Lovely to sit between comfort and chaos
The truck rattled down the uneven road, its tired engine grumbling louder than the voices inside. Julianna sat sandwiched between Natalie and the window in the backseat, with Lottie next to Natalie, her head leaning against the cold window. Jeff was in the passenger seat, his arms crossed as he occasionally glanced at the driver.
"Should Misty really be driving?" Shauna asked from her spot squished in the middle of the truck's cab, her brow furrowed. "She's... Misty."
"Excuse me," Misty spoke, her voice unnervingly cheerful as she adjusted the rearview mirror. "I've read at least three books on defensive driving. I know what I'm doing."
"Three books?" Natalie raised an eyebrow, shifting slightly to keep her knee from brushing Julianna's. "That's your qualification?"
"Not to brag," Misty said, gripping the wheel tighter, "but I also practiced on my Uncle Carl's riding mower. So, basically, I've got this."
Julianna let out a quiet laugh, more out of disbelief, or fear, than amusement. "Driving a riding mower isn't exactly the same as driving a truck."
"I'm offended by your lack of faith," Misty replied, her tone so saccharine it was impossible to tell if she was joking or not.
Jeff sighed, running a hand down his face. "Just... keep it on the road, Misty. That's all I ask."
Misty huffed. "Relax. I'm the picture of responsibility right now."
As if to emphasize her point, she hit the brakes too hard, causing everyone to lurch forward slightly as the truck bounced over a pothole.
"Responsibility," Shauna muttered under her breath, straightening herself in her seat.
"Okay, but why are we letting Misty drive?" Jackie chimed in from the back of the truck's bed, her voice loud enough to be heard through the open sliding window. "There are other options. Like, anyone else."
"Hey!" Misty snapped, twisting in her seat to glare at Jackie.
"Misty! Watch the road!" Jeff barked, grabbing the dashboard as the truck swerved slightly.
Misty quickly straightened the wheel, muttering something about ungrateful passengers.
Julianna exchanged a glance with Natalie, who had her arms crossed and a faint smirk on her lips. "This feels like a death wish," Natalie said quietly.
"At least it's an entertaining one," Julianna replied, her voice dry.
They hit another bump, and Lottie let out a startled sound, clutching the edge of her seat. "Maybe we should all just, focus on where we're going."
"Yeah, that's a good point," Shauna added. "Where are we going?"
Jeff turned slightly in his seat, glancing at the map spread out on his lap. "We're aiming for Kansas City. So we stick to the main highways, but we've gotta avoid any areas that are too densely populated."
"Great plan," Natalie said, her tone flat. "Except this truck's running on fumes, and we haven't exactly had a lot of luck finding gas."
"Don't worry," Misty spoke, her grin unnervingly wide. "I've been keeping an eye out for gas stations."
"Yeah, because those are definitely still functional," Natalie muttered under her breath, earning a quiet chuckle from Javi.
The truck hit another pothole, and Jackie's voice rang out from the back. "Misty! You're gonna kill us before the infected even get a chance!"
"If you think you can do better, be my guest!" Misty shot back.
From the front seat, Jeff groaned loudly. "Can we just focus for, like, five minutes?"
"No promises," Misty sang, gripping the wheel like it was her sworn duty to test everyone's patience.
The truck jolted again, another poorly navigated pothole rattling the frame and causing a collective groan from everyone inside. Misty, unfazed, kept her peaceful smile plastered across her face, her hands gripping the wheel like she was the star of her own road trip movie. Light was casting golden rays across the empty highway, but none of the passengers seemed to be enjoying the view, not with Misty Quigley at the helm.
"So, Julianna," Misty began, craning her neck slightly to glance back at the others in the backseat. "When you were at that base, did you see how disorganized their medical supplies were? That can say a lot about a person. Like, who even—"
"Misty, eyes on the road!" Jeff snapped, pointing at the windshield.
"Oh, relax, Jeff. I'm multitasking," Misty replied brightly, gesturing with one hand before gripping the wheel again. "Anyway, Julianna, I was thinking,"
"Misty," Julianna said, her voice calm but firm. "You should really—"
The words froze in her throat as the faint shuffle of movement caught her eye. From the overgrown brush on the shoulder of the highway, three figures stumbled into view. At first glance, they looked like regular people, until the unnatural twitch of their heads and the guttural growls echoed through the air. Runners.
"Oh, my God!" Shauna yelped from the front seat.
"Misty, watch out!" Natalie shouted, sitting upright so fast she nearly knocked into Julianna.
Misty let out a high-pitched scream, slamming on the brakes so hard that everyone was thrown forward. The tires screeched against the pavement as she swerved wildly, narrowly avoiding the first runner.
"Hold on!" Misty shrieked, jerking the wheel again as another infected lunged at the truck.
The sharp swerve threw Julianna sideways, her shoulder slamming into Natalie's as the truck veered dangerously close to the edge of the road. Before she could even react, Natalie's arm shot out instinctively, gripping Julianna around her shoulders and pulling her towards her. The movement was firm, and impossibly steady compared to the mess around them.
Julianna froze for a split second, her mind going blank as she registered the warmth of Natalie's hold, the tightness of her arm against her. It was comforting in a way she hadn't expected, like a single thread pulling her back to reality amid the circumstances.
The truck lurched back onto the center of the road as Misty corrected her swerve, her knuckles white on the wheel. "I handled it!" she declared triumphantly, as though she hadn't almost killed them all.
"You handled nothing, Misty!" Jeff shouted, spinning around in his seat to glare at her. "You almost ran us into a ditch!"
"Is everyone okay?" Lottie asked from her spot in the middle row, her voice shaky but calm.
Julianna shifted slightly, her shoulder brushing against Natalie's as she glanced up at her. Natalie's eyes were locked on her, concern etched into her furrowed brow. Her hand was still on Julianna, her grip loosening slightly but not fully letting go.
"I'm fine," Julianna said softly, her voice a little breathless.
Natalie blinked, her features softening as she pulled her hand back. "Good," she muttered, leaning away as though the closeness had only just registered for her too. She busied herself adjusting her jacket, her expression unreadable.
"Well, I'm not fine," Jackie grumbled, pressing a hand to her chest as though trying to calm her racing heart. "Misty, you're done driving. Effective immediately."
"What? Why?" Misty protested, her voice a mix of hurt and indignation.
"Because you nearly ran us off the road!" Jeff snapped.
"And you weren't even looking forward when you almost hit them," Shauna added from the back of the truck bed. "You're a menace."
"I was just trying to have a conversation." Misty crossed her arms as the truck slowed to a more reasonable pace.
"Misty, no offense," Julianna said, her tone measured as she glanced toward the front, "but maybe driving isn't... your thing."
Misty gasped as though Julianna had just stabbed her in the heart. "Not my thing? I'm an excellent driver, you saw how I dodged those runners, didn't you?"
"Barely," Natalie muttered under her breath, earning a quiet laugh from Julianna.
Jeff groaned, rubbing his temples. "Okay, new rule: Misty is permanently banned from driving. Agreed?"
A chorus of "agreed" echoed through the truck.
"Fine," Misty groaned, her lips pursed as she pulled over to the side of the road. "But when you guys miss my impeccable skills, don't come crying to me."
"Impeccable," Shauna repeated under her breath, shaking her head as she climbed out of the truck to stretch.
As they swapped drivers, Jeff reluctantly taking the wheel, Julianna glanced over at Natalie. She was leaning against the truck, her arms crossed and her gaze fixed on the highway.
"Thanks," Julianna said quietly, drawing Natalie's attention.
Natalie shrugged, her expression softening as she met Julianna's eyes. "Don't mention it."
For a moment, they just stood there, the faint hum of the truck's engine filling the silence. Then Jeff honked the horn, breaking whatever fragile moment lingered between them.
"Let's go before Misty gets any ideas about taking over again," he called out.
Julianna climbed back into the truck, Natalie following close behind. As they settled back into their seats, the tension began to lift, replaced by the faint hum of conversation and the occasional teasing jab at Misty.