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Description
I remember his words exactly. "Are you going to listen to someone who doesn't listen to you?" Joshua had always had a great influence over me. He was about three years older than me, but for a few months it was a four year difference. I was about twelve that day he drove up to me on the sidewalk in his friend's car he just having turned sixteen and gotten his license. Or, that's what he told me. I should have known he hadn't gotten his permit yet, even. My Joshy never followed the rules. He did know how to drive, his mother had let him practice until his permit ran out, and he just never bothered to renew it. Not to mention he'd stolen this car at least three times before, the earliest when he was fourteen. He's never gotten stopped, he was a good driver. But as he and I stared at each other, we both knew what was about to happen. It was time to run wild again. "Adian! Joshua!" Joshua and I turned back to look at the pink-haired girl, who was the same age as Joshua, rushing towards us. She was waving her arm enthusiastically, greeting us with her high-pitched voice that could have exploded a bird. In my opinion, at least. I loved the girl to death, she was wild and fun, but her voice was beyond aggravating. Still, I smiled at her as she reached us, her bright blue backpack that matched her blue eyes slung quickly over one shoulder. "Hey Candy," Joshua giggled, aware I was already annoyed. He had bright white hair and red eyes; you may first think 'albino', but in truth he's a half-blood vampire. We live in a town called Mallory. In this town, all races of humans and humanoids are accepted, even vampires, who are getting a bit wild. They aren't following the treaty rules. No matter the circumstances of our town being on the verge of war, my friends and I never payed it much mind. We lived in our own little world. My friends consisted of myself, Candy, Joshua, a cougar-shifter named Maria, and a human boy, Ben. Ben's elder brother, Matt, sometimes came with us, but since we were stealing his car for this trip, he wasn't invited. Sometimes I wonder if Joshua knew before I did of the problems to come when it came to Matt.

"Where are you guys going?" Candy asked us. I smiled, looking at Joshua with a mischievous grin. He returned the gesture and patted the seat beside him. "Come on, girls. Let's go pick up our hacker and Benny-boy before our parents find out." He encouraged. Candy and I didn't even open the doors, we just hopped right into his car. Candy threw her backpack on the floor, and I tossed mine back as well to create a pile. Candy sat in the back behind me; I was riding shotgun. I forgot to mention, Joshua was my boyfriend. He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before he started the car again and we sped off to the school we all went to together. I was pushed ahead a grade or two, so I was already in high school. I'm very smart, I can't deny, but I act like an idiot on a regular basis. That day was no different. I had ditched school and was on my way to the mall. I had gotten up, gotten ready, gotten there, and then turned on my heels and started off. I didn't have the motivation that day. Candy was on her way; late as usual. So at the school was where we found Maria and Ben hanging in the parking lot. The sight of me, Joshua and Candy had them in the car quicker than a heart beat. I laughed and said, "Does anyone know really where we're going?"
"I feel like hitting the beach." Joshua said to me, a look in his eyes that turned my cheeks pink. "Should we grab some swimsuits before we get to... wait, where's a beach? We're in Idaho!" Maria suddenly realized. "We're taking a little road-trip to California." Joshua clarified. "A little road-trip? Joshua!" Maria complained. "Our parents will be worried sick," I heard Ben mumble from the middle of the back seats, sitting squished between Candy and Maria. Really, not such a bad place for a teenage boy. Maria and Candy were both older than me, and very attractive. I had a bad feeling about all of this, but my 'bad feelings' hadn't stopped me from running off to parties, getting wasted, or graffiting the school's gym ever before. For the record, we never got caught. The police around there were always so busy with the rowdy vampires. Still, it felt like myself and my friends were the only ones breaking any rules. You think we would have stood out. Mallory was a peaceful town, where everyone was just grateful to be in such a safe-haven. I, for one, wanted out. California sounded like a good place to start a new life. Not like my mother would miss me, she was probably passed out drunk on the couch again. My sister wasn't very much better, and my father had run off when I was six, given up on my mother and any hope of seeing her sober again. He was a traveling doctor, so I didn't expect to see him again, if he could help it. Maybe that was what had made me feel it was okay to run rampant and cause chaos? Whatever the reason, before I knew it we were at a clothing shot just past the school. Everyone grabbed a swimsuit, and Candy got a pair of pink sunglasses. She was... a little obsessed with that color, if you couldn't guess from her hair being dyed pink. It was originally nice, curly and blonde, but she had colored it and made it more... poofy than curly. It looked like she'd been lightly shocked with electricity. Not like, crazy, but it didn't look natural. She was the fun one of the group. Maria was the one with all of the money. Joshua was the get-away driver. Ben was the one always asking how much trouble we could get it, and I was usually the one posing for Candy's camera and then breaking it so she never put the pictures online. I didn't know about the videos she had taken, however. I found those tapes in my attic just yesterday; maybe that's what has brought back these memories.

"Are we there yet?" Candy's yawn made her words hard to make out. I shrugged and turned up the music louder, a rap song; my favorite genre. "Ask Joshua, not me." I brushed her off carelessly. Joshua glanced back at Candy, then back to the road. "It'll be awhile, Candy. This is a trip. Call it our summer vacation." He suggested. "I like vacations," Candy said gently as she started to fall asleep. I chuckled softly and looked out my window. "Guys?" Ben said quietly so as to not startle Candy awake. "Should we be doing this?" Ben was always apprehensive. He didn't understand fun, I guess. He was only coming along because I was here, I know. He knew that I was dating Joshua, but he had had a crush on me since we were little kids. We'd all known each other for a good few years now, so there wasn't any tension. Ben knew his place. And that place happened to be between two girls. Oh, but I forgot to mention. Candy is a lesbian, and Maria is bisexual. Back then, they were dating. Ben was the odd one out. I had never thought much of it really, but later I would come to regret taunting him like I had. I never realized what he went through every day. His mother was perfect, and although his older brother Matt wasn't ideal, I didn't figure it was a bad life. Compared to me? I didn't think anyone's life could be worse. All except for Candy. She was an orphan, cared for by the church and the minister, Leon. Her mother was raped and killed when she was younger, her father abandoned them long before that, and her brother was in Los Angeles and married. He hardly ever showed up in this small town. I'd always wished there was more I could do for her, but when she and Maria started dated I stopped worrying. Maria was a rich kid. She had everything she wanted, but she was one of the rare few that wasn't snobbish about it. She was modest, and quietly payed for things in cash, buying as little as possible. Of course, on these type of escapades, she had to pay for everything. Well, that wasn't completely true. I often stole any spare money not for bills from my mom and sister and had a good time with my friends. They weren't great influences, but no one cared about me the way they all did. I never would have survived without them. After the first day of driving, we had switched seats. Ben now sat in the passenger seat, and I was in the middle in his place, Candy to my right and Maria to my left. I think I forgot to mention that, though Maria and I generally get along, we fought sometimes. Okay, a lot. And our fights were always physical, with a few verbal insults thrown in here and there for emphasis. Maria had a bad habit of starting it, usually. As the dusk grew close and Joshua and Ben were caught up in a conversation about finding a party when we got to California, I felt Maria elbow me in the side. I had, and still have, Fibromyalgia, so it hurt my quite a bit more than it should have. But I never shared that with them, so instead of remind her, or finally tell them, I punched her shoulder harshly, her body shoved up against the door. "Hey!" She cried out, pushing her hand over my face. "What are you doing that for?"
"The door's locked, it won't open." Was my defense. She glared and whispered an insult, and I tackled her, bringing her to the car floor. We wrestled harshly, and Joshua was laughing. "Girls,"
"Go over a bump!" I demanded, and Joshua quickly followed my command. We hit a bump as I shoved Maria's head under the driver's seat, and her forehead bled from a cut that was formed after she hit the hard metal. "Adian!" Ben scowled. I giggled and let Maria up, who promptly punched me. Candy was tiredly watching, hardly effected by the fighting. It was so natural. I grabbed Maria's shoulders and shoved her back to the floor again, wrestling fiercly with her. "Candy," I heard Joshua call above the wind, since the windows of the car were down. "Record that, will you? I want to see it later." Candy reached to grab her blue bag away from where me and Maria were still fighting and took out her bright pink and glittering hand-held camera, pressing record. Me and Maria weren't at all effected or put-off; Candy was always recording, so this was all too normal. So we fought for about fifteen minutes before Joshua pulled over at a gas station, and we all jumped out to go inside and buy snacks. Maria also picked up some band-aid's for her cut forehead, and I giggled an apology, only to receive the childish action of her sticking out her tongue. I quickly grabbed it and she whined a complaint. Joshua chuckled and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close and kissing the top of my head. It had probably only been two days by now, and already we were losing out composures worse than usual. This was going to be one crazy trip.

Description
I remember his words exactly. "Are you going to listen to someone who doesn't listen to you?" Joshua had always had a great influence over me. He was about three years older than me, but for a few months it was a four year difference. I was about twelve that day he drove up to me on the sidewalk in his friend's car he just having turned sixteen and gotten his license. Or, that's what he told me. I should have known he hadn't gotten his permit yet, even. My Joshy never followed the rules. He did know how to drive, his mother had let him practice until his permit ran out, and he just never bothered to renew it. Not to mention he'd stolen this car at least three times before, the earliest when he was fourteen. He's never gotten stopped, he was a good driver. But as he and I stared at each other, we both knew what was about to happen. It was time to run wild again. "Adian! Joshua!" Joshua and I turned back to look at the pink-haired girl, who was the same age as Joshua, rushing towards us. She was waving her arm enthusiastically, greeting us with her high-pitched voice that could have exploded a bird. In my opinion, at least. I loved the girl to death, she was wild and fun, but her voice was beyond aggravating. Still, I smiled at her as she reached us, her bright blue backpack that matched her blue eyes slung quickly over one shoulder. "Hey Candy," Joshua giggled, aware I was already annoyed. He had bright white hair and red eyes; you may first think 'albino', but in truth he's a half-blood vampire. We live in a town called Mallory. In this town, all races of humans and humanoids are accepted, even vampires, who are getting a bit wild. They aren't following the treaty rules. No matter the circumstances of our town being on the verge of war, my friends and I never payed it much mind. We lived in our own little world. My friends consisted of myself, Candy, Joshua, a cougar-shifter named Maria, and a human boy, Ben. Ben's elder brother, Matt, sometimes came with us, but since we were stealing his car for this trip, he wasn't invited. Sometimes I wonder if Joshua knew before I did of the problems to come when it came to Matt.

"Where are you guys going?" Candy asked us. I smiled, looking at Joshua with a mischievous grin. He returned the gesture and patted the seat beside him. "Come on, girls. Let's go pick up our hacker and Benny-boy before our parents find out." He encouraged. Candy and I didn't even open the doors, we just hopped right into his car. Candy threw her backpack on the floor, and I tossed mine back as well to create a pile. Candy sat in the back behind me; I was riding shotgun. I forgot to mention, Joshua was my boyfriend. He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before he started the car again and we sped off to the school we all went to together. I was pushed ahead a grade or two, so I was already in high school. I'm very smart, I can't deny, but I act like an idiot on a regular basis. That day was no different. I had ditched school and was on my way to the mall. I had gotten up, gotten ready, gotten there, and then turned on my heels and started off. I didn't have the motivation that day. Candy was on her way; late as usual. So at the school was where we found Maria and Ben hanging in the parking lot. The sight of me, Joshua and Candy had them in the car quicker than a heart beat. I laughed and said, "Does anyone know really where we're going?"
"I feel like hitting the beach." Joshua said to me, a look in his eyes that turned my cheeks pink. "Should we grab some swimsuits before we get to... wait, where's a beach? We're in Idaho!" Maria suddenly realized. "We're taking a little road-trip to California." Joshua clarified. "A little road-trip? Joshua!" Maria complained. "Our parents will be worried sick," I heard Ben mumble from the middle of the back seats, sitting squished between Candy and Maria. Really, not such a bad place for a teenage boy. Maria and Candy were both older than me, and very attractive. I had a bad feeling about all of this, but my 'bad feelings' hadn't stopped me from running off to parties, getting wasted, or graffiting the school's gym ever before. For the record, we never got caught. The police around there were always so busy with the rowdy vampires. Still, it felt like myself and my friends were the only ones breaking any rules. You think we would have stood out. Mallory was a peaceful town, where everyone was just grateful to be in such a safe-haven. I, for one, wanted out. California sounded like a good place to start a new life. Not like my mother would miss me, she was probably passed out drunk on the couch again. My sister wasn't very much better, and my father had run off when I was six, given up on my mother and any hope of seeing her sober again. He was a traveling doctor, so I didn't expect to see him again, if he could help it. Maybe that was what had made me feel it was okay to run rampant and cause chaos? Whatever the reason, before I knew it we were at a clothing shot just past the school. Everyone grabbed a swimsuit, and Candy got a pair of pink sunglasses. She was... a little obsessed with that color, if you couldn't guess from her hair being dyed pink. It was originally nice, curly and blonde, but she had colored it and made it more... poofy than curly. It looked like she'd been lightly shocked with electricity. Not like, crazy, but it didn't look natural. She was the fun one of the group. Maria was the one with all of the money. Joshua was the get-away driver. Ben was the one always asking how much trouble we could get it, and I was usually the one posing for Candy's camera and then breaking it so she never put the pictures online. I didn't know about the videos she had taken, however. I found those tapes in my attic just yesterday; maybe that's what has brought back these memories.

"Are we there yet?" Candy's yawn made her words hard to make out. I shrugged and turned up the music louder, a rap song; my favorite genre. "Ask Joshua, not me." I brushed her off carelessly. Joshua glanced back at Candy, then back to the road. "It'll be awhile, Candy. This is a trip. Call it our summer vacation." He suggested. "I like vacations," Candy said gently as she started to fall asleep. I chuckled softly and looked out my window. "Guys?" Ben said quietly so as to not startle Candy awake. "Should we be doing this?" Ben was always apprehensive. He didn't understand fun, I guess. He was only coming along because I was here, I know. He knew that I was dating Joshua, but he had had a crush on me since we were little kids. We'd all known each other for a good few years now, so there wasn't any tension. Ben knew his place. And that place happened to be between two girls. Oh, but I forgot to mention. Candy is a lesbian, and Maria is bisexual. Back then, they were dating. Ben was the odd one out. I had never thought much of it really, but later I would come to regret taunting him like I had. I never realized what he went through every day. His mother was perfect, and although his older brother Matt wasn't ideal, I didn't figure it was a bad life. Compared to me? I didn't think anyone's life could be worse. All except for Candy. She was an orphan, cared for by the church and the minister, Leon. Her mother was raped and killed when she was younger, her father abandoned them long before that, and her brother was in Los Angeles and married. He hardly ever showed up in this small town. I'd always wished there was more I could do for her, but when she and Maria started dated I stopped worrying. Maria was a rich kid. She had everything she wanted, but she was one of the rare few that wasn't snobbish about it. She was modest, and quietly payed for things in cash, buying as little as possible. Of course, on these type of escapades, she had to pay for everything. Well, that wasn't completely true. I often stole any spare money not for bills from my mom and sister and had a good time with my friends. They weren't great influences, but no one cared about me the way they all did. I never would have survived without them. After the first day of driving, we had switched seats. Ben now sat in the passenger seat, and I was in the middle in his place, Candy to my right and Maria to my left. I think I forgot to mention that, though Maria and I generally get along, we fought sometimes. Okay, a lot. And our fights were always physical, with a few verbal insults thrown in here and there for emphasis. Maria had a bad habit of starting it, usually. As the dusk grew close and Joshua and Ben were caught up in a conversation about finding a party when we got to California, I felt Maria elbow me in the side. I had, and still have, Fibromyalgia, so it hurt my quite a bit more than it should have. But I never shared that with them, so instead of remind her, or finally tell them, I punched her shoulder harshly, her body shoved up against the door. "Hey!" She cried out, pushing her hand over my face. "What are you doing that for?"
"The door's locked, it won't open." Was my defense. She glared and whispered an insult, and I tackled her, bringing her to the car floor. We wrestled harshly, and Joshua was laughing. "Girls,"
"Go over a bump!" I demanded, and Joshua quickly followed my command. We hit a bump as I shoved Maria's head under the driver's seat, and her forehead bled from a cut that was formed after she hit the hard metal. "Adian!" Ben scowled. I giggled and let Maria up, who promptly punched me. Candy was tiredly watching, hardly effected by the fighting. It was so natural. I grabbed Maria's shoulders and shoved her back to the floor again, wrestling fiercly with her. "Candy," I heard Joshua call above the wind, since the windows of the car were down. "Record that, will you? I want to see it later." Candy reached to grab her blue bag away from where me and Maria were still fighting and took out her bright pink and glittering hand-held camera, pressing record. Me and Maria weren't at all effected or put-off; Candy was always recording, so this was all too normal. So we fought for about fifteen minutes before Joshua pulled over at a gas station, and we all jumped out to go inside and buy snacks. Maria also picked up some band-aid's for her cut forehead, and I giggled an apology, only to receive the childish action of her sticking out her tongue. I quickly grabbed it and she whined a complaint. Joshua chuckled and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close and kissing the top of my head. It had probably only been two days by now, and already we were losing out composures worse than usual. This was going to be one crazy trip.