalds’ burger. Again, not the best thing for you, but it’ll do for what she was craving. And yet, despite her recognizing it as food, she didn’t want to take a bite. Maybe she was too on edge. Maybe her mind was elsewhere.
She took a breath. Nora had experienced it before, that sensation of being hungry but not. It usually happened when she was antsy. Like now. But, she took a bite. Swallowed. Felt a little better.
It was a sign she was alive.
Nora snapped out of it when Melodie spoke up.
“Ah, sure.”
She looked to the side.
It was a typical McDonalds’ burger. Again, not the best thing for you, but it’ll do for what she was craving. And yet, despite her recognizing it as food, she didn’t want to take a bite. Maybe she was too on edge. Maybe her mind was elsewhere.
She took a breath. Nora had experienced it before, that sensation of being hungry but not. It usually happened when she was antsy. Like now. But, she took a bite. Swallowed. Felt a little better.
It was a sign she was alive.
Nora snapped out of it when Melodie spoke up.
“Ah, sure.”
She looked to the side.
Melodie handed Nora a nugget and felt self conscious about ordering a mcflurry.
''It's nice to share food with someone again, actually.'' It was nice to be able to be kind again.
She handed Ruth a nugget and thought about how this woman who she met at the best day of her life and might never meet again would be embedded into her memory forever, not for who she is (a savior, an angel, a loving grandmother with a spacious car and a photo of her sons in her wallet) but for what she represented (not fucking dying in the desert.)
She sipped her mcflurry and it was stuck in the straw so she took the lid off and had a spoonful and she thought about how she's going to associate McDonalds with 'being alive somehow' and now every time she enters one in the future she'll remember ordering with Nora and Ruth in the drive-thru and wow OK she was getting too emotional actually.
''It's nice to share food with someone again, actually.'' It was nice to be able to be kind again.
She handed Ruth a nugget and thought about how this woman who she met at the best day of her life and might never meet again would be embedded into her memory forever, not for who she is (a savior, an angel, a loving grandmother with a spacious car and a photo of her sons in her wallet) but for what she represented (not fucking dying in the desert.)
She sipped her mcflurry and it was stuck in the straw so she took the lid off and had a spoonful and she thought about how she's going to associate McDonalds with 'being alive somehow' and now every time she enters one in the future she'll remember ordering with Nora and Ruth in the drive-thru and wow OK she was getting too emotional actually.
They’d decided to stop at a hotel for the night. It was later out, and… that meant they had more time. Maybe they’d get some rest, maybe they wouldn’t.
…
Did that technically make Nora a fugitive if they knew about what happened with Orion already?
When she heard about fugitives, she generally imagined… she didn’t know what. Mass murderers on the run, terrorists, and some of the evilest people alive. Not girls who killed their classmates in the desert. Not people like her.
They’d told the front desk about her issues, and they were at least accommodating.
And she watched a bit of the news earlier. It was still ongoing, but Astrid was alive, and she’d posted to Twitter, and there were possibly up to seven people who had escaped other than them. Maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less. But that meant most likely that no one but Ruth knew she and Melodie were alive right now.
Ruth had offered to let them call their families. She wanted to send a quick text to Mom and Dad, to Rusty, anyone, letting them know she was alive. Maybe call them, maybe let them hear her voice. But as she tried inputting her mom’s number into her phone, she froze up.
Nora remembered the number, it was just… maybe a lot. Too much for now. Her hands shook, and she couldn’t press the number to dial.
She’d try again in a bit. When she was ready.
Honestly, she didn’t expect to find herself in this situation, where she had to call people to let them know she was even alive.
But she’d eaten some of the dried fruit. They’d changed the channel from the news, and instead to Cartoon Network. It was less intimidating right now.
“Hey… Melodie?” she asked as the screen blared another episode of Teen Titans Go that served mostly as loud background noise.
She wasn’t sure where to start.
“Do you… what do you want to do, once we’re home?”
If Nora ever got home.
…
Did that technically make Nora a fugitive if they knew about what happened with Orion already?
When she heard about fugitives, she generally imagined… she didn’t know what. Mass murderers on the run, terrorists, and some of the evilest people alive. Not girls who killed their classmates in the desert. Not people like her.
They’d told the front desk about her issues, and they were at least accommodating.
And she watched a bit of the news earlier. It was still ongoing, but Astrid was alive, and she’d posted to Twitter, and there were possibly up to seven people who had escaped other than them. Maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less. But that meant most likely that no one but Ruth knew she and Melodie were alive right now.
Ruth had offered to let them call their families. She wanted to send a quick text to Mom and Dad, to Rusty, anyone, letting them know she was alive. Maybe call them, maybe let them hear her voice. But as she tried inputting her mom’s number into her phone, she froze up.
Nora remembered the number, it was just… maybe a lot. Too much for now. Her hands shook, and she couldn’t press the number to dial.
She’d try again in a bit. When she was ready.
Honestly, she didn’t expect to find herself in this situation, where she had to call people to let them know she was even alive.
But she’d eaten some of the dried fruit. They’d changed the channel from the news, and instead to Cartoon Network. It was less intimidating right now.
“Hey… Melodie?” she asked as the screen blared another episode of Teen Titans Go that served mostly as loud background noise.
She wasn’t sure where to start.
“Do you… what do you want to do, once we’re home?”
If Nora ever got home.
''Uh... Probably study for the AP Lit/Comp test, if it's still up,'' she joked, which probably wasn't a joke. ''At least I can pull the 'my friends died in front of me' card to get an extension.'''
''In all seriousness, it really depends on how the cops handle it, I mean...''
Raven made a joke on her TV screen that she was too old to laugh at. She sent the last message ('BTW pls buy some dulce de leche ice cream for when I get home') to her mom fifteen minutes ago and now wondered if she sounded too casual, maybe even callous. Her hair was cut by Ruth in the bathroom and she's going to show up in the interviews with uneven bangs, and by god, there's going to be interviews. She could basically feel it, how Fox would smell it like sharks in bloody water.
''I... I don't know, actually. I don't know. I'll have to go to the hospital and therapy and I have so much work to catch up to and the news will probably be there and-''
She wanted to go home. She wanted to go home right now. She wanted to skip all those in between steps of getting better and just be normal again without having to go through probably years of work just to be something resembling mentally stable.
She wanted to graduate. She wanted to live alone. She suddenly wanted to be an adult, now, mostly because she didn't want to get back to school and see empty chairs in the classrooms.
''I just... I just...''
Red blossomed onto the bedsheets.
''UGH! I really... I really hate this. It's gonna suck so much when we get back there.''
Fuck, was she crying again? Cringe.
''In all seriousness, it really depends on how the cops handle it, I mean...''
Raven made a joke on her TV screen that she was too old to laugh at. She sent the last message ('BTW pls buy some dulce de leche ice cream for when I get home') to her mom fifteen minutes ago and now wondered if she sounded too casual, maybe even callous. Her hair was cut by Ruth in the bathroom and she's going to show up in the interviews with uneven bangs, and by god, there's going to be interviews. She could basically feel it, how Fox would smell it like sharks in bloody water.
''I... I don't know, actually. I don't know. I'll have to go to the hospital and therapy and I have so much work to catch up to and the news will probably be there and-''
She wanted to go home. She wanted to go home right now. She wanted to skip all those in between steps of getting better and just be normal again without having to go through probably years of work just to be something resembling mentally stable.
She wanted to graduate. She wanted to live alone. She suddenly wanted to be an adult, now, mostly because she didn't want to get back to school and see empty chairs in the classrooms.
''I just... I just...''
Red blossomed onto the bedsheets.
''UGH! I really... I really hate this. It's gonna suck so much when we get back there.''
Fuck, was she crying again? Cringe.
Once again, Nora wasn’t great at comforting people.
She knew Melodie had texted her folks, which was good. And she had joked a little about getting an extension on upcoming tests. But then…
Melodie shouted, and there was red on the sheets. And Nora flinched.
And she knew that Melodie would have to go through similar, where people would question her, and…
And…
The juvenile jokes on screen juxtaposed with the red on the sheets in a nauseating way.
Nora didn’t want to think about what it’d be like once they got back. She’d been delaying it. Maybe that was why she hadn’t been able to text her family.
And Nora knew she hadn’t been doing a good job properly appreciating Melodie in the past. Who gave her the face masks for her birthday? Who gave her meat, and was there for her, and…
She breathed. Once again, she felt the dam leaking.
“I…” Nora started.
She appreciated Melodie in the end. She just wasn’t there enough to express it properly. To let her know. That…
“I wanna go home too,” she said, fidgeting on the itchy bed that’d turned from a creamy white to a dark crimson. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. To either of us.”
Melodie, to her knowledge, didn’t do anything illegal. Maybe she’d be safe. Maybe. She didn’t fully know what people were saying right now, just what she heard on the news.
“Melodie? Thank you. I mean…”
Maybe this will be the last time she’ll get to say it.
“You’ve been there the entire time, and I’ve never properly… expressed it. The way I should have.”
Acknowledged it, because you were selfish even back then.
She knew Melodie had texted her folks, which was good. And she had joked a little about getting an extension on upcoming tests. But then…
Melodie shouted, and there was red on the sheets. And Nora flinched.
And she knew that Melodie would have to go through similar, where people would question her, and…
And…
The juvenile jokes on screen juxtaposed with the red on the sheets in a nauseating way.
Nora didn’t want to think about what it’d be like once they got back. She’d been delaying it. Maybe that was why she hadn’t been able to text her family.
And Nora knew she hadn’t been doing a good job properly appreciating Melodie in the past. Who gave her the face masks for her birthday? Who gave her meat, and was there for her, and…
She breathed. Once again, she felt the dam leaking.
“I…” Nora started.
She appreciated Melodie in the end. She just wasn’t there enough to express it properly. To let her know. That…
“I wanna go home too,” she said, fidgeting on the itchy bed that’d turned from a creamy white to a dark crimson. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. To either of us.”
Melodie, to her knowledge, didn’t do anything illegal. Maybe she’d be safe. Maybe. She didn’t fully know what people were saying right now, just what she heard on the news.
“Melodie? Thank you. I mean…”
Maybe this will be the last time she’ll get to say it.
“You’ve been there the entire time, and I’ve never properly… expressed it. The way I should have.”
Acknowledged it, because you were selfish even back then.
''Thank you,'' Melodie said, even though it was nothing compared to the thousands of words she wanted to say. ''I... I'm glad for you, too. I... You're nice, you know? You didn't think I'm gross, or weird...''
It was getting harder to talk with her sinuses and her sniffling and everything, but Melodie was a master at crying by now.
Five things you can see. Four things you can feel.
''I just wish that I got to say it before we probably all went to their funerals. Or jail. Or... oh, fuck it.''
She opened her arms. Leaned into the girl next to her. Wrapped Nora up in a hug so tight it borderlined violent, just because Melodie didn't ever want to let her go. She wanted touch. She wanted to be touched. She wanted to ground herself with the girl next to her.
It's so goddamn embarassing to cry so many times in a day. To lose control. But they deserve it. They deserve to be happy and free without judgement. They have no critical audience, no cameramen and watchers. They were there, alone but together.
It was getting harder to talk with her sinuses and her sniffling and everything, but Melodie was a master at crying by now.
Five things you can see. Four things you can feel.
''I just wish that I got to say it before we probably all went to their funerals. Or jail. Or... oh, fuck it.''
She opened her arms. Leaned into the girl next to her. Wrapped Nora up in a hug so tight it borderlined violent, just because Melodie didn't ever want to let her go. She wanted touch. She wanted to be touched. She wanted to ground herself with the girl next to her.
It's so goddamn embarassing to cry so many times in a day. To lose control. But they deserve it. They deserve to be happy and free without judgement. They have no critical audience, no cameramen and watchers. They were there, alone but together.
And Nora accepted it.
And it was quiet for a while longer.
And it was just them.
And it was okay, for just a while.
And she was almost happy.
—
The next morning the police came. They were eating the hotel breakfast when they were approached. But she took a deep breath.
It was time.
Maybe it won’t be so bad.
((Nora continued in Detox))
((Melodie continued in The path to recovery was more like a forest that you got lost in.)
And it was quiet for a while longer.
And it was just them.
And it was okay, for just a while.
And she was almost happy.
—
The next morning the police came. They were eating the hotel breakfast when they were approached. But she took a deep breath.
It was time.
Maybe it won’t be so bad.
((Nora continued in Detox))
((Melodie continued in The path to recovery was more like a forest that you got lost in.)