[now playing... sunny day by beabadoobee]

[camera clicks on. It focuses on CALLEN's dark green SUV, with CALLEN in the front seat, window rolled down so you can see him turn the key. The SUV shudders, then turns over, starting.]

CASS: [imitation of Victor Frankenstein after his creature is brought to life] It's alive!

CALLEN: Pile in, then.

RANDI: [Opening the car door] Hey, that rhymes!

[camera clicks off.]

[camera clicks on, showing CASS once again in the passenger's seat. The way they sit on the leather seats of the car with obvious discomfort on their face shows that the sun was probably shining on their seat for a little too long. The noontime light is bright, clear, and relentlessly hot. THe camera bounces slightly as the car zips down the likely crack-ridden highway.]

[CASS begins to plug in their phone, but BILLY, sandwiched between FAYE and MAVERICK in the backseat, intercepts, holding out their hand for the plug, to which CASS pauses. Their lips tighten, and their eyes flick to CALLEN's face, turned toward the road, then back to BILLY's outstretched hand. They shrug, setting the plug in BILLY's hand, who happily plugs it into their phone. Highway to Hell by AC/DC begins playing]

RANDI: [looking up from a top they are crocheting. Long strings of colorful yarn are draped around their shoulders, seemingly to keep them all in one place.] I didn't know you liked AC/DC, Cass.

CASS: I don't. [Before BILLY, with an offended look, can respond] Well, I do, but I don't really listen to them. Billy's on aux right now.

MAVERICK: Can I go next?

CASS: Sure—

BILLY: Hey, I get at least two songs!

FAYE: Can I go after Mav? We need some Taylor in here.

CASS: Okay, everyone gets two songs, so Billy, you get one more, then Faye, then—

MAVERICK: [quietly] I go after Billy.

CASS: Okay, Billy, then Mav, then Faye—

CALLEN: Then me. But I get to play three songs. If we're not already there by then. If we get there before I play my songs then I get another one when we start again in the morning.

BILLY: Surely that's not fair, mate.

CASS: Let's just... see how it turns out. How close are we, Cal?

CALLEN: Thirty minutes.

CASS: Already? It seems like we just started.

CALLEN: We did. Ojai is super close. I can't believe you haven't tried to convince me to drive with you over here before.

CASS: [wistfully] If only I'd thought of it.

[camera clicks off]

⋆✮⋆

[camera clicks on. Through the front windshield, small shops framing a small town main street can be seen. There are only a few people milling about; they stare at the SUV as it passes by. The heat of the sun, centered above the street, can almost be felt through the camera. camera clicks off as CALLEN's car pulls into a hotel parking lot.]

⋆✮⋆

[camera clicks on.]

CASS: [showing a orangey pink-and-beige hotel room with two queen sized beds pressed against the far wall and a wide bunk bed in the corner with a large window to the right and a door to what may be a bathroom to the left] Here's our room!

RANDI: [plopping a forest green duffle bag onto the nearest bed, next to a black duffle bag already on the bed] I CALL SLEEPING WITH CASS! Wait, that sounds wrong. [pausing a moment, then shrugging their shoulders] You know what, I don't care. [CASS's chuckling is heard in the background.]

FAYE: [arm linked with LILLI] Me and Lilli call the other queen bed! [At FAYE's direction, CALLEN puts her suitcase at the foot of her bed, then takes his own and puts it on the bottom bunk of the corner bunk bed.

BILLY: [throwing their duffle on the top bunk] I call top!

MAVERICK: I guess I'll share with Callen, then.

CASS: Then it's all settled! Let's close up and then we'll explore.

[camera clicks off]

author's note⋆

hello!! sorry this is a week late, and is super short. i was kindaaa busy last week with hoco and stuff, so i apologize, and the next chapter will hopefully be longer (and a bit more entertaining). this was more like a filler chapter than anything :)

ANYWAY THERE. WAS. ONLY. ONE. (bunk). BED.

just remember ily and thank you for reading this and supporting me <3