53| A Long Road To Go

"The food in our cafeteria sucks. My mother will castrate these cooks if she ever eat their spaghetti." Mario said as he took a large bite.

"At least, they have spaghetti in the menu today. Yesterday, it was chicken soup that tasted like pee." Maya contorted her face at the memory.

They both turned to look at Travis who was silently finishing his plate. "Don't be so dramatic. It tastes okay." He said.

"The italian in me is ashamed to have you as my friend." Mario said and take another bite despite his stomach protesting. After he had finished his plate, Mario left for his next class, leaving Travis and Maya behind.

Travis was about to leave too when he heard clicks of heels coming towards their table. He turned his head to the source of the voice and found Zoey slowly making her way towards them.

"Can I sit here?" She asked. Maya nodded and she sat down at Mario's spot. "So my birthday is coming up and I am taking all my friends to my grandfather's lake house. It's a four-hour drive; we will reach there on Friday and will stay there for the whole weekend." She said, looking at Travis who looked disinterested.

"Good for you." He replied.

Rolling her eyes, Zoey continued, "I want to invite you both as well. I mean, I don't know about you but I do consider you guys my friends."

Travis exchanged a glance with Maya, not knowing what to say.

"Zoey, to be honest, I don't think your friends will appreciate our presence there." Maya replied and Travis nodded in yes.

"Don't worry about that. Zachary will love to have you there. Ethan and Olive won't mind at all and..."

"And Althea?" Travis pointed out.

"Forget about her. It's my birthday and I will be very glad if you both come." Zoey said, once again focussing her eyes on Travis instead of Maya.

"We will think about it." Maya said.

"Okay." Zoey smiled. "We will be leaving at exactly 3pm on Friday. Whatever you decide, do let me know beforehand."

"Sure." Maya said.

"And you? Will you come?" She asked Travis with her big brown eyes filled with hope.

"I... I'll think about it. I can't say anything for sure." Travis replied and Zoey nodded.

••••••••••

It was Friday evening. Zoey was pacing to and fro in front of her mansion, waiting for Maya and Travis to arrive. All the luggage was ready, both cars were set and Rose was piling up the cars with the food items she had cooked.

"That's enough Rose. We aren't going to eat that much." Zoey said as Rose brought another bowl of pasta from inside.

"You won't have someone to cook there, Miss. Zoey." Rose said.

"We will manage. Don't worry." Zoey said and once again looked at the door.

"I still don't know why you invited those two." Althea's whiny voice came from the lawn and Zoey's noticed the changing look on Rose's face.

"Because they are my friends too." Zoey passed her an angry glance.

"We don't even know them." Althea replied.

"I know them." Zachary intervened.

"They are here." Olive said and Zoey's mood instantly got better on seeing him. Travis had his backpack slung around his torso, a white T-shirt hugging him tight and his hair falling over his forehead. He looked like he was trying too hard to act confident but the introvert in him was struggling in doing so.

"Finally." Zoey said and then announced in a loud voice, "So we are taking two cars; Ethan's and Zachary's. Cindy, Althea and Olive will be going in Ethan's car and Maya, Travis and I will be going in Zachary's car. Gear up guys. We have to reach the lake house before midnight."

Saying this, all 8 of them divided into two cars. Zoey let Maya sit in the front and slid in the passenger seat with Travis. The car started and soon, they were off to their destination.

During the first ten minutes of the drive, none of them said anything. Maya immediately felt asleep few minutes into the drive while Zachary's whole attention was focused on the road. Zoey observed each one of them and then finally broke the silence, "You know you can speak or are you planning on taking a vow of silence for the whole weekend?" She whispered to Travis.

"What do you want me to say?" He asked.

"Anything you want." She replied.

"I like to stay silent and enjoy the nature during a roadtrip." Travis said.

"Of course you do, Mr. Boring Ass. I am going to follow Maya's legacy and sleep. Wake me up once we reach there." Zoey said and closed her eyes.

Travis nodded his head and stared out of the window. They were slowly heading out of the city into the surrounding woods. He has always enjoyed watching the sceneries pass by, it is like a therapy a him. He rested his head against the seat and let the wind heal his soul.

After some time, he started hearing some snores. Turning his head, he looked at Zoey whose mouth was parted and her head was uncomfortably resting on the seat.

"Girls, huh. Watch them waste the whole drive in sleeping." Zachary said.

"Hmm." Travis nodded. "Maya is a really heavy sleeper."

"So is Zoey." Zachary added. "Beware of these soft snores. In few minutes, they will be loud enough to wake up an elephant."

"Yeah, I know." Travis said and soon realized what he just said. "Um... I mean... We..."

"It's okay. I know about your one night stand." Zachary said, looking at him through the mirror.

"One night stand? Is that what she likes to call that?" Travis let out a dry chuckle and leaned back once again in his seat.

"Go easy on her. She acts tough but she has a very fragile heart." He heard Zachary say.

"You are mistaken. She is the heartbreaker one." Travis said.

"She is. But the heartbreakers are the ones who takes heartbreaks the hardest." Zachary said.

Travis was about to reply when Zoey leaned against him in her sleep. The scent of her flowery shampoo filled his nostrils and he inhaled deeper.

"Zoey!" He tried to wake her up but instead, she snuggled deeper into him. Giving up, he inclined back in his seat and let her rest herself against him. Once again, he began staring out of the window, ignoring the warm feel in his chest because of her closeness.

•••••••••••

In Ethan's car, Olive and Cindy were asleep in the backseat while Althea was sitting on the passenger seat with Ethan. The whole drive, she remained silent and only responded to Ethan when he asked any question.

"So I gather, you aren't happy with Cindy's presence." Ethan said.

"Do I have to?" Althea asked.

"You don't have to, but you can at least try to act like you don't hate her." Ethan said.

"I don't hate her. I just don't like her either." Althea replied.

"Why? Because she is my girlfriend?" Ethan asked.

"Get off the high horse. You aren't that important." Althea dismissed.

"Then why do you hate her?" He asked.

"Because she is stupid enough to fall for you." Althea turned her head towards him.

Ethan chuckled at this and said, "And you? Are you stupid enough to fall for me?"

"In your dreams, Ethan Hickory O'Connell." Althea smirked back. "Besides, you are the least of my tensions these days. I have bigger things to worry about. My brother is going crazy after that Maya and apparently, my best friend likes the Walmart guy."

"So what? Let them enjoy." Ethan replied.

"Enjoy? God Ethan, do you really not realize? Everybody is making stupid decisions and if I don't intervene---"

"You need to learn how to stop being a control freak, princess." Ethan muttered.

"Princess? Don't tell me the nickname is back." Althea rolled her eyes.

"Don't tell me you didn't miss me calling you princess." Ethan smirked.

"Yeah, right. Go call your own girlfriend these names." Althea said.

"But you are the one who acts like a princess, not her. Cindy is really sweet and humble." Ethan said, only to see her reaction.

"Aww. Sweet, little Cindy, ruining other people's trips." Althea huffed and turned her face once again to the window.

"My eyes might be closed but I can still hear you." Cindy's voice came from behind.

"As you should." Althea replied and Ethan sucked a sharp breath. This was going to be one long weekend for him.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Do you think it's time Althea finds out the truth behind Cindy and Ethan's relationship?