On the Bounty

[kindaemissary]

(I never got an alert and I've barely been on :/ Sorry!)


Anderson watched as Jaime showed him her arm and tried not to internally freak out. They were in the middle of a big city and she was showing off her power out in the open. It was dangerous, and Anderson pulled her sleeve back over her arm. "There might not be anyone around right now, but this is a business district. There's got to be cameras around everywhere. You have to be more careful." He didn't want to stick around if she was going to put him in danger, but right now she was the only person he had on his side. They escaped from an airport for crying out loud! Their faces were going to be on every news station by morning as "runaway mutants" and if they got caught on camera in Tampa, that would be it for them. They'd be done for and everything Anderson had worked so hard for would be ruined.


"I know it might seem safe right now, but we're not. We won't be safe for a while. We're going to need to keep our faces down and stay out of the public scene. Hopefully we can get out of town by morning, but that depends on how soon we get somewhere more crowded." He pulled his backpack further up his back and straightened out his straps. "We'll need to blend in. I think we should find a convenience store, get some hair dye or something, and then find somewhere to clean up. We'll have to work fast, but the quicker we get out of Tampa the better. They could be putting up road blocks for all we know."


He sighed and ran a hand back through his hair. They'd have to change their appearances completely and make a turn around before the problems got any worse. Anderson turned to Jaime and nodded towards her arm. "I like it, your power, but it's not safe yet. When we're on the road and away from all of this we can talk about it more, but for now we need to keep our heads in the game. Our powers won't be cool if we're dead."

 

[TurtlesandMonkeys]

"Sorry." Jaime sighed a bit as she as stopped using her ability. She understood Anderson's worry and fear because Jaime's been there before, but she made sure there was no one around. "Yeah, sure. Hair dye, new clothes, the works. I have fake clip on piercings too if that's what you want." She said pointing to her bag. "Got them to piss my parents off one day."


"I doubt any place is open this late at night except for Wal-mart and I have no idea where that could be, and wandering a city at night is also dangerous. I should know, I got lost in New York a long time ago." She said.


((It's okay))

 

[kindaemissary]

Anderson kept walking as he glanced over his shoulders and kept his eyes open. There could be people anywhere, and even though there was probably no word about them yet, he was still on edge. "We might be able to find a 24-hour pharmacy," he offered, and he looked up and down the streets for any sort of sign. "If anything, we can worry about that tomorrow and just find somewhere to stay for a little bit." In Anderson's mind, the best thought he had was for them to steal a car while no one was around and get out of the city as soon as possible. They might be able to find somewhere to buy supplies in a couple hours around 5 or 6 before too much got spread out around them.


"I say we keep a look out for places in the next couple of blocks and if we don't find any, we leave. We'll figure it out when we get there, but for now we should keep our options open." Stealing a car was going to be easier than breaking into a store and stealing hair dye. They needed the least amount of blood on their hands and the ability to get out of the city as soon as possible. If they were stuck in Tampa for too long, they might never get out.

 

[TurtlesandMonkeys]

Jaime kept looking around for a store. After a couple of streets she finally saw what looked like a store. "Theres one." Shepointed and started walking towards it.


There wasnt a lot of people inside which was good so sbe headed straight towards hair dye. She look in the mirroe at her short light brown hair. Pouting she looked over the boxes to see which would look best before deciding on a dark red color.


As much as she loved her short hair, they needed a new look. Her hair did grow fast so she could easily grow it out. She got a couple more outfits too and stuffed them in her bag. And small snacks. They would always need food.

 

[kindaemissary]

Anderson scanned the hair dye shelves and hoped that Jaime knew how to dye. He imagined that it wasn't entirely too difficult, yet he had never had to do it before and he was scared of messing up. He picked up a light blond box - 02 platinum, it read - and grabbed two before he carried it towards the end of the aisle. He picked up a basket and set the boxed dye inside before moving to the next aisle and getting some shampoo and conditioner. He knew there would be a small chance that they would be able to go shopping for a while while they made their voyage away from Tampa. With their faces bound to be plastered over ever seeable surface he figured there were be a very small chance of them being in public frequently.


He took a pack of toothbrushes and grabbed two bottles of toothpaste before he found Jaime towards the snack section. "I'm going to buy some water bottles and once we're out of town, however that happens, we can always get some more." He looked at her stock of supplies and nodded towards the clothes. "Good idea. I'm gonna grab some t-shirts and maybe some pain medicine and little bit of bandages - just in case - and then I think I'll be good to go."


He smiled towards her and placed a hand on her covered arm. "I'm glad you're coming with me. This will be easier together than alone." Once they got out of the city they could get to know each other more, and even though Anderson was on edge and would probably continue to be for awhile, it would be better once they were far away from Tampa. "I'm gonna buy a pair of reading glasses so I look less like me. If I buy a pair of scissors can you trim my hair a bit? I'd do it, but I can't exactly see the back of my head."

 

[TurtlesandMonkeys]

"No problemo." She winked. "I've been cutting my hair for the past couple years. Though I like it short, I may have to go long now." She sighed at that as she always adored her short curly hair. "And I'll dye your hair too." She went back to browsing the aisles to see what else they might need. She seemed to be thinking short term for the moment for her supplies, mainly because she knew they would be able to get more stuff later. She looked at Anderson's supplies as he was thinking way more long term.


She was heading to the counter as the clerk had a tv going with the news about the airport. Before she walked over she put her hoodie on over her head and put some of her piercings on so she wouldn't be recognized. She then waited on Anderson to finish his shopping before she left the store and to where ever they were going to go.

 

[kindaemissary]

Anderson checked out his items in line - new t-shirts, water, boxed crackers, personal care products, and a flashlight - and paid with cash before heading over towards Jaime and leaving the store. He stood close next to her as the moved away from the doors and towards a parking lot. If he wanted this to seem natural, he would have to play it as such to the best of his advantage. "I'm going to see if we can get into any of these cars," he whispered towards her as they approached a collection of vehicles parked between the 24-hour store and what looked to be an apartment building.


He set his bags on the ground next to the drivers side door of a dark gray 2006 Jeep Patriot. In high school, he had gotten his keys looked inside his car far too many times and had been taught by his father how to unlock the car from the outside. He pulled out his wallet from his backpack and took a Best Buy gift card he had shoved between the bills. He pressed the card against the window and outlining metal and fidgeted with the card until the door unlocked and he opened the door.


The grin he sent back towards Jaime was accomplished and rushed, but he unlocked the rest of the car before he started putting his bags into the back seat. "Do you know how to hotwire a car?" he asked. "I could probably figure it out if I messed with it for a bit, but if you know there's no need to waste time."

 

[TurtlesandMonkeys]

"We're stealing a car?!" She whispered a bit in shock as she watched him fidget with getting it open. When she heard the door unlocked and saw his grin, Jaime had to admit that it was excited. In a dangerous way. A very dangerous way. She looked around to make sure no one was watching or peeking through windows before putting her stuff away.


"I don't know really, sorry. A couple of my friends knew how. All I know is that it has something to do with wires." She shrugged as she kept an eye out for them both. The last thing they needed was someone catching them and calling the cops, or someone to sneak up and attack. She didn't know if Anderson knew how to defend himself, but she knew a few basics. Her friends taught her how to get out of someones grip and the proper fighting poses and other small things, but she had never been in a fight so it would be a test if one were to happen.

 

[kindaemissary]

"Okay," Anderson said in response, and he moved so that he was sitting in the driver's seat. "I'm going to start figuring this out, so when I get it started be ready to jump in the other side and go. It might look too suspicious if you're actively watching for people, so make it seem natural." He turned back towards the front of the vehicle and reached under the steering wheel before taking a piece of plastic away from the dash. He most likely found what Jaime was talking about and he started pressing the wires together. If would be a bitch to start the car this way every time they got in, but once they figured it out it would be find. Maybe after a while they'd find a key somewhere in the car. His dad always kept a key in his back trunk.


Anderson pushed the right wires together and the engine hurled to life, and he looked towards Jaime before making sure the volume on the radio was down. No need to wake the neighborhood up so soon, and he leaned over to open the passenger side door. "We're going to be fine," he said, and once they were both fastened back into their seats Anderson pulled from the parking lot and onto the street. It was dark and hard to see, but once they made it out of the neighborhood and onto a main highway they weren't going to have too many problems. "I got a hat at the store," he said. Once we make it a ways out of Tampa, maybe in Florida if we can get that far, I'll find a motel for us to stay at. I'll wear the hat and some glasses and check us in so we can fix our appearances and head out again." He looked over the center console towards Jaime and smiled. "I'm freaking out inside, but this might be more exciting that Switzerland."

 

[TurtlesandMonkeys]

Hopping in she watched out the window as they drove on. Once they got in the car and started driving did she feel a little more calm. "That sounds like a good idea. And believe me I'm freaking out on the inside too." She chuckled. she leaned back in the chair and sighed in relief. "Do you think this... situation will ever get better? Like people aren't scared anymore and not hunting us down." she wondered.


"or trying to catch people like us for some super secret powerful army. Nah... that's from that one book I read." She said and shook her head to stop over thinking things.

 

[kindaemissary]

He couldn't help but shrug at the question. With all of their problems unanswered Anderson didn't believe he had enough information to say anything that would help either one of them. "I have no idea," he admitted. "It might calm down after a while, maybe in a couple of months. Maybe the powers will go away. Maybe people will accept them as time passes on. I don't know." The entire world was changing around them and he had no way to help the situation pass along any better. Anderson reached forward on Jaime's side and opened the glove compartment. There were a few CDs inside and he tapped Jaime's leg. "Pick something to listen to. It will help us relax."


The drive was going to be long and boring, but if they kept talking about themselves or solve some of their unanswered questions about each other it would help pass the time. It was also late and they were both tired, so it would help Anderson stay away as he drove. He started the music after Jaime picked an album and turned it on low for background noise. "My power is empathy," he said. "I know that I didn't mention anything earlier, but there wasn't time. If I have skin contact with someone, I can tell what their feeling, and if put enough concentration into it I can alter their feelings. It takes a lot out of me mentally and I get really tired after using it, but it's been helpful too."

 

[TurtlesandMonkeys]

Jaime found a Green Day CD and put it on, her memories stirring just from hearing a certain song. They weren't happy memories so she changed the song. It did hep her calm down and stay awake a bit, and talking helped too. She was able to concentrate on the road and help Anderson stay awake.


"I showed mine a tiny bit. It almost has a mind of its own sometimes" She frowned. "Sometimes when I'm really upset or stressed out, it acts out and wants to do its own thing. I haven't really explored it much cause living in my small town, there are eyes everywhere. Farthest I've been able to control it is just my arms." She remembered back on the plane how her legs were affected too. "The more I use it and the more it just happens, the more of my body is affected. On the plane, my legs changed too and you see the holes all over." She pointed at them and then sighed.

 

[kindaemissary]

"You won't have to hide it when we're alone," Anderson said after a moment, "so when no one else is around you can always work on controlling it. If you can try, there's a good chance you're going to get better." He gave a small smile and kept his eyes on the road. "When I'm touching someone, I can't turn it off, but it's not too overwhelming. It's something I can ignore if I need to. Sometimes when it happens, I've started to feel like the person I'm touching. If their upset, I get upset. It's some kind of weird reaction, I guess. I try not to initiate skin-on-skin contact, so that helps. If it wasn't August and so damn hot, I would just wear a pair of gloves."


He snorted as they continued up the highway. He hadn't seen any road blocks so far, and it helped that the airport was towards the west of the city and they were heading North. Tampa was in the middle of the state length wise, but Anderson believed that if they drove all night until they made it into Georgia they would be much safer. They could sleep when they reached a motel and then alter their appearances, then get some food and move north again. Maybe head towards the midwest and find some smaller towns with less questions.


"You can change the air as you want, don't worry about me." The A/C was on at the moment, but he didn't want Jaime to feel uncomfortable. They were in this together. "If you get tired, don't feel bad for going to sleep. I can sleep when we've driven far enough. I might have to stop at a gas station when in the next hour and can always grab some coffee." He reached back and grabbed a water bottle from a bag and set in the cup holder next to him. "For now, we'll just have to drive."

 

[TurtlesandMonkeys]

She smiled a bit. "Yeah that would be nice. And if you want, I can take over driving a bit if you feel too tired." She offered. Jaime looked out the window and stared at the night sky, counting the stars in her head and looking for constellations. The only one she knew was Orion's belt and it was easy to spot, and being away from the bright lights of the city made it easier to find them. The sky was cloudless so it let the moon shine bright.


"The forms I know I can take are stone, wood, diamond, glass. I haven't explored any other and maybe I'll try some when we're more safe."

 

[kindaemissary]

"If I get too tired I'll let you know," Anderson said. He drank some of his water and kept went back to placing both of his hands on the steering wheel. It would take about three hours to get out of Florida from the signs that he was seeing, and that wasn't too bad. If his eyes got droopy, he wouldn't hesitate to tell Jaime. There was no need for them to get in a crash so early on in their journey.


When they found a hotel they would rest up and eat, clean up and change clothes. Once they fixed their hair and made some slight changes, they could probably find somewhere to go and buy more clothes and some food for the road. They had money - at least Anderson did - and this jeep would be their home for awhile after their first stop. They'd make quick stops to get cleaned up or a small motel room check out once every couple of days, but they would need to stay out of the public for as long as they could until their faces were off the news channels.


"If we get hungry there's food in the back," he reminded her, "and if that isn't filling enough I can always get something through drive through. They always have 24-hour fast food places off the interstate, and while it might not be healthy, it's cheap."

 

[TurtlesandMonkeys]

"Nah I'm good for now." She said. She wasn't too hungry at the moment, she was content. When the CD eventually ended she changed it to another random city, and while looking for one the radio was going. It was talking about the recent news back at the airport in Tampa and how they were on the look out for two possible terrorists who managed to escape. Jaime didn't turn it off right away as she rushed through the CD's. They also said they have identified the two who escaped but are not releasing the info to the public as the moment.


She quickly put a CD in and sat back to relax some more and decided to talk about something again. "I'm sure you have your reasons for leaving. I wanted to escape before my parents found out about me. When it first started, there was a family a couple streets away who turned on their little boy when they discovered he had an ability. It scared me so much that I wanted to find any reason to just leave. And well... you came along and here we are now. Funny how things work out.. huh?"

 

[kindaemissary]

Anderson nodded at what she was saying and glanced towards the radio after she changed it to a CD. If they identified them, they were probably on the look out, and the fewer number of stops they had to make before being in the clear the better they would be. Once they changed what they looked like and got some fake identities or something they would be fine. "I don't think my parents wouldn't have minded since they know I am a good person. Some parents wouldn't be like that, but I'm very close with mine. I have an older brother, but he went onto college when I was going into kindergarten, so it's a stressful relationship, but my parents are cool. I was just worried. I didn't want to be looking over my shoulder for my entire life."


Their journey would be tough because now they'd have to be extra careful, but it was nice that he wasn't on his own. "Once we stop I am probably going to take a nap. You can do whatever you need with getting clean and doing your hair. I'll find us something to eat when we're on the road again and look different, so that will put us at a good place. We should both shower before we leave and once we hit the road keep driving for a long time before we have to stop for bathroom breaks and food." He looked at the clock on the dash and sighed. "It'll be around 6AM when we find somewhere to stay, and when we get there we should both rest for a bit. It'll be better if we're well rested before getting back on the road, so that later we can trade off as we continue onward."

 

[TurtlesandMonkeys]

When they eventually got to Georgia and found a small motel nearby, they stopped and rented a room for the night. Jaime was awake as Anderson went to bed and decided to go ahead to dye her hair and trim it a tiny bit. She sat in the mirror and used the dark red hair dye she picked up and started working it in her hair. The whole process took at least an hour, mainly just waiting for it to set in. Once it was done she took a quick shower to wash the excess out.


"Phew... hmm dark red actually looks good on me." She whispered to herself with a smile. She got into her pajamas next and headed to bed to sleep since she was exhausted.

 

[kindaemissary]

When Anderson woke up from the midst of the cloth sheets, he rolled over and rubbed at his eyes. The night had been long and exhausting, and he was glad that he got in a few good hours of sleep. The digital clock on the nightstand between the two beds said it was a little after 1PM. He might not have got a full 8 hours of needed sleep, but it was going to be enough to keep them moving.


He pulled himself from the bed and ate some crackers before he went to the restroom. He had went to bed as soon as they had got to the motel, and Jaime had probably done so a little while later. He could see that her hair looked different so he assumed that she had done her dyeing as soon as they settled in. Anderson stood at the counter and stared at himself in the mirror. His eyes looked so much more tired than they normally did and he seemed tense. Flipping the faucet on, he splashed his face with water a couple times before washing his face with complimentary bar soap. It was nice to feel clean. Soon after, he brushed his teeth and headed back to the bedroom part of their room and sunk back into the bed.


There was no way either of them could have the tiniest inclination to what the world had in store for them, and because he had no idea what was going to happen, Anderson couldn't stop his mind from racing. The entire incident was nuts, honestly. How soon would it be before his parents saw his face plastered on all the news stations in the West? From what he had been hearing in broadcasts, him and Jaime were being labeled as terrorists.


A sigh escaped him and he slammed his head back against the pillows. The world was crumbling around them and he had no say in the matter. He could come clean, but that would put him where he started: worrying about making it another day without being killed in some kind of disease center that the government shoved him in. At least this way, with both of them on the run, he could die on his own terms. If it came down to it, Anderson would rather be running for his life for the rest of it than being kept in some facility to be tested on. It was an easy choice. He wasn't about to let his entire life be run by someone else, and by escaping from the airport he gave himself a better chance of making it another week or so.


Anderson reached over towards the table and flicked on the TV, quickly hitting mute once a news channel came on. He wanted to see what was going on and not wake Jaime up. She needed her sleep and he was fully capable of reading closed captions. Both of their faces had been released but not their names, and Anderson was a little thankful for that. Once his name was out there, his parents would be attacked by people asking what had happened and if they knew anything. With just a picture, people might not be putting two and two together as soon. Since they were both adults, there was nothing the media couldn't get their hands on.


Under their pictures, the words "armed and dangerous" were written on the screen. That was further thing from the truth, and Anderson snorted. They had no guns, no knives, no bombs. Anderson could barely light a fire with a match, and now he was a terrorist? It was crazy how one incident could change an entire life, and no Anderson's was going nuts.


He turned off the television and pulled the covers back over his body, hoping to fall back asleep. He couldn't do anything without Jaime since he knew neither how to cut or dye his own hair. The comforter welcomed him, and even though it was a motel, the bed wasn't that uncomfortable. It definitely wasn't as bad as his freshman year dorm bed. That thing was shit. After thinking some things through, Anderson rolled onto his side and closed his eyes and fell asleep again.

 

[TurtlesandMonkeys]

Jaime tossed and turned several times in the bed, pulling the covers over her head as if to protect her from something. One could easily tell she was experiencing a nightmare. Beads of sweat rolled down her face as she just forced herself to wake up from the terrible dream. She pulled her legs in and wiped the sweat from her brow as she tried to shake the images from her dream out of her mind.


Being from a controlling, rural family was tough and she hated it. She often had times where she felt like a prisoner in her own home growing up with all these expectations and wanting her to be a good girl. That why in high school she started to not care, for the most part, and be the person she wanted to be. Her nightmare dealt with those issues and it was actually felt like she was in chains inside her house. But this was her now, as in having her ability. And her parents locked her up to try to 'help' her.


She got a pair of clothes to change into while she refreshed herself. Splashing water on her face, brushing her teeth, putting some make up on she normally wouldn't wear. Really dark eye liner and the stuff. she normally wouldn't be caught dead wearing this much make up, but she was going for a new look after the events of yesterday.


She sat back in her bed and pulled her notebook out of her suitcase. With her pink glossy pen that she always carried around, she started to write in it. A journal perhaps while she had the time. To reflect on wat's happen and try to figure out what's going to happen in the future. She hummed softly to herself as she wrote to not wake Anderson up.

 

[kindaemissary]

After a decently long nap, Anderson rolled onto his other side and opened his eyes. The light from outside was streaming in through the windows and he felt bad that he had wasted the better part of the day in bed. The entire world was passing by him and he was stuck inside getting sleep. Due to the amount of rest he received, once they got off and started traveling again, they wouldn't need a long break for a while. Some rest areas for restroom breaks every now and then, but with both of them well rested they wouldn't need to stop at another motel for a few days.


He sat up in bed and pushed the covers down to his legs. He was still wearing the shorts that he changed into when they got there and an old t-shirt from high school that he would probably need to lose or hide at some point. The clock on the side table said 3:48, and Anderson sighed. It was going to be a late start, but at least they'd be off and on the road in no time. His hair needed to be done and they'd probably both want to shower once more before leaving.


A yawn escaped him and he turned his neck towards Jaime. She was awake and sitting on her bed, notebook in hand. "Good afternoon," he said, and he snorted with the statement. They needed to hurry if they wanted to get anywhere before too long. "I'm gonna wake myself up a bit, make some coffee. Should I make enough for two or not?" He stood up from the bed and stretched his arms above his head. "Once you're ready we can do my hair, and that way we can leave as soon as possible. We should probably find somewhere to get some decent food, maybe get some sandwiches to go, and then be off on our way. I don't want to be in one place too long, you know?"


He headed towards the coffee maker and added in the grounds and water to the pot before turning it on for brewing. "I'm gonna use the restroom, and then whenever you're ready I'm good to go."

 

[TurtlesandMonkeys]

Jaime heard Anderson waking up so she looked over and smiled. "Get enough sleep?" She closed her notebook and put it away. "Coffee's fine. And we're going to need at least another hour if you want to do your hair and stuff." She got off the bed and looked at the little brochure they had that told them about places nearby.


"There's a subway just down the road, and other various little places to get food." She noted and put it down on the table. She then proceeded to get ready to start doing Anderson's hair, putting gloves on pulling up a chair. "First we have to use this to get the edges of your hair, going over it a bunch until it's all coated. Once that's done, I'm going to work this through your hair and put a cap around it so it sets. About thirty minutes later, you'll need to shower it out and it should be good to go!"

 

[kindaemissary]

"An hour is fine," Anderson said and made sure there was enough coffee grounds in the maker before he closed it and walked away. He headed to the bathroom and peed before Jaime got started doing anything. He gave her the box once he was done and sat down in the chair she had set out. He'd take a quick shower once his hair was ready and then they'd leave, hopefully to stay on the road for a long while. "We'll have to find somewhere without cameras, most likely," he added. "If we can get in and out of Subway fairly quickly, that will be fine, but if the line is too long I don't want anyone recognizing us."


He let Jaime start working on his hair, and soon enough she was done and he was back to sitting on the bed with the cap in his hair. He had the news on and kept waiting to hear some sort of an update. No news station had released their names, but their faces were on every channel. That was a good thing, though, and Anderson was glad that no one had said anything yet. His parents were probably freaking out at home, seeing their son's face on the news in light of being a terrorist, but he couldn't do anything to help that.


"Once we get on the road we should stay on the road for a while. We'll get enough food for a couple meals now and maybe some things from a store if we find another one and then don't stop for awhile." Anderson tried not to scratch at his scalp, but it was difficult. He drank a water bottle from jeep. "That way we only have to stop at rest areas. They have no cameras, and we can get beverages out of the machines. We should wait a while before we're in public too much."

 

[TurtlesandMonkeys]

While she sat and watched the news, her heart sank because she knew her parents saw this. Having her face everywhere all over the country was something she didn't want to happen in her life. It's not like she was actually dangerous or could hurt anyone. Well, maybe she could if she tried, but she never wanted to hurt anyone.


While she browsed the different channels she stopped on one that looked a bit familiar. Or at least the faces on the screen did. It was a story back from Alabama, and the story read, "Family speaks out about daughter'. Her parents were publicly speaking out about this... about her. She quickly changed the channel so she didn't hear what they said.


"Yeah, sounds good." She said as she curled up in the bed. she changed the tv to a kids channel with cartoons to forget about the news. "What state do we want to stop in? I guess any little small town is fine."

 

[kindaemissary]

Anderson turned off the TV and shrugged while looking towards Jaime. "I don't really think it matters," he admitted. "We should continue heading north for awhile, maybe head inland after we get closer to Virginia." Anderson cracked his knuckles as he crammed his hands together. It was an intense situation and he need to calm down, but being trapped in a room wasn't helping him. Once they got on the road and out of Georgia he'd be better, but until then he would have to deal with the uncertainty of what would happen next.


It came to be thirty minutes after the dye was put in and Anderson went to the bathroom. He pulled his shirt over his head and stepped out of the rest of his clothes before getting into the shower. The clean water felt good on his body and he spent a few good minutes scrubbing at the dye as the yellow-tinted water cascaded down his chest and back. His hair felt soft between his fingers and once the water ran clear down his body, he used the bar soap at the bottom of the shower to scrub at his arms and chest before moving to his legs and feet. He had a good amount of clothes on him and he was sure that somewhere they'd find another place to get clean.


The shower turned off and he wrapped a white towel around his waist before heading out of the bathroom. He used a smaller towel to dry his hair as he grabbed his bag from the bedroom and then headed back to the bathroom to get dressed. He dried himself off and pulled on a pair of dark maroon shorts and a black t-shirt. With his sunglasses, he'd look like an entirely different person than before. His hair wasn't too light. If he wanted something lighter, he would have had to bleach it. After he looked at himself, he didn't want a haircut. He scrubbed the towel into his hair and gathered his belongings in the bathroom before heading out and packing up.


"We can leave as soon as you're ready," he said as he shoved clothes into his duffel bag. He had left his guitar in the car with some of the shopping bags and only had to pack up a few things. He poured some of the coffee into a take-along styrofoam cup and attached the lid after adding two sugars. "We'll stop for food and drinks and then eat on the road. We can be in South Carolina by 9 tonight and then stop again for a bit. We'll have to trade driving and take naps and such, but it'll make good time to stay on the road."