AJ woke up the next morning in the car, Nick was still driving and looked in thought.

    "Hey,"mumbled AJ.

    "About fucking time McLean,"said Nick.

    "How long have I been asleep?"asked AJ wiping the sleep from his eyes.

    "Fifteen hours,"said Nick.

    "Shit have you been up for fifteen hours driving?"asked AJ looking over at him.

    "No, I stopped off at Seattle this morning and caught a few hours of sleep,"said Nick.

    "Where are we?"asked AJ.

    "Just entering Orgeon,"said Nick,"We should be in LA in a couple of days?"

    "How the hell did Barbie get there so fast?"AJ asked himself mostly.

    "Probably did a straight through drive and never stopped,"said Nick. AJ shook his head and looked out the window, his stomach hurt, mostly from hunger, damn what I wouldn't give to be eating some of Alanha's food with Amber thought AJ as Nick pulled into a strip mall with a McDonald's in it.

    "Open the glove thing,"said Nick as he parked. AJ opened it and there were rolls of money, a roll of twenties and a roll of hundreds.

    "Where the fuck did you get all this shit from?"asked AJ as Nick leaned over and grabbed the money.

    "It's pocket money, there's more with us,"said Nick as he stuff the rolls into his jeans pockets and got out of the car. AJ got out as well and walked with Nick over to the bank. As the two entered people looked at them like they were gonna hold the place up. They slowly moved up in line until they came to a teller, Nick walked up and slammed the money down on the counter and gave her a victorious look as she looked at him in confusion, here was the guy looking like he was going to rob them with more money than most people seen all at once.

    "I want it in American,"grunted Nick before looking around and noticing an older woman who had been looking at them in fear now in shock.

    "All of it sir?"asked the teller.

    "Yeah,"said Nick like it was the stupidest question in the world.

    A few moments later the teller was finished counting the money.

    "Sir how would you like your American funds?"asked the teller.

    "Twenties,"said Nick. AJ just looked down at his shoes because he knew if he looked at these people he'd burst out laughing at them. The teller started counting out twenties on the counter in piles of a hundred. Nick picked up the first pile and handed it to AJ.

    "Don't fucking loose that, you need that,"said Nick.

    "For what?"asked AJ.

    "Cause there's no fucking way I'm takin' you to see your girl looking like that,"said Nick,"Ya need new clothes and a shower." The teller covered a laugh as she continued to count. AJ nodded and folded the pile and shoved it in his pocket.

    "Okay here is three thousand dollars all in twenties,"said the teller quietly. AJ's mouth almost dropped as Nick collected the money up and shoved it loosly in his pocket. They walked out of the bank leaving everyone in amaze.

    "Where'd you get that money from?"asked AJ as they walked over to McDonald's.

    "Business,"said Nick.

    "You went back to pimpin?"asked AJ.

    "Yup,"said Nick,"And dealin." They walked in and straight up to the cash.

    "Can I help you?"asked the young girl behind the register.

    "Yeah give me a Big Mac meal and AJ?"asked Nick looking over at AJ.

    "Same,"said AJ.

    "Give me another one,"said Nick.
 
    "What can I get you to drink?"asked the girl smiling.

    "Coke hun,"said Nick smiling back at her. She smiled sweetly as she rung it up.

    "That's twelve seventy one,"said the girl. Nick handed a twenty to her and waited for their order. AJ looked around and down at his shoes.

    "Miss her huh?"asked Nick. AJ nodded.

    "Can't figure out why she left like that,"said AJ.

    "Man, we'll find out don't worry,"said Nick,"If she's gonna stand with ya through Jesse and all the other shit, she's gonna take a lot of shit to push her away." AJ nodded.

    Amber walked down to the laundry room of the hotel with the few items of clothes she had brought with her. She had gone shopping that day and had her hair bleached and tied into twisted curls. It was unseasonable warm in LA for November but Amber was taking advantage of it, she walked into the laundry room and set her new backpack down that she shoved her dirty clothes into. Remembering Alanha washing her clothes when she was younger, Amber seperated the clothes and shoved them into the washer with the soap. She put in the four quaters and started the machine. Amber walked out and looked around the grounds, it was a cheesy looking hotel but she liked it. She walked back to her room and sat on the patio chair outside it she pulled her cigarette pack from her backpack and lit a smoke up. Looking at pool she leaned back and relaxed, normally she would be thinking about how much her dad and Alanha and AJ were worrying about her but everything had
flooded from her brain.

    "God I need to fuck,"said Amber out of anywhere. She opened her eyes at the sound of laughter, over to her left a girl about her own height with light brown hair was standing.

    "Sorry,"mumbled Amber.

    "Nah, it's funny, true too,"said the girl,"We all need a fuck. Laura McKenzie."

    "Amber Banks,"said Amber,"Sit down."

    "Sure, hey could I bum a smoke off ya?"asked Laura sitting on the patio chair next to Amber's.

    "Sure, but their Canadian,"said Amber handing her the pack.

    "All the better,"said Laura taking one out,"Thanks." She handed Amber back the pack.

    "You from Canada?"asked Laura.

    "Yup,"said Amber,"Little runaway."

    "Get a lot of them around here,"said Laura,"So what sent ya here? Parents hate ya? Pregnant?"

    "Nope,"said Amber,"Life is fucked up, boyfriend is well he's doin' his thing, best friend ditched me because I'm dating my boyfriend and I'm having a personal break down."

    "Well that's an orginal story,"said Laura,"Reason your friend doesn't want you dating him? Her ex or something?"

    "Oh no,"laughed Amber,"He'd never be her ex, well no she doesn't think he's in my league because he's in foster care and my Dad's got money." Laura nodded "So I'm guessing that Camero is yours?" Amber nodded.

    "Like I love him to death, he's the sweetest and different for me,"said Amber,"Damn, I need a shrink."

    "Really,"said Laura,"Well don't feel bad, I'm here basically because my boyfriend can only afford this place." Amber nodded and looked back at the pool and the thought of AJ came back to her.

    AJ woke up the next morning in the most softess bed he'd ever been in. He sat up and looked around half expecting to wake up in Amber's room with her next to him and everything was fine. Instead he woke up to a hotel room, it was classy to his standards. From what he could remember it was the Holiday Inn in California, him and Nick were so tired they almost fell asleep at the check in counter.

    He looked over and seen Nick dressed and sitting in front of the TV watching the football game.

    "'Bout fucking time,"said Nick butting out his cigarette.

    "What is your rush to get to LA so fast?"moaned AJ as he got out of bed and grabbed his jeans.

    "Nothin' I just wanna see you happy man, you're my brother,"said Nick,"I got your back."

    "There is something else man, something else,"said AJ as he grabbed his shirt and pulled it on.

    "Yeah whatever,"muttered Nick,"We gotta be going, check out's in fifteen." AJ nodded and pulled his stuff together. In twenty minutes they were sitting in the car.

    "So we're in Del Norte, give us about another day in a half,"said Nick looking at the map he'd jacked at a gas station. AJ nodded and sat back for another day of driving in the sun.

    Jeff sat on the hood of his car, Will, David and Bianca were all standing around.

    "Why would she just up and leave like that?"asked Bianca,"She had everything here."

    "I know, something must of really hurt her or something,"said Jeff,"But AJ took off after her."

    "Where did they go?"asked Will.

    "Dunno, all Alanha could get out of the note AJ left was he knew where she was."

    "Oh god, I hope she's okay,"said Bianca crossing her arms.

    "You know she is, AJ can take care of her,"said Jeff.

    "Yeah real good he is at taking care of her, that's why she ran because of him," They all turned to see Alexa and Adrian. Bianca lowered her head and shook it, since Amber hadn't shown up at school for a few days after the dance rumors were all over the place that she was pregnant, AJ had kidnapped her,her father kicked her out, she was on the run from the law everything but no one knew the truth, not even her friends

    "Why don't the both of you go fuck each other,"said Jeff,"Instead of everyone else."

    "Why? Because you now we're right? Because perfect little Amber is now the school whore, branded by a bum? Or why Jeff, because he's fucking her and you're not?"Alexa's words were cold and crisp.

    "Shut up,"said Bianca walking over Alexa,"Because if you don't, if you think what Amber did to you was rough, I will fucking kill you and don't think I won't bitch." Alexa stepped back a bit but still the look on her face was frozen.

    "C'mon Adrian,"said Alexa quietly before the two of them turned and walked off.

    "God I'm fucking hating the two of them,"said Bianca walking back to Jeff and the others,"They act like a bad version of those jackass' in Cruel Intentsions." Everyone just nodded as silence fell over them.