If you're going my way...

[Saint Tribs]

Ori 'Ori' Blake, son of Vlad Blake; wasn't where far from where he was the day before. This whole running away from home thing was slightly harder than he thought. Especially since he didn't have a car and using his various credit cards would just give his ultra rich Father a clear line to where he was. Well that wasn't happening, he was up to here with the old man! Nu-uh no way no more and no thank you! What had started as a spat had went straight out the window.


So there was Ori in a little coffee shop with a leather duffle full of clothes and a backpack full of books and his laptop. Sitting and drinking a vanilla and cinnamon coffee and eating some sort of granola bar. It was cold and wet and the rain hadn't let up since he had left. He was trying not to mope, him and his Dad had always been incredibly close but now that he was out of school and in college and out of the house all the time, well dear old Dad wasn't taking 'empty nest syndrome' well at all.


Ori ran a hand through his platinum blonde hair and wondered just briefly if he was being a bit hard on his Father... The train of thought derailed as he looked as the bell over the coffee shop door tinkled as it was pushed open and someone walked inside from the windy wet weather. A chill ran through Ori as the cold touched him.

 

[Vbx.n]

Tanner Jaskson was juat trying to get away. From all his problems, struggles and everything that made his life a complete hell hole. Everyone his his life at the moment was pissing him off, especially his parents. Tanner had went to visit his parents for a couple of days and everything in hte house turnned into chaos. First his parents kept asking him a hundred questions about what he had been doing and everything in his life that he found no need in telling them.

To make things worse was to horrible weather. Clutching onto his bag and adjusting the backpack on his back, Tanner felt like shit. Being that he decided to rent a nice traveling van he was going to go far away from his family in hopes that he'd find someone or something that would make him wanna stay exactly where he was for a very long time. Tanner knew that these feelings wern't spur of the moment but built of feelings that needed to be released and fast because he felt like he was going to explode.

Tanner jumped out the car and was immeditally hit with rain. Sprinting into the shop Tanner ran his hands through his hair and then walked over to the counter to buy a quick sandwhich. Looking around the room he saw only five people and only one caught his eye. Some guy that looked like he was headaing somewhre. It was a wild quess but Tanner thrived on the oppertunity. After grabbing his food he approached the guy. " Hey I know this is random but you look like your heading somewhere, I have a traveling van and I was heading west, if you want a ride im outside".

With that being said Tanner sprinted out tword the van before he could get drenched with rain some more.

 

[Saint Tribs]

Well that was the most random thing that had ever ever happened to Ori. Ever. He barely had time to blink and the smile had just started before the young man was sprinting away. Ori sat there for a moment, wondering if he'd just hallucinated being asked to get into some guy's van and ride off with him.

According to the various stares from the other patrons, no. He'd definitely just been asked to ride away with a strange young man. The coffee cup was empty and his granola bar was gone and there was no where to go. The man hadn't seemed like a murderer or anything else. Just... Strange. He knew that he could just sit here until they kicked him out into the rain and then he'd have to get a hotel room somewhere or he could go get into a stranger's van.

Ori grabbed his bags and left the coffee shop, sliding the hood of his jacket over his head. He stared at the only van in the parking lot and decided that if he got in trouble he'd just call the police and it wasn't like he didn't have several tricks up his sleeve to deal with people. Besides, the man looked 'normal'. So Ori knocked at the van window.

"Hey. I'm Orion. Well, Ori is better and ... Does that offer still stand? It's kinda cold and wet and I could use the ride. I can pay for gas."

 

[Vbx.n]

Tanner watched as the rain continued to fall. He didn't know what it was but whenever something changed his mood from happy to sad it rained. He just figured that it was a coincidence and left it at that. The rain slowed down it's pace until it was lightly pouring and almost sprinkling. Kicking his feel back, Tanner leaned back and grabbed his gray hoodie and threw of over his head. He didn't know if they guy he met in the shop would come or not but he decided to wait just in case.

It wasn't like Tanner was a bad kid he was just wanted some conpany on his road trip to a better place and hopefully a new life. Some peopel that he knew would be scared to buy a van and just go up and leave but Tanner didn't. He had been saving his money since he was eight and never spent a dime when he got birthday and christmas money. His family had money and showered him in money. People figured a kid like him would be spoiled but he was't. Tanner was as laid back as they come.

After a few minutes of waiting, Tanner reached over to start the engine when he head a knock on the window. Turnning his head the guy smiled when he saw it was the kid from the shop. " Sure man come on in, dont worry about gas for awhile, were totally set". Tanner closed the door behind Ori and then sat back down in the drivers seat. " The names Tanner, but you can called be Tj if you want to. I know it was random of me but I get lonley and I figured it would be cool to have someone come along".

With that being said Tanner started the car and pulled out heading west. They'd make a few stops at motels and other places they deemed intresting. Anything to leave the past behind and keep moving forward.

 

[Saint Tribs]

"Really?" Ori queried as he pulled open the door and got in, surprised when Tanner had walked around and shut it after him. Like he was a girl. His cheeks darkened noticeably, the redness spreading to his ears. "Aha... Hi T.J. So you're going west? All the way to California or what?" He grinned, strapping the seat belt on from years of habit. "Or are you going to, like, Oregon? That's cool and all, not my thing but hey, everyone has to have a hobby." Ori said as Tanner drove on, he was surprised that the rain was almost gone.

"Looks like we're going to have better weather after all..." Ori murmured to himself as he stared out the window, feeling unsure now that he was in a stranger's car and perhaps a little worried that he was going to get murdered and left in a ditch somewhere far from home. Where no one would find his body for ages and his family would always, always be waiting.

Cellphone came out and he sent a quick text to his Dad saying that he was alright and heading west with a friend, he'd call him soon. Anger or not. Someone needed to know where he was going. He sent another text as an after thought, telling his Dad that he loved him and he was sorry. Stashing the cellphone back into his pocket, he shot a smile over at Tanner. "How long have you been traveling? You've got a really nice van..."

 

[Vbx.n]

Tanner noticed the blush on Ori's face and he smiled slightly before looking away. As he started driving, Tanner opened his glove comepartment and pulled out two snicker bars and handed one to Oro. " Well mabey not Cali and mabey not Oregon I mean was there a particualr palace you wanted to go? I dont care as long as it's far away". He saw the other guy pull out his phone and send two text messages, Tanner hoped that Ori didn't think he was a bad guy.

Now that the weather was clearing up and the rain had stopped for the most part. Taking a bite out of the snickers bar, Tanner looked over at Ori and chuckled. " Just now, and thanks I saved up for this you can say, Oh and dont worry im not some crazy serial killer guy, just a regular 18 year old trying to stay away from my parents". A smiled formed on his lips and then he focused on the road. There was no way Tanner wanted to go back and he sure as hell wasn't planning on it.

He stopped breifly on the side of the road to fix up the back and make sure that everything worked and he didn't mind changing his clothes in the ptocess. Putting on a black tanktop and some shorts he sat down in the driver's seat. " Hey theres some spare clothes if you wanna change". They would need gass soon but for right now he was getting hungry and finding a good food joint was the only thing on his mind.

 

[Saint Tribs]

"Heh. You're younger than me then. I'm twenty-one. So you saved up for this? That's pretty awesome." Ori smiled a bit as he took the snickers and set it aside. Chocolate would only make him hyper and he already had had coffee, he wasn't sure if he needed anymore sugar in him than what was already floating around his system. So Tanner wasn't going to Oregon or California. Ori was pleased about that at least. He wasn't sure where he wanted to end up or what he actually wanted to do.

Could you be twenty-one and feel like having a midlife crisis? Ori wasn't sure.

When they stopped; Ori got out and had a little stretch and shrugged when Tanner asked him. "I've got my own clothes, no worries. Do I smell or something?" He found himself grinning before searching through his duffle for at least a clean tee shirt. It was soft gray and matched his eyes perfectly. "Are you sleeping in the van or do you stop at motels?" Ori asked as he settled back into the passenger seat after stowing his duffle away.

 

[Vbx.n]

" Well my birthdays comming up in a frour days and I'll be nineteen". Tanner was kinda shocked to find out Ori's age. He deffinitally did't look like he was twenty-one. He wayched as Ori took the snickers and placed it to the side. Tanner shrugged and then opened the rapper to his and popped a piece into his mouth. It was bad that he seemed addicted to candy but it was funny how out of eating candy since he was a kid, Tanner had only one cavity in his life. Looking at the map Tanner ruffled his hair and then leaned back.

After stepping out the van and looking up at the sky, Tanner turnned his head twords the other male. " Huh? What do you smell". He got back in the drivers seat and then started up the van and continued onward. " Well I sleep in the van since theres beds and a bathroom, and kitchen. It has everything in here and it's cheeper then spending money for one night". A smiled formed on Tanner's lips as he made his way onto the highway.