5. What would it take to keep you here and my arms bleeding?

After I ate, I took out my mp3 and listened to my music. I was kinda getting tired of those songs. They were too mellow. I wanted something with energy. The Ipod needed to be charged soon too. I wondered when I'd get a chance to plug it into my laptop. I'd have to plug my laptop into an outlet though. Who knew how much battery time was left on it. I selected Shadow by Ashlee Simpson. Why I even bothered listening to her was a mystery. Somebody bought me her cd a long time ago, but I still didn't really like her. I didn't have anything better to listen to at the moment, so I stayed on that track.


I looked around the vehicle to see what everybody else was doing. Cameron was talking on the phone (no surprise), Derek was playing a game on his Ipod touch or something, Jade was sketching Payton's profile, and Payton was just listening to the radio while keeping an eye on the road. Honestly, didn't the guy ever do anything else? I don't think he had done anything else during the trip except listen to the radio and drive. He didn't talk much either, except a word here and there.


Cameron finished her phone call and looked around. I had a feeling she was going to start talking to me because I was the only one person in the car not doing something with their mind. I was right.


“So Jamie, whatcha listening to?” she asked.


I cringed, oh well, at least I'd be saving some battery life on my Ipod.


“Shadow,” I responded. “I don't really like it that much, but I'm sick of all my other music."


“Is that the one by Ashlee Simpson?” she said. “I love that one!”


She would, I thought “Yeah that's the one” I said aloud.


After talking for an hour about who knows what, my brain was starting to hurt. I needed an excuse to stop talking. Thank God, Derek jumped in the conversation. I think he's one of those people who likes to hear themselves talk. Why he didn't he jump in earlier?!? His game must've been pretty intense.


I looked out the window. We were driving through the Rockies. We've come quite a ways from our peaceful and extremely boring town of Bowie, in Virginia. It's already been three days since we left. I wondered what my family was doing and how they reacted to the note I left them. I hoped they didn't call the cops or anything. But seriously, I was 18 and a legal citizen. It's not like I was a 12 year old , running away on a whim. I was trying to establish independence, and I knew I would never be able to do that back home with everyone breathing down my back. They would've probably ended up making a decision for me that I would regret for a lifetime. I would rather regret a choice I made, then a choice someone else made for me. If I didn't leave then, I don't think I ever would've gotten the chance/courage to do it again.


We probably would've gotten there already if the car hadn't had problems yesterday. We spent like 5 hours at a garage waiting for it to get fixed. I think I got sunburned on my forehead. Ugh, that's going to start peeling within the next couple of days. I never tanned easily. I had pale skin and freckles to go with it. Maybe I'd get really tan in California, and dye my hair a lighter shade of blonde. Then I'd fit in perfectly with all the California blondes. Eh, I didn't like being a blonde though. Everybody always assumes you are stupid or something. Which I'm not. Maybe I'll dye my hair darker...


Oh what I wouldn't give for a nice hot shower...