Page 10 of Shut Up and Drive

I nod and raise a hand in acknowledgment before dipping into the store.

I come out a few minutes later with an armful of drinks and a bag bursting at the seams.

“Seriously?” she asks as I fold myself back into the passenger seat.

“What?”

“Chocolate milk? You’re such a child.”

“Hey. Don’t knock chocolate milk. It’s the best, no matter what age you are. Besides,” I say with a smile, “I gotyourfavorites, too.” I hand her a Cherry Pepsi.

Before she can even contest what I’ve said, I pull out a bag of Cheetos, Sour Skittles, and a Dark Chocolate Milky Way. Her mouth drops open.

“Don’t be so surprised. My memory isn’tthatbad.”

She sniffs and clears her throat before throwing on her sunglasses. Her chin raises, and a proud “Thank you” leaves her lips. I bask in the fact that I got it right and take whatever appreciation she’ll toss my way.

“You’re welcome,” I reply, and crack open my drink.

“Delete those awful pictures right now!”Sera demands from the driver’s seat.

When she diverts her gaze back to the road, I swipe to the next photo and laugh again. Not only did I get to stir her up, but I get to relive that moment in the driveway over and over again.

“I know you don’t believe me, but I’ll makegood on my threat.” She points a finger in my direction and narrows her eyes. “I brought a fresh, new razor.”

“You could shave off every hair I have on my entire body, and I wouldstillnot delete them,” I tease.

“Suit yourself. I will take great pleasure in paying you back when the time comes. You just wait.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” I say, glancing over at the GPS. “Wait, you’re not taking the Ninety-Five through Philadelphia?”

“There’s a storm warning for the coast. I thought we’d take the inland route and avoid any flood zones,” she replies with a shrug.

I groan like a child who didn’t get his way.

“What? It won’t add that much time to the trip, and it’s a safer option.”

“It’s not that.” I shrug.

“What is it, then?”

“If we took the Ninety-Five, we’d be passing through Philly right at lunchtime. I have my heart set on a Philly cheesesteak.”

“You realize Hurricane Dylan is still active, right?” she asks. “I half expected our parents to cancel the trip, considering how close it’ll get to Amethyst Lake.”

“Eh, it got downgraded to a tropical storm this morning. We’ll be fine.”

When she grips the steering wheel tighter, I resort to begging.

“Come on, Fina. I haven’t had a Philly cheesesteak inyears!” I pout my bottom lip and clasp my begging hands. “Please?”

“Maybe you should come home more often, then,” she says under her breath.

She looks over at me. My pathetic face must’ve done the trick, because her shoulders relax and her face softens. With a big, heavy sigh, she concedes.

“Fine, but if you make us super late because of a dumb sandwich, you’ll owe me big time,” she replies, changing lanes to take the Ninety-Five.

I pump my fist in excitement, and my stomach immediately begins to growl. Sera smiles and shakes her head. “I can’t believe how quickly you make me cave. I really need to disappoint you more often.”