*rattling chimes*

 

    The bus’s engine grinded and sputtered until it came to a stop in a motel parking lot. The small team of cross country runners peaked out the windows to see the Daisy’s Motel right outside. It seemed like a good place to stay, but it definitely had the vibe of a drug deal hotspot with the paint peeling off of the old wood and a Motel sign that only lit up to spell ‘Moe’. 

    A boy with brown hair and bright green eyes comically looked at the motel with his fingers formed in a check mark under his chin, “Hmmm… Suspicious.”

    “Are they even open?” A girl, who looked too much like a guy to be considered one, asked. 

    “This is going to be a lot of fun!” the shortest of them all said with a cheery voice. “I hope they have showers.”

    “Bold of you to assume they’d actually work,” A rather tall girl with black hair and dark blue eyes said deadpaning at the rundown motel.

    “Don’t be so pessimistic Pluto, at least we aren’t stuck in the middle of the highway!” A preppy boy with shining blue eyes and light brown hair.

    “I know! You think I can meet someone from a far away land to fall in love with?” A boy asked with fluffy dark brown hair and vintage tortoise prep glasses gently placed on his nose.

    “McLovin'”, is dating all that you think about?” A rugged girl accused, starring the boy down.

    McLovin' placed their heartshaped face in both of their hands in a day dreamy way, “Don’t you ever think of how romantic your day could be with first loves kiss or a romantic long distance relationship with a person from foriegn lands?”

    “The day I kiss someone is the day Sherlock stops being a reckless idiot; it aint gonna happen!”

    “I’m not an idiot!” A girl with messy blonde hair and brown eyes shouts defensively, turning to face the accuser.

    The shortest of them all turned to have his fluffy, magical wavy hair bounce as he pouted, “You're not going to kiss me?”

    “You don’t count Noodles.”

    “Of course I count! I counted all of the yellow cars on the way home and we ain’t even home yet!”

    “You forget how dense he is.” Pluto points out observing the interaction.

    Noodles looked confused at Pluto, “But I’m not a science equation. Isn’t density whatever volume and mass is made out of?”

    Pluto stares at him for a moment before turning to the girl who looks suspiciously like a boy and the preppy boy, “Pops, Turtle, teach your kid about the world.”

    Pops looked over at Noodles who was mildly confused through this all for he was too tired and clueless to notice anything. “But he’s too cute,” Pops said. “Look at that face and tell him about the real world.”

    “I’m gonna tell him.” Sherlock stated.

    “Don’t you dare,” McLovin' said. “Who will love him if he’s a sad mooshy marshmallow?”

    “Uh, me!” Sparrow said.

    “That was shallow.” Pluto says glaring at McLovin'.

    McLovin' huffed, “Well of course. Where is true love without a poet's message backed behind it?”

    Sparrow opened her mouth to comment when she was cut off by their coach.

    “Alright, everyone listen up. The bus has broken down. We will be staying in this motel until another bus comes to pick us up early tomorrow. Grab your things and let's go.”

    Noodles clapped his hands together excitedly standing up and stepping into the aisle, “Sleepover!”

    “Oh. My. God! We need to play Spin the Bottle,” McLovin' said.

    “McLovin', I will stab you.” Sparrow spits out as she grabs her things and steps out into the aisle.

    “Oh you won’t have to play. Just any time you roll a six you gotta give your boy a kiss.”

    Before Sparrow could turn around and punch McLovin' square in the face Sherlock stepped into the aisle in front of McLovin'. Sparrow huffed and just followed Noodles out everyone else close behind him. Their Coach led them to a room with a second room attached, giving them a total of four beds to choose from. 

    “Boys stay in the boys room, girls stay in the girls room. If I find out you went into the other room we will be doing seven mile-repeats when we get back.”

    “Alright!” Noodles said with a salute as he walked into the room. He gasped with surprise when he saw there was a shower, “Yes! A shower!”

    “I call first shower!” Sherlock announced dashing into her room’s bathroom duffle bag in hand.

    “I call second shower!” Noodles shouted for all to hear despite how tired he was.

    “Noodles, you shower in the boys room,” Sparrow sighed.

    “Oh,” Noodles mumbled. “Which ones that?”

    Turtle smiled down at Noodles, jestering to the room next to the girls, “This one, Noodles.” 

    “Oh,” Noodles mumbled again. 

    While this exchange went down the girls had already stepped into their room and were deciding who would sleep where.

    “I call the bed by the door.” Sparrow stated.

    “I’ll take the window one.” Pluto said, walking over to the bed before setting her stuff down off to the side.

    “I’ll stay with Pluto. I don’t need you two smart kiddos going on with your life or death talks at one in the morning,” Pops said as she made her way over to the bed near the window. 

    Sparrow nodded before looking at Pops, “I’m getting the side closest to the door.”

    “Good,” Pops said as they sat on the edge of the bed closest to the door by the window to take off her shoes.

    By the time the other girls were done with their conversation Sherlock had finished her shower and walked out of the bathroom fully dressed. She looked around at the sleeping arrangements before turning toward Pluto. “The window is mine.”

    “Taken,” Pops said. “You’re sleeping with Sparrow.”

    “Well then I’ll take the side farthest from the door.” Pluto responds walking past Sherlock into the bathroom before anyone could say anything.

    About the same time in the boy’s room Jazzy had taken a shower as Noodles plopped on the bed closest to the window in a tired bundle of large knitted black sweater that had a white kitten on the front with a wizard hat on it. 

    Turtle smiled at Noodles, “I’m guessing you want to go to bed.”

    Noodles barely responded to Turtles as he stayed in a ball on the bed, trying to keep warm in the cold room. It was almost as if the temperature was slowly dropping as it got later into the night. 

    “Well of course he is,” McLovin' said. “Just imagine how tired he could be, falling for that dark Sparrow all day.”

    “You make it sound as if them having fun together is draining,” Turtle says with a disapproving motherly look. 

    “With someone as small as Noodles, I bet it is,” McLovin' said. “Plus, if that was the case, it would add to the love they have for each other and to them cuddling together as it gets dark and late into the night.”

    Turtle thought about that for a moment before smiling, “That would be quite cute.” 

    In the room over Sparrow looked up from her book, “I’m gonna kill McLovin'.”

    McLovin' however grumbled, “If it weren’t for Coach that could have actually happened! Urgh! Why does life blow holes in my ships!”

    “Sparrow wouldn’t have let anyone see it anyway,” Turtle said with a nod of his head.

    McLovin' pouted his bottom lip, “Noodles, does Sparrow cuddle you into the night with that romantic touch?”

    Noodles peaked one tired eye at them with a jumbled of words that hummed like an old computer starting up.

    “Oh, Noodles. Don’t let McLovin' bother you and go to sleep,” Turtle told Noodles as he sat on the other side of the bed. “Why don’t you get under the covers? You might find it easier to go to sleep.”

    Noodles mumbled a bit and didn't move.

    Turtle sighed for a moment before walking over to Noodles and placing a large blanket over him.