Caroline gave Lucas a quick thumbs up after he patted her head and carefully smoothed her hair back into place.
"It's called Penny's" Caroline replied when Siren asked where they were going. Penny's was in Yermo, about 20 minutes out of Barstow. Caroline had chosen it on the particular purpose of not stopping anywhere that she might have to see anymore all-too-familiar faces.
Trini talked to Ryan for most of the ride, occasionally tickling or jabbing at Lucas with his headphones in for good measure. She squealed and laughed a wide open carefree laugh every time she snatched Ryan's hat and he wrestled it away from her. They talked a lot about Jen's party and their plans for the summer.
"There's gonna be a huge musical festival in Santa Fe and ooh I wanna go so bad! I hope we make it out there in time! I even forced Caroline to bring her guitar so we can party." She leaned lover the front seat and laced her fingers together as if she was begging and pouting her plush red lips at her best friend.
"Oh please darling, let's get there in time! I know how you men are with your aversion to maps!" Caroline, who had been chatting with Siren for the past several minutes chuckled and rolled her eyes.
"Ok, A: Trini, I am not a man. And B: That map thing is the oldest man stereotype in the book, I should think Ryan and Lucas would be offended. Anyway, we can worry about it later. There's the diner right there."
Penny's was a cute diner on the side of an otherwise fairly barren road. It had a 1950's vibe which Caroline took the time to admire as she parked the car and went along the side to open the back doors and let everyone out. Once all were out Trini hopped on Lucas' back piggy-back style and laced her fingers together with her arms stuck out in front of him, citing her legs having fallen asleep (they hadn't) as her excuse for the "lift" into the diner.
The gang walked in (well, most walked, Trini was carried) and sidled into a corner booth. The waitress came and took their drink orders. Caroline placed her keys on the table in front of her as the waitress was walking away and when she glanced up again her eyes fell upon a blonde girl at the counter.
"Oh wow." Caroline breathed.
"She's beautiful." Trini, who was at her left, immediately recognized the girl her friend was talking about.
"You should talk to her." The latina suggested, jabbing Caroline's arm with one of her immaculate french-tipped nails.
"Woah, no way. She doesn't even look gay!" Caroline objected, turning away quickly so the stranger wouldn't see her staring.
"Oh my god, please. She's wearing a man's shirt!" Trini argued. Caroline couldn't deny that, but she preferred not to build false hope.
"It's probably her boyfriend's…" She mumbled.
"Ugh, dios mio eres imposible. Just talk to her!" Trini ordered, exasperated, and grabbed the keys from in front of her friend. Caroline made a grab for the keys but the girl already had them hostage.
"Chica, that Serenity girl messed you up big time and she left months ago, it's time to get over it. You're not getting those back until you talk to her." Trini ordered, laying down the law. Caroline paused and made a quick lunge for the keys but Trini jerked them back and tossed them to the other end of the booth to Ryan.
"You know you can't beat me at this." Giving up, Caroline sighed.
"Ugh. Fine." Trini clapped for joy as Caroline got up from the booth and began to walk towards the blonde beauty at the counter. She glanced back at Trini who playfully blew her a kiss, a motion which made her groan internally and tense her shoulders up. She smoothed her short hair back and adjusted her rolled-up sleeves as she got ever closer. She made it to about a foot away from the stranger (close enough to reach out and touch her shoulder) before convincing herself that this was literally the worst idea ever, pivoting on her heel, and retreating back to the booth much to Trini's clearly mimed disapproval.
"No. I can't do it." She mouthed once she had returned. Trini crossed her arms and gave her a disappointed look, barring her entrance to the booth.
"Sacatón! Such a wimp!" She hissed through her teeth.