Much of Nothing
"Just keep driving," You say to her. "Dan's right, there's probably people all over the place."
She looks over her shoulder at you for a second, but doesn't reply. Instead, she hits the accelerator with exaggerated force and the sudden increase in speed pulls your head to the back of the seat for a moment.
"Man, am I glad I didn't drive," Dan says sarcastically, "I don't think my car is able to break the sound barrier."
The girl glares at him a moment before a smile spreads across her face. She lets off the accelerator and the car gradually goes back to a normal pace.
"Don't be upset with the guy in the back for not agreeing with you, hon." Dan says. "It was just a stupid fucking idea is all."
"Fuck you both." She says light heartedly.
"For that," Dan says, "We would have to go back to the rest stop. I don't think the back seat is big enough."
There is a brief moment of absolute silence in the car where you wonder if Dan may have set her off into another rage before she throws her head back and laughs hysterically.
"You are a total jack ass," She tells Dan. The three of you laugh together for a while, the laughter followed by another period of silence.
"So where are we smoking this shit?" The girl that Dudley brought to the park in the woods asks of the two of you.
Dan looks to her sternly. "I still don't see why we can't just spark it up in here."
She looks back at him evenly. "Because it's my car, and I said there would be no smoking in it."
More silence.
It is your turn to break the silence. "I say the next park we come to should be our destination," You tell them.
She looks at you in the rearview mirror. "That's a fine idea, guy in the back seat."
"Fine indeed," Dan chimes in.
"The next state park it shall be." She says, reaching for the radio dial.
Music suddenly begins emanating from the speakers, a forgotten song played by a forgotten band that you had completely forgotten before you heard it again.
"I remember this song!" Dan says enthusiastically.
"Yeah, but who sings it?" The girl asks. Dan shrugs his shoulders.
You're not sure what random bit of your memory was suddenly sparked, or how any part of your memory still managed to function given the substances you have been consuming as of late; but the band name shoots from your mouth like a bullet of knowledge shot from an otherwise faulty gun.
"The Sneaker Pimps," You inform them. It was indeed The Sneaker Pimps. You remember discovering them in your youth, just before you discovered the higher quality Portishead that produced music of a vaguely similar style. Now Portishead had style, a far superior group.
But you don't mention it to the others. They are impressed that you remembered who The Sneaker Pimps were and you don't want to ruin the moment by coming off as a music snob. Plus you sometimes get kind of weirded out in the presence of people you don't really know, and you are going through one of those moments now. For whatever reason, the girl that came with Dudley but left with you and Dan somehow makes you nervous. You feel your face flush as you admit this to yourself.
Dan points out the window. "State park in half a mile," he announces.
The car soon pulls off the freeway and the three of you follow the signs through the outskirts of an unknown small town until you at last reach the park entrance where the road splits in two, one sign reads "Forest Trail", the other reads "Smith's Ledges".
The girl who is driving turns around to face you. "Which way should we go?" She asks.
She looks over her shoulder at you for a second, but doesn't reply. Instead, she hits the accelerator with exaggerated force and the sudden increase in speed pulls your head to the back of the seat for a moment.
"Man, am I glad I didn't drive," Dan says sarcastically, "I don't think my car is able to break the sound barrier."
The girl glares at him a moment before a smile spreads across her face. She lets off the accelerator and the car gradually goes back to a normal pace.
"Don't be upset with the guy in the back for not agreeing with you, hon." Dan says. "It was just a stupid fucking idea is all."
"Fuck you both." She says light heartedly.
"For that," Dan says, "We would have to go back to the rest stop. I don't think the back seat is big enough."
There is a brief moment of absolute silence in the car where you wonder if Dan may have set her off into another rage before she throws her head back and laughs hysterically.
"You are a total jack ass," She tells Dan. The three of you laugh together for a while, the laughter followed by another period of silence.
"So where are we smoking this shit?" The girl that Dudley brought to the park in the woods asks of the two of you.
Dan looks to her sternly. "I still don't see why we can't just spark it up in here."
She looks back at him evenly. "Because it's my car, and I said there would be no smoking in it."
More silence.
It is your turn to break the silence. "I say the next park we come to should be our destination," You tell them.
She looks at you in the rearview mirror. "That's a fine idea, guy in the back seat."
"Fine indeed," Dan chimes in.
"The next state park it shall be." She says, reaching for the radio dial.
Music suddenly begins emanating from the speakers, a forgotten song played by a forgotten band that you had completely forgotten before you heard it again.
"I remember this song!" Dan says enthusiastically.
"Yeah, but who sings it?" The girl asks. Dan shrugs his shoulders.
You're not sure what random bit of your memory was suddenly sparked, or how any part of your memory still managed to function given the substances you have been consuming as of late; but the band name shoots from your mouth like a bullet of knowledge shot from an otherwise faulty gun.
"The Sneaker Pimps," You inform them. It was indeed The Sneaker Pimps. You remember discovering them in your youth, just before you discovered the higher quality Portishead that produced music of a vaguely similar style. Now Portishead had style, a far superior group.
But you don't mention it to the others. They are impressed that you remembered who The Sneaker Pimps were and you don't want to ruin the moment by coming off as a music snob. Plus you sometimes get kind of weirded out in the presence of people you don't really know, and you are going through one of those moments now. For whatever reason, the girl that came with Dudley but left with you and Dan somehow makes you nervous. You feel your face flush as you admit this to yourself.
Dan points out the window. "State park in half a mile," he announces.
The car soon pulls off the freeway and the three of you follow the signs through the outskirts of an unknown small town until you at last reach the park entrance where the road splits in two, one sign reads "Forest Trail", the other reads "Smith's Ledges".
The girl who is driving turns around to face you. "Which way should we go?" She asks.