38. Hitchhiking

Lilith

I woke up my phone alerting me it was time to go to school. I rolled over. I didn’t want to go. This weekend had been too much. I knew I should be amused by what no doubt would be going around the school with Polly. The events from Friday were going to be interesting but, I had bigger things on my mind.

Eric and I had not talked other than before my shower. After that I had called Rob and fell asleep in the cellar. I didn’t know how I had been returned to my bed, but I didn’t really care. Eric was still asleep next to me. I just wanted to blow off the whole day. I looked at my phone it was early I doubted even Noel would be up yet. I was positive I was up before him. I looked again at Eric. He would be up on his feet today; I was sure of it.

Kali spoke to me in my head. “If you don’t want to go to school let's blow this whole fucking thing off. You are a god dam Luna shifter. We don’t need to do anything; we don’t want to do. If you don’t want to go to school, then let's do something else fun.” I sat up. For once I agreed with Kali. I worked hard in school and had perfect grades. She then added. “I had a lot of fun this weekend if you want to not let me out tonight, I am okay with that.”

My stomach fell. She had just said she had a lot of fun. Killing was her idea of a good time? Next, I was surprised. Kali was not demanding to be let out. “How about you do something you like. Maybe go burn a hole in that card that Eric gave you.” I knew she was referring to the debit card that Eric gave me Thursday last week. Kali added. “He said to do whatever you want with the money. And apparently, he is richer than God. Oh, I know let's go buy you a car, unless you prefer to steal one.” I tried not to laugh.

“What you like that crime?” She said to me. I bit my lip. It wasn’t so much the stealing as it was the idea of racing down the road. I thought of something. “How about we buy a stollen car?” I said to Kali, she was giddy. I knew she would like it. Every time I drove it, she would relish that it was stolen, and no one would even know. Who I knew in the stolen car industry was good at what he did. He would make it all official and though whatever car I decided on, it would be registered all of that perfectly.

I jumped out of bed. “Fuck it lets go buy a car.” I told Kali. She was all ecstatic at the idea. I rushed to the closet, trying to keep it down not to wake up a sleeping Eric. I grabbed some ripped up faded jean shorts. Then thew on an oversized shirt that had some proactive graphic on it. I grabbed my favorite pair of chucks. My hair was thrown up in a loose bun and no makeup.

I looked in the mirror and felt like I looked like I was ready to go on and exciting adventure. It was still dark outside as it was early in the morning. I exited the packhouse quietly. I said to Kali “How am I going to get to the city to get to the garage?” She then responded in my head as I began to head down the road through the woods leading out of the pack land. “Since you can’t use one of Eric’s cars as you won’t be driving back in it, you could call Rob to come pick us up.” I explained to Kali. “We are not close to the city. It would take him awhile to get here. Not to mention Eric would be livid if he knew where the pack was.”

Kali said “Then there are two options, you can shift, and I can run you to the city. I don’t think that you will like me having to carry your clothes, not to mention when we get close, I will have to shift back since a wolf running in the city wouldn’t be the greatest thing. Or we can hitchhike?” I kept walking considering her words. I didn’t like the idea of riding with a stranger but really, I didn’t see it as dangerous. I was stronger than humans and I knew without a doubt that I could protect myself. “Hitchhiking it is Kali.” I said.

I walked for a good long while until I reached the main road finally. I continued to walk. Eventually a truck was speeding down the road. I stopped and put my thumb out. I thought it wouldn’t stop but it began to slow, and I ran to catch up as it eventually stopped. The trucker rolled down the window. “Where you wanting to go kid?” The man asked. “The city. You headed that way?”

“Yeah actually, that is where my load off is. Why don’t you come around and climb in.” I nodded and hurried, climbing into the cab of the truck. The guy was middle aged. Kali said in my head. “This cab smells like shit.” I had to agree with her. The cab of the semi was gross not to mention it stunk. There was trash all over the place. I pulled out my phone. I needed to tell Eric that I would be back later, that I didn’t need Noel to protect me and that I was ditching school.

I didn’t know if he was still sleeping, I assumed so since I had not received a text from him or Noel asking about where I was. Still, I sent him a message. I sat their quietly texting Juliet telling her I wouldn’t be at school. And then sent one to Polly saying I wouldn’t be at practice since I was going to be absent today. I wondered if Polly blamed me for Friday. I doubted it. She had been totally shitfaced, and I doubted her, or the other cheerleaders would even remember it had all been my idea.

Not to mention I was also really drunk. They would all think it was just a drunken antic that had gone array. I shrugged. “She deserved it though, her stupid face looking at your mate.” Kali told me. I smiled at her words. I agreed. I responded to my wolf in my head. “Yeah, but knowing her by the end of today no one would be laughing at her. Her little throw up incident and the embarrassment would only last until the end of today’s school.” Kali grumbled at the notion.

“So, what is a little pretty thing like you doing on the side of the highway so early in the morning?” The truck driver asked. I turned to look at him. His scraggly beard looked greasy. His hat was much too big for his head. “I wanted to get to the city, you know I plan on buying my first car.” Kali said to me. “Why even bother talking to that fucking mess.” She had a point, but he was driving us to the city, so I figured I would just be polite. “First car that is big? Plan on running away?” He asked in a gruff voice.

“No, I just want a car, maybe then I wouldn’t have to get into strangers' trucks to get around.” I said adding a little sass. I didn’t like the way he insinuated that I was a runaway. I just needed to do something besides school today. Get my mind away from Kali and her recent string of kills. I just needed a day to myself that I could enjoy alone. The man made a disturbing chuckle. “Nah don’t be like that kid.”

I rolled my eyes looking out of the window. “You know I am the one doing you a favor.” He said. Kali growled. “Look if you don’t want to take me then pull over and I can find someone else who wants too.” He didn’t respond at first. “You are a little feisty aren’t you. That is a good thing for a young girl like you. By the way how old are you anyways? I might feel bad if I knew I was driving around a minor.” I doubted this guy cared what my age was. If he had he wouldn’t have offered me a ride.

“Look I am old enough to do as I want maybe it would be best if we remained silent.” He didn’t respond and I was thankful. I had no desire to befriend someone who trashed the place that provided him income. I didn’t like that he obviously never cleaned himself. It was just nasty. We finally were getting close to the city, and I was thankful. It wouldn’t be long until I could get out of this sweat box.

“Did I tell you I like feisty girls.” What the fuck was he doing? I asked for silence, and he had done that for at least a while, but now he was speaking again. I ignored him. I was in no mood to converse with him. “Now that is just rude not responding to your elders. What didn’t have a daddy to teach you how to act right.” My face pinched; I knew Kali was on the verge of telling me to lash out. But I didn’t need it.

I turned my whole body using my hand to point at him. “No one will say a word against my father, got it?” He gripped his steering wheel tighter. Suddenly he was pulling over to the side of the road. He stopped completely then. His hand grabbing my thigh tightly. “Maybe I should be your daddy and teach you how to treat men who do favors for you.” My eyes squinted. “Get your fucking hand off me. I am leaving.” I said my voice steady and stern.

“Nah little girl, I have put up with this little attitude of yours for a while now and I think it is time you compensated me for my good will.” He squeezed my leg tighter. I moved so fast ripping his hand from me and hitting him hard. I grabbed the handle of the truck, but it was freaking locked. I turned to face him again and somehow, he had gotten hold of a gun and had it pointed at me.

“You are going to regret that little girl; now why don’t you slide over her and sit on your new daddies lap.” I moved fast and it was over even faster. Kali was laughing in my head. She had liked my act of violence against him. I managed to get out of the truck. I would walk the rest of the way into the city. “Great way to start your wonderful day.” Kali said in a sing song voice in my head. I tried to push out her words from my mind. She thought killing was a good start to a day, but I agreed with her. I had made the world a safer better place and for once killing someone didn’t make me upset in the slightest.