"Beep beep! Marley, I'm here!" Marley looked out her bedroom window to see Annie pull up in the promised station wagon with her window rolled down, her blonde hair up in a braid. A pair of sunglasses covered her blue eyes and it appeared she had spilled her coffee on her white tank top that morning in her hurry. "Come on, the meter's running!"

"You're in my driveway, ya' nitwit!"

Mrs. Emerson walked out the front door to greet the visitor, a gardening trowel in her hand. "You comin' down, bitch, or what? Oh! Sorry, Mrs. Emerson, I didn't mean to say that."

Laughing to herself, Marley closed her bedroom window and shut the curtain. There was no need to spruce herself up today, so she settled on jeans and a t-shirt. Hair now in place, purse on shoulder and tickets in purse, she left her face bare of any makeup and went downstairs, dragging a small suitcase behind her. 

"She sure is a loud one," Mr. Emerson stated from his place on the sofa. "Don't need to put a bell on her."

"Goodbye, Dad, I'll be home soon." Marley hugged her father, narrowly avoiding his newspaper. 

"Oh take your time, please. It's about time we got you out of this house."

"Very funny." Annie honked on the horn, Mrs. Emerson stepping back and covered her ears. 

"Sorry, Mrs. Emerson. Marley! Come on, we gotta hit the road!"

"Take care of yourself and have fun. But-" he said holding a finger up. "Not too much fun, alright?"

"I won't do anything you wouldn't do," Marley promised. Her mother stood on the driveway closing her askew bathrobe. 

"Be careful on the road, Anabel," Mrs. Emerson said. "The traffic will get pretty bad on the freeways, especially so close to summer vacation. And don't drive at night, make sure you're completely awake...and, oh! No drinking before or while you drive, okay? No marijuana, no drugs, no boys, no hitchhikers, make sure to follow the map carefully--"

"Don't worry so much, Mrs. E.," Annie said pulling her sunglasses down. "I've made the trip several times by myself, and I only crashed once. Just a small fender bender, that's all."

"We won't be drinking, Mom," Marley said. "At least I won't be."

"Spoilsport," Annie mumbled resting her chin on her fist. Marley stuck her tongue out before hugging her mother. 

"Have fun then. You're sure you have everything you need? Money? Food? Emergency phone numbers? Pepper spray?"

"Tickets?" Annie muttered.

"Tickets. Oh! Will you be needing bus tickets for parking?" Mrs. Emerson asked. 

"She means concert tickets," Marley corrected. "I've got everything in here." She held up her purse in one hand and the suitcase in the other. 

"Stick the luggage in the trunk, and let's go!"

"Alright, Annie, alright!" Marley took it upon herself to open the trunk of the car and place her suitcase next to Annie's, who had so obviously thrown hers inside without a second glance. Shutting the trunk shut, she opened the passenger door and got in. 

Along with a bit of chipping paint on the outside, there appeared to be a few tears in the seats on the inside. The glove box had a few papers sticking out of it and a few bags of peanuts littered the floor. Buckling her seat belt, Marley took a look around. "I know, it's a bit of a message in here," Annie said.

"A bit? Annie, Glenn Miller could be hiding in here!" Annie rolled her eyes.

"I've yet to find him, Marley, and I can't do it now because we have a concert to get to!" Marley let out a small cheer as Annie pressed hard on the horn, scaring Mrs. Emerson again. "Sorry!" she shouted to the waving parents. "Alright, Marley, let's start the best birthday ever!"

Not even thirty minutes on the road and the two young women were stuck in traffic. Numerous horns and obscene words were exchanged among the drivers who were doing quite anything but driving. The only thing keeping Annie from smashing her head against the window was the song playing on the radio, Bohemian Rhapsody.

"This is turning out to be the worst birthday ever," she muttered into her hand. 

"Don't say that, we'll be out of here in no time," Marley said. Annie slowly turned her head to face her friend. 

"Oh, hello, my name is Annie, are you new here to San Francisco?" she asked with a bit of an attitude. "Sorry, I'm just frustrated." Reaching for the radio, she turned the dial to the right, music filling all corners of the car. "Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?"

"Thunderbolt and lightening..."

"Very very frightening me!" A crack of thunder shattered the layer of clouds as rain committed suicide against the cars. With Annie taking her time deciding which button would activate the wipers, Marley opened her purse and rummaged inside for the tickets. They were both still there, just as clean as they were Monday. Along with a few other necessities, Marley had packed along a book, knowing it was a perfect way to spend stagnant time. She was quite fond of the classics and had begun her own proud collection at home. If school was at fault for anything, it was keeping her away from her beloved reading hobby. "There," Annie said pressing the wipers. "Let's hope we don't crash, the roads are pretty slippery!"

The car in front of her moved a foot forward, Annie following suit. Marley laughed to herself as Annie's eye began to twitch.

"Can we pull over yet?" Marley yawned from her seat, her eyes barely trying to stay open anymore. The station wagon's headlights guided the way for them down the freeway, traveling at a content and steady pace. Annie, having made a quick stop at a coffee shop, had her eyes wide open watching all activity on the road. 

"Take a nap if you're tired," Annie said, surrounded by white Styrofoam cups. One had yet to be emptied, the coffee rippling inside with every foot the car moved. "I can go all night."

Opening one eye if only to give Annie a smirk, Marley closed it again and mumbled. "I don't think you should. If we pass the only motel in this town and you get tired, you'll just fall asleep while you're driving and crash the car. Not to mention piss all over the front seats. Pull over."

"Fine, fine. Where do you suggest we stay?" Annie searched the incoming signs for motel advertisements when Marley saw one for a Stop and Stay a mile up the road. "Do you have money for it?"

Rather than answer Marley just patted her purse sitting on her lap, her book tucked safely inside. 

"Alright, one night of sleep coming right up," Annie said grabbing her coffee cup and downing it in one go. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she let it fall to the floor among the others and hiccuped.

The motel was a small one, the name Stop and Stay a bit of an exaggerated welcome. The parking lot was empty save for an employee's van. Parking quite a distance from the van, Annie opened her car door, looking at the sleeping pile next to her. "Are you coming, or what?"

Marley waved her off and turned to her other side, facing the window. Scoffing, Annie closed the door and made her way to book a room for the night, but not before grabbing Marley's purse for the money. Feeling oddly alone and vulnerable without her purse, Marley opened her eyes.

The motel was surrounded by bushes and a small patch of trees by a mailbox and dumpster. Something twittered among the leaves refusing to show its face. The rain, having stopped hours ago, permitted the sky holes in the clouds to glimpse through, a fair bit of stars twinkling. But the wet had been replaced by wind, and Marley wished she had her purse where she might find a headband to keep her hair from flying around. Sleep wasn't going to find her hunched over in a station wagon surrounded with white cups stained with coffee, so she gave up trying. 

Unable to help herself, Marley removed her seat belt and bent over to pick the cups up, as well as the empty peanut bags. A bit of coffee had also stained the floor of the car, knowing Annie's brother would never forgive her. Glad it wouldn't be her getting yelled at, she opened her door and walked to the dumpster, relying on the outdoor lights hanging from the motel to guide her. A few slurs were scratched on the metal and she grimaced. As much of a sailor she was herself, she never allowed words like these to leave her lips. Wiping her hands on her pants she headed back to the car only to see Annie returning from the opposite direction, holding up a pair of yellow keys. "Can you believe it? They only had twenty six rooms left!"

"Oh, thank God!" Marley yelled back clutching her heart. "I was afraid we'd have to loiter in the dumpster!" 

"I was able to book us two rooms for less than one, so take your key." Annie tossed one to Marley who almost missed it. She tossed her the purse as well, Marley taking great care to catch it. Everything seemed undisturbed and she slung it over her shoulder. Annie sat back down in the driver's seat and looked around. "Did you seriously clean up in here?"

"You left it a pigsty! What was I supposed to do?"

"Let my brother clean it up, that's what I always do." She closed the door and opened the trunk, hauling her suitcase out. "Get your stuff, ya' neat freak."

"Don't mind if I do, piggy," Marley replied. Annie began snorting to which Marley responded the same. Whatever was twittering in the bushes must have run away from the two women. 

Inside the motel rooms was hardly better than the outside. But there were beds and a bathroom each, and it was more than they could ask for. Annie practically skipped to her room, jumping up and down as she unlocked the door. Either the caffeine was racing through her bloodstream, or she really has to use the loo. Marley didn't hang around to find out which it was and instead unlocked the door to her room, and flopped down on the bed. She went to change into some pajamas, but decided to take a quick shower first and decide what was most comfortable. After checking for the tenth time that night that her tickets were still in her purse, that her book had no bent pages, and that no more money than was necessary had been taken, she relaxed and grabbed a towel. 

Day one and done.