Wal-Mart
"Last night we received several noise complaints, Mr. Vantas. If this continues we will have to ask you to leave." The old woman behind the desk scolded him.
"Yes, ma'am." Karkat tried his best not to sound annoyed. "Now would you possibly know how all sixteen of us can get a ride to Wal-Mart?"
"All sixteen?" The woman, named Miss Marcie, laughed sweetly. "Why, the only way that I would know how is to ride on the back of a flatbed truck through east Ellijay!"
"Not a bad idea." Karkat nodded seriously at her joke. Dave nudged him. "Any way else?"
"I'm not too keen." Miss Marcie shrugged. "More soda pop, Miss Lejion?"
"Yes purrease!" Nepeta cheered.
"No thank you." Equius vetoed. Nepeta hissed at him. Miss Marcie smiled.
In the living room of the Ellijay inn, the sixteen kids sat strewn around, chatting and talking and planning. Jade sat as far as possible from Gamzee and Gamzee as far from Dave as could be. Jade used this to her advantage and sat nearly on top of Dave. Sollux was on his third cup of coffee and was still having trouble keeping his eyes open. Feferi roused him sweetly every now and then, nudging his chin up with her nose or something of the sort. Eridan watched her like a hawk, muttering curses to himself every time she touched him. As for Kanaya and Rose, they sat side by side ready to take on the world together, while Vriska watched seethingly.
Vriska had slept uneasily last night, woken first by the life-or-death rap-off, then by nightmares of being drowned by Rose Lalonde while Kanaya stood by, oblivious to what Rose was doing. This opened Vriska's eyes: she was losing. She was losing to Rose Lalonde, bookworm and professional girl-stealer. She hadn't ever lost to anyone before, even if it meant cheating her way to the top. That mornings now her mind brewed a sickening plot, a disgusting elixir of lovestruck revenge coming to be. A plan to get back at Kanaya. A plot against Rose Lalonde.
Miss Marcie, the caretaker of Ellijay Inn, tended to them all very well. She found these supposed college kids amusing in their speech and their tales, and it lifted her spirits to be around them. She served them all a breakfast of eggs, toast and a side of grapes. Most of the kids ate heartily, their stomach still sick from Feferi's food choices. Miss Marcie had taken a particular liking to Nepeta, the quote unquote little sister if Equius. She found it cute how Nepeta clung to and snuggled Equius and how Equius held back his irritation and simply stroked her hair like a cat's fur.
"You could probably get Mr. Hank and Mr. Steamy to lend you their trucks, for a price." Miss Marcie suggested.
"What kind of price?"
"Well, they need an extra hand down at the Body Shop. Any of y'all good with machines?" And then all eyes rested on Equius. Miss Marcie chuckled. "Well, if you give them a hand for a day, I'm sure they'll let you borrow their trucks."
"Borrow our trucks?" The man folded his arms. "Sorry, kids, but we don't lend out our trucks to just no one. We'd pay you for your work, but we ain't got much to give."
"Miss Marcie sent us." Kanaya said. That caused a complete turnaround in their truck-lending perspectives, apparently.
"Well why didn't you say so, college kids?" Hank laughed heartily. "Hell, we'll let you use 'em without the work! Just bring em back all mighty-fine."
"Oh, thank you thank you thank you!" Terezi shrieked, hugging the mechanic. "I just can't WAIT to go to a Wal-Mart!!"
"Terezi." Dave said so seriously it was practically a growl. He looked up at the man. "She's from North Dakota. They don't even HAVE Wal-marts where she's from." He lied.
"My buddy down at the gas station said he met a blind girl the other day named Terezi." He said.
"Yeah, that too." Dave said. "She's a goddamned prodigy though. She's the only blind person I know who can run, read actual newspapers-"
"Wait, really?"
"Yup!" Terezi nodded. "I can smell the ink formations on the paper. Lead pencil, too."
"Read this here poetry novel, then." Steamy challenged her, handing her a little pamphlet about a beach resort.
"Are you kidding me? This is a pamphlet for Cancun Beach Resort in Mexico." Terezi rolled her eyes.
"Wow." The two men clapped.
"Yeah, y'all kids can borrow our trucks, just don't let miss T drive." And as easy as that they were on the road in two pickup trucks, driven by Equius and Vriska. In Vriska's truck, Kanaya drew the lucky straw meaning that she didn't have to sit in the bed of the girls' truck, but in this case it was worse that unlucky. They drive along in silence. In the back, Nepeta clung to Jade for dear life as they rode along. Kanaya could hear Rose laughing.
"Kanaya," Vriska said softly. "May I hold your hand?" She was clearly mimicking Rose, but it didn't hit Kanaya.
"Vriska, I don't think that's necessary-"
"Shut up." Vriska hissed, snatching Kanaya's hand tightly and nearly crushing it in hers. There was a long pause.
"What's wrong? Not going to say anything?" Vriska glared at her.
"No." Kanaya said.
"Nothing to say?"
"What are you getting at?" Kanaya inquired.
"Nothing, Kanaya." Vriska snapped, shutting her up. And they rode along in silence, Vriska's grip never loosened.
Meanwhile in the back of the boy's truck:
"W-W-H-O-O L-E-E-E-T E-E-Q-U-I-I-I-U-S D-R-I-I-I-V-E?!" Tavros shouted, his voice bumping up and down as Equius went faster than fast.
"I-I-I-I D-I-I-D A-A-A-S-S-H-O-L-E!!!" Karkat said back.
"Hith foot ith too much on the pedal! It'th not really hith fault." Sollux said easily.
"H-O-W A-A-A-A-R-E Y-O-O-U-"
"Jutht talk quieter and thlower." Sollux said, leaning back. "It'll work."
"Oh, you're right." Karkat said. At that moment they were flung at least five inches off their asses and thumped back down. Equius had just slammed over a speed bump at seventy miles per hour.
"Equius, slow down!" Dave shouted, pounding the window. "That was a speed bump!"
Karkat received a text from Rose.
Wr cclodew!$
WHAT?! (He struggled to type correctly.)
W E ' R E C L O S E. (Rose typed carefully).
GOOD.
"We're close, guys." Karkat reported.
"Closer than close." Tavros said. "We're already there." His finger pointed at a big blue colored building, as big as a warehouse, just a bit below the highway. They all stopped to awe at it- the Wal-Mart staring right back at them.
"Okay everyone, we have shit that we need to buy, so-"
"Everyone go have fun for a little bit! Meet back here in twenty minutes!" Kanaya cut Karkat off, and off went the rest of the party.
"Kanaya!" Karkat shouted. "Stop doing that!"
"I thought I was allowed to." Kanaya said. "I am co leader."
"You're like Vice President. Not 'cut Karkat off because you want to'!"
"Come on, Karkat, have some fun. I think that's also a trial in this adventure." Kanaya have him a friendly wink and ran off to join the rest of the party.
"I will not!" Shouted Karkat stubbornly before he gave up and followed after. "Ugh, fine."
"Dave!" Terezi called. "Come look at this!" Terezi stood with her face and hands pressed against the cold clear freezer's door, marveling at the deliciousness it held inside. What particularly caught her eye was the circular masterpiece in the box staring back at her. It was topped with Oreos and cherries and crushed candy canes and everything she could possibly dream of. She knew what this was- the legendary, the magnificent, the fabled ice cream cake!
"Whoa." Dave said. "You think that's it?"
"I'm positive."
"How much money do you have?"
"A little over forty."
"And how much is that?"
"Twenty five."
"Grab it and let's go."
On the other side of the store Vriska dragged Tavros around to look at bug repellent.
"Ooh, look at that one!" She pointed at a Raid Ant Repellent bottle, it's logo a sickening picture of a lightning bolt striking an ant on its back, the ant writhing in excruciating agony.
"Uhh...." Tavros clutched his stomach. "Do we have to do this? Can't we look at something else?"
"Why would you EVER want to look at ANYTHING ELSE?" Vriska cackled. "This is what friends do, Tavros, and you're my friend, so suck it up and look at the dying cockroaches."
"Vriska, you have a sick idea of what friends do together." Tavros said, forcing back down the vomit climbing up his esophagus.
When Vriska turned to scold him, Tavros was already bolting, his hand covering his mouth. Vriska didn't bother to chase him.
"Friends..." Vriska muttered. "So much for that idea." She left the repellent aisle, her hands in her pockets, and her heart dissolving in her stomach. Vriska hadn't known a friend in her life, save for Kanaya, and Kanaya had betrayed her. Betrayed her! Vriska thought it over and over again, even though it wasn't true, Kanaya was never in a romantic relationship with her. But to Vriska it was, and how could she help but fall in love with sweet, irreplaceable Kanaya? Kanaya, the only one who took pity and gave her a chance, even though she was the biggest bully this world had ever known. Kanaya, the one who made Vriska really feel good about herself, even though she put on a mask of supreme self confidence. Kanaya, the one who held Vriska when she cried, who kept Vriska from losing her head, who saved her from the vicious beasts of the night more than she could count. Vriska had shared more of her soul with Kanaya than with anyone else. She had told her of the nightmares she had at night, of the emptiness and terror she felt inside, of the lies she told every single day. She had revealed her true self to Kanaya- and every time Vriska broke down in Kanaya's bedroom Kanaya would hold her close, and she would whisper the most loving things into her ears.
"Vriska," Kanaya would whisper soothingly. "You are strong. You are brave. You are beautiful. You must keep going. You have come so far."
"But I can't," Vriska would sob.
"Then I'll hold your hand all the way through."
"But everyone hates me, Kanaya," Vriska sobbed.
"It's never too late to change. When you're ready you can apologize for all you did wrong and come clean. I don't hate you, Vriska. You share a very special place in my heart." Kanaya stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. Vriska held her closer.
So who could blame her for falling in love?
And now without a friend left in the world she tried to make a Kanaya out of Tavros, but she knew it was no use. There would never be another one like her in the world. And Vriska was alone. She was all alone in the world.
"Is it true anymore?" Vriska whispered to herself. "That she would really hold your hand all the way through? Is there a point anymore?"
To that, Vriska didn't have the answer.
"Equius, purrease!" Nepeta begged, pointing at a cat toy.
"Nepeta, you don't need it."
"But I want it!"
"No."
"Ugh, you're no fun!" She pouted. "You wouldn't even let me cuddle with you last night."
"Nepeta." Equius laughed. "You wouldn't have wanted to be in there last night. All of our lives were in danger."
"Really?" Nepeta's nose twitched.
"Yes," Equius nodded. "Eridan said some rude things to Gamzee and Gamzee held a knife to his throat. Dave tried to rap with him and made it worse, and at the last minute Jade stepped in to save the day."
"Hurray for Jade!" Nepeta cheered.
As for Jade herself, she, Rose, Kanaya, and Karkat traveled in a pack to marvel at the things they had never seen before. Such things included beanbag chairs, children's dolls, and fudgesicles. Jade was vexed at the concept of a fudgesicles. She was too perplexed at the idea of bringing together a chocolatey treat and a stick of flavored ice into one. She couldn't understand it. She was transfixed just thinking about it. Fudge + Popsicle = Fudgesicle? Is it just a play on words? Is it like ice cream on a stick? Or is it really just frozen fudge? Is it cheaply marketed chocolate flavored Popsicles? Or is it really...no, it can't be...AN ACTUAL FUDGESICLE?!
Feferi had stayed as far from the meat aisle as she could, refusing to look at her fish friends dead in a freezer. Eridan was ordered by Karkat to keep a distance from Sollux, and as Sollux wandered about with Feferi by his side, Eridan found himself in quite the predicament. How was he supposed to make sure Feferi wasn't hurt if that asshole followed her everywhere she went? He's incapable of protecting her. No one is as capable as Eridan is! No one loves her like he does!
The thing about Eridan is that all he says is good hearted. He really does just want the best for Feferi, because he really does care for her wholeheartedly, but he really doesn't know how to make use for that. When they were seven Feferi was a shivering little grub with no one to protect her, so Eridan took over for her like a personal trainer. He taught her to be strong, to fend for herself, but by the time they were ten he just became too much for her and she tried to break away, which made Eridan pissed. Feferi and Sollux became good friends, and Feferi told him of the constant harassment Eridan did into her, and so Sollux became like a new Eridan, protecting her from Eridan. He was much better at his job, as he didn't try to control her and he liked her just as much. To Feferi it was a relief. To Eridan it was ridiculous. And so became the rivalry of Eridan and Sollux, two kismesi like no others. Or something. At least, that's how everyone else saw the story.