Hitchin’ a Ride

Over the years, Noiz and Alex’s friendship was in a state of flux. The women hadn’t talked to each other over the last year. Noiz didn’t tell Alex when she came or left London. When they did meet up, people around them could feel the frost behind them. What happened between them? The women themselves didn’t know the answer.

“You really should make up already,” Serena told her sister. Alex gave her a strange look.

“Why?” she asked.

“What caused you to fall out in the first place?” the younger woman asked.

“We didn’t fall out.”

“Then… what happened?”

Alex sighed and shook her head. “I don’t know and I don’t care.” Serena sighed and shook her head.

“This is utter rubbish,” she said. “I am inviting Noiz to our garden party this weekend!” Alex snorted.

“Why would you do that?” she asked.

“Well, she’s our friend,” Serena said. “And you two need to fix your relationship and talk.” She held up her hand as her sister tried to argue with her. “I will not hear another word from you. You will talk to Noiz and you will make up with her. And that’s final!” Alex glared at her sister as she walked away.

“Bollocks to that!” she snapped.

“What was that?” Serena asked from the hall.

“Nothing!” Alex lied. She rolled her eyes.

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-Saturday Evening-

Serena’s plan didn’t go off to a great start. At first, Noiz didn’t want to come at all.

“I’m sorry, I’m busy,” said.

“Doing what?” Serena asked.

“Work,” the kitty said.

“What kind of work?”

“Just work.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Uh… Why do you care?”

“Just come out with us this evening. You can at least come and check it out. Please?”

Noiz narrowed her eyes. “You’re not going to give up on this, are you?”

“Nope.”

The kitty sighed. “Fine. I will come there.”

“Thank you!”

“Whatever.” Noiz hung up and groaned. “Doesn’t she know that I don’t like these types of parties?” She stared at her computer screen and frowned.

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The evening garden party felt awkward. Not a single person said a single work over their tea. Noiz and Alex stayed on opposite ends of the garden. They would glare at each other and look away. The group of out college friends wished for a way to break up the tension. Serena clapped her hands together.

“Well, who wants cake?” she asked. No one even looked up.

“Okay then…” the host said. Noiz pressed her hand to her forehead as she sighed.

“Why am I even here?” she asked.

“I could ask the same thing,” Alex said. The kitty raised his eyebrow.

“What is that supposed to mean?” she asked. Her frosty friend rolled her eyes.

“I don’t want to be here either,” Alex said. “Got a problem with that?”

“Not at all,” Noiz said.

“Okay!” Serena cut in. “That’s enough! Let me go get the cake!” She dragged back to the car. When she came back twenty-five minutes, Serena looked around. Only the boys sat around at the wicker tables.

“Hm?” she asked. “Where did Alex and Noiz go?”

“They left,” Ben said.

“What?” Serena asked.

“They got fed up with each other and stormed off,” Geoffrey said. “They started shouting at each other too.”

“Why didn’t you stop them?!” Serena yelled. The men all shrugged.

“I didn’t want to get mixed up in that rubbish,” Noel said. Alex’s younger sister groaned.

“Bollocks,” she mumbled. “Now what?”

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“Why are you following me?” Noiz asked as she walked down the dirt road in the dark.

“I could ask you the same thing, cow,” Alex clapped back.

“The cars are back the other way, you know?” the kitty said.

“I know that! So why are you going this way?”

“I felt like it! And why are you going this way?”

“I felt like it!”

Both women snorted. This didn’t used to be them. They had a strong bond before she moved to Japan. Everything was still fine when were overseas. Even when life happened, Noiz did try to keep in touch with Alex. She still couldn’t figure out what happened.

“Oi!” Noiz shouted.

“What?” her frosty friend asked.

“Do you have your mobile on you?” she asked. Alex stopped and gave her an odd look.

“What?” she asked.

“Do you have your phone on you?” Noiz asked. She turned around with a stunned look on her face. “You’re kidding, right?” Alex chuckled as she rubbed the back of her head.

“I left my mobile charging in the car,” she said. Noiz smacked herself in the forehead.

“Damn it!” she said. “Hang on.” The kitty reached into her purse and dug around for a couple of minutes. She pulled out her phone, but frowned when she saw the screen.

“I don’t have reception out here,” she said. Alex slapped herself on the sides of her thighs.

“Great!” she said. “Bloody fantastic!”

“Well, at least I have my phone on me!” Noiz said. I sighed and threw back her head. “Never mind that, where exactly we?”

“I don’t know,” her friend said.

“Well, how far are we from London?”

“I don’t know.”

Noiz threw back her head and groaned. “Crap! It’s too dark to go back to party either. They probably left looking for us.” She looked over Alex. “Now what?”

“What else?” her frosty friend asked. The blonde-haired woman turned to the road and stuck out her thumb. Noiz’s eyes widened.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Hitch hiking,” Alex answered.

“Are you sure this is okay?”

“Do you have any better ideas?” Alex looked down the ground and stood on her tip-toes. Noiz shrugged and stuck out her thumb. Please let someone sane and nice stop for us. She turned on the flashlight feature on her phone and held it up.

“Gah! Get that light out of my eyes!” Alex shouted. Noiz drew back her phone a little bit.

“Sorry,” she said. After about twenty minutes, the women say a pair of headlights coming towards them. Alex and Noiz started jumping up and down, flagging them down. A giant truck pulled up to a stop. The lorry driver poked his head out the window.

“Need a ride?” he asked.

“Yes!” Alex and Noiz said together.

“Hop on!” the round-faced driver said. The women quickly climbed into the truck. Noiz’s nose curled at the smell of oil and fast food grease inside. Alex scooped over for more space.

“Where are you headed?” the driver asked.

“London,” Noiz spoke up.

“Alright,” he said. The man drove down the road. The three of them rode in silence. Noiz decided to call Serena as soon as reached the city. She and Alex looked at each other before looking out the wind shield.

“Did you two have a fight?” the driver asked.

“No!” Noiz and Alex lied in cold tones. The round-faced man frowned and nervously laughed.

“Okay then…” he mumbled. The silent drive felt that much longer.

Bury the Hatch or Us on the Road