She didn't know what she was doing or where she was going, she didn't really care as long as it was away. So she packed a bag and grabbed the money she had stuffed in a jewelry box that sat on her shelf and left a note, not that it really felt like it mattered anymore, none the less saying she'd be fine. She doubted her father would even care to this point, her sister might be a different story but she just needed to go; she didn't need anyone looking for her. That's what she needed right now. So she did. Left and knew that it could be the worst decision she could make, but that was fine. It was a change in pace, she needed that too. Los Angeles was a pipe dream, one she had thought about for a long while. She could sing and maybe she'd make a living there, maybe she could. She hadn't sang since, but it didn't mean she didn't want to. It was a part of her, one that use to bring her happiness, part of her that could maybe help things be okay again. Who knows how long it would take her to get there or if she ever would but maybe.

It was late, well early. Sometime around three a.m. when she finally spotted the twitching neon motel sign in the distance. Slipping out in the early morning seemed so cliché she could feel sardonic laughter bubbling inside, but cliché or not she was here and this was how it was. She had left her small hometown a while ago and it had been dark and quiet on the highway she had been trucking along, no cars. Maybe that should have frightened her, but the seclusion felt familiar and not at all frightening. Her feet had only begun to ache a little bit but her eyes were heavy and she knew she should push further and keep going to get a bit further away, that's what she wanted. But she didn't know when she'd come across another motel, so she made her way across the vacant parking lot. The only sounds were of the cicadas and the buzzing from the vacancy sign she was walking under to fill the night.

The bell tied to the door rang as she walked into the small lobby and made her way to the unattended front desk. The lobby looked as if it hadn't been updated since the seventies, and held a thick smell of cheap air freshener as if it was trying to mask the musty scent that would probably always linger. She stood at the counter and eventually heard shuffling coming from the door way that she presumed was sometime of break room so the employees could rest on graveyard shifts like this. Appearing was an older looking man that was adjusting a fisherman's cap on is head as he came out.

"Hello there miss what can I do for ya?" He flashed her smile and it made her throat swell. It was familiar, too much. She had left all of that behind though, and the man here had nothing to do with her past so she managed a small smile back.

"I'm looking for a room for tonight or tomorrow I guess?"

"So just tonight or tomorrow night too, if you stay past noon tomorrow I have to charge for another night anyway…"

"How much further until the next town?" Beth asked mentally calculating how much money she had and how tired she really was.

"I believe its a little over ten miles."

"Oh okay then, guess I'll be staying two nights." Beth masked her drowsiness with another small smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Alright fifty even."

That wasn't bad for two nights, even though the motel looked like it had been part of the set for some horror movie she thought as he handed her a key with her room number attached to it. If she kept spending money like that though, the two hundred and eleven dollars she had left tucked in her bra wouldn't last long. insane, that's what she was. It was okay though, that was better than dead. That money was all she had, that and the backpack stuffed with clothes over her shoulder was all she had to her name. Slipping from the office she made her way to her room ready to crash,. The room smelled of the same cheap air freshener as the office, and a hint of stale cigarette smoke maybe. It wasn't entirely unpleasant as she slipped the shoes from her feet. She stared at the bed thinking of all the things that may have taken place and in another life she might have been revolted, but in this one she can't find it in herself to care and crawled under the blanket and found sleep.

XXXXX

Beth awoke to sound of a loud rumbling. At first she thought it was thunder and was suddenly glad she had decided to pay for the room for two nights, because it wouldn't that suck to walk ten miles in a storm. But she then saw that there was sunlight filtering through the floral drapes over the window, quite ugly drapes if you asked her. It's not thunder. Maybe a truck, a large truck from the sound of it. Irritated, she goes to look at the clock on the bedside table to see it was actually one o'clock in the afternoon. She really had been tired. The rumbling had stopped now as Beth rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and made her way to the window peeking out. She saw two motorcycles parked near the office, one bike unattended and the other had a man leaning against it smoking a cigarette. So bikers... She couldn't see his face very well from where she was at. And maybe it was based entirely off of stereotype, but the man looked rough. She could already tell just from the way he was standing and how he took in his surroundings, like he was on alert for danger but he couldn't be bothered because he was a part of it.

Beth spent most of the day doing nothing, she showered and lounged around messing on her phone (which had terrible reception) making it almost useless. She had changed her number before she left town, so if anyone tried calling they wouldn't be able to contact her, she felt bad for doing that to Maggie but it was better this way. She even fell asleep for a bit longer. It was un productive and she knew she could be on her way to the next town instead trying to put more distance between her and her old life, but she had already paid for another night so that was that. It was almost dark out now as her stomach gave a loud grumble reminding her that she hadn't eaten since yesterday morning.

She pulled on her shoes and wandered her way outside to the vending machines she had noticed near the office part of the motel. The air outside was warm and humid even as the sun slid lower into the sky. An arrangement of blues and purples that melted together.

As she made her way towards the vending machine she began to wonder if Maggie knew she was gone yet, probably Beth knew that she was probably furious, maybe worried. Somehow Beth figured that she can just understand, even as hard as it seems. It won't be forever that she does this, eventually she'll speak to her again. She will, because she loves her sister, it's just that right now she needs time.

Beth had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts she had failed to notice the same man she had seen earlier leaning against the building outside of what she assumed was him room smoking a little ways in front of where the vending machines were located. He glanced at her but only for a moment and then continued taking a drag off of his cigarette. Beth decided on what she wanted and put her money in, but the machine refused to give her the chips. She sighed, frustrated, she tried to get the machine to give her the chips or her money back by pressing buttons. Most likely looking like a fool, but seemingly not caring.

"Damn it." She mumbled under her breath. She stared at the machine for a moment more thinking maybe if she glared at it hard enough it would do what it was supposed but to no avail. She gave it a little kick before turning to make her way back to her room.

"Hey here." The gruff voice startled her making her jump, Beth quickly turn around to see the man was now by the vending machine with his hand behind it jiggling something. She hadn't even heard him approach, and how did he get over to where she was so fast? Beth eyed him puzzled as to why he had his hand stuffed behind the vending machine, when not only one bag but two bags of the chips she wanted fell to the bottom of the case. The man reached down and grabbed them handing her them.

"S'old sometimes ya just gotta wiggle the wiring." He said still holding the chips out for her to take while Beth stared dumbly at him. She finally snapped back to reality and grabbed the chips smiling at him.

"Thanks. Uh- you keep a bag, since you're the one who fixed it…" She replied finally. He shook his head though pushing the bag she was extending to him back.

"How did you know how to do that?" Beth asked before he had the chance to turn away.

The man froze looking at her with an unreadable expression, but hinted on the side of surprise. She took the moment to observe him more closely. He had dark hair that hung in shaggy wisps all around his face, and skin that looked like it had been kissed by the sun on a frequent basis. His eyes were an entirely different aspect of him. Intense looking and sharp, they made her somewhat nervous even by him just simply staring at her.

"I've stayed here before, just know how…" He shrugged. He spoke gruffly but quietly.

"Do you travel?" She asked. Beth had no idea what made her decide to keep talking to this random stranger, let alone a rough looking biker, but he seemed nice enough right. Hadn't tried to come on to her yet, or hadn't given her any threatening looks. So why the fuck not.

He shifted on his feet a bit before nodding with a little bit of another shrug. He seemed almost uncomfortable and now she almost is feeling bad for pestering him. She was about ready to walk off again when he finally spoke.

"What about you? The hell ya doing out here by yerself?"

Beth looked back at him wondering how he knew she was by herself, but she guessed it wasn't too hard to figure out. Debating on what she was going to say, he seemed to look at her with genuine curiosity. It was understandable, she'd probably ne curious too. The fact is she's not even really sure if she can answer his question. She could tell him the truth, the real reason, but they'd be there all night and she's not sure she exactly wants to gut herself in front of a complete stranger tonight.

"Just trying something new…" Beth shrugged at him because, well, that was as good as it was gonna get. He simply nodded to her as he lit up another cigarette. Beth watched him and he took a long drag, watching how his cheeks hollowed out and the way his chest puffed in and out with every pull. She realized she had been staring and moved her gaze to the dark empty highway in front of them. That's when the most absurd idea came to her, and she almost laughed aloud. Because it was ludicrous, it really was. That didn't seem to stop her though.

"Where are you headed?"

This was so stupid, she didn't know him. At all.

He glanced at her looking her up and down as if he was trying to get a read on her.

"Ya looking for a ride?" He seemed to already know what she was asking.

"Sorry that was rude." Beth shook her head scolding herself, she didn't do things like this, was she crazy? She couldn't just ask someone she didn't know for a ride. Could she? Well she just did. A few beats passed where they both seemed to still remain in their spots. Beth watched the smoke from his cigarette disappear into the summer air around them. She felt as if she should walk away, yet her feet stayed.

"You should be more careful… You don't know me girl." He gives her a look that makes her aware of every nerve along her spine and she sucks in a breath.

"You don't seem so bad…" She gives him a shy smile and shrugs. She doesn't know him at all, she doesn't even know his name, but there's something about him that makes her feel like she might want to. Want more.

"M'heading west. If ya need a lift we're leaving tomorrow morning.

She gives him a surprised look, she knows she does, but shakes it from her features and nods, she can't believe he actually agreed. She can't believe she actually asked.

"Uh Thanks. I can pay you…" She offers but he shakes his head and drops his finished cigarette the ground stomping it out with his boot.

"Don't want yer money." He replies and disappears into the room a few doors down, leaving the smell of leather and ash in his wake.

Beth watches him go and stands there for a few minutes trying to come to terms with what had happened in the past twenty-four hours. She had left home, was staying at some horror movie motel, and now she was hitching a ride with a biker she didn't even know the name of the next morning. The sardonic laughter is bubbling back inside of her again, and this time she thinks she might even have let some of it slip. Cliché after cliché. Maybe there would be more tomorrow. So for the first time in a long time she actually looked forward to it.