Phineas

Continuation of Ch. III

So we needed a car. We needed a trailer. We needed a home.

I missed the beach. Never saw a tornado in my life and I was not up for repeating the experience. We stopped at a couple houses that weren't in terrible shape and looted some dry clothes. I found shoes that fit, but the other guys were in ones a size too small and the girl kept tripping in ones that were too big. We hopped in the first car we found and went straight to Walmart. We got some dry goods that weren't too expired and clothes that fit better, then Baxter suggest we just get some boxes or animal carriers for the chickens instead of building something for them, and Everett seemed too tired to argue, so he agreed and then we went driving around the rural outskirts looking for another horse trailer. It looked like the tornado had hit some out here, too, but it had missed the RV park and we took full advantage after we got all the animals loaded back up.

Once we were all crammed inside our place of choice, Baxter put out snacks and we discussed where to go.

"Utah," Genevieve said immediately, picking at a plate of pizza rolls.

"Why Utah?" I asked. "What about Florida?"

She shrugged. "I did a report on it in third grade. Plus, it's in the last area we have to search."

"Any other suggestions?" Everett asked, smoothing out a map.

"As long as it's not in tornado alley, I'm game," I responded.

"We can always move again if we don't like it. It's not like we need money or real estate agents," Baxter said, rolling his eyes.

"Then let's go to Utah."

Everett started mapping out a route that would take us through areas they hadn't put up signs in yet while Genevieve grabbed a few cans of spray paint and started to leave. "Who wants to go with me to tag our old place so people know we survived the damage and where we're headed?"

Baxter volunteered, so I stayed to finish off the snacks and clean up. "So where are we staying? Salt Lake City?" I asked as he marked the map.

He didn't answer right away, he was scratching a math problem off to the side. "I don't know. We could. I think it would be best to find a house big enough for all of us and more, with at least an acre to farm. I'm sure someone wealthy built something we can convert for our needs somewhere in or near the city."

"Cool beans, man, sounds good. So," I said casually. "You and her are a thing?"

"We are in a committed monogamous relationship," he replied sharply, tapping his pen on the table.

"Boo." I blew a raspberry at him. "Lame. You guys ever wanna do anything interesting, let me know."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said, his voice tight and sarcastic. "Pass me that bottle behind you."

I tossed him the water and popped one of the movies I'd lifted from the store into the tv. Happy Gilmore was one of my all-time Sandler favorites, right behind Billy Madison.

He groaned when he realized what was on. "Anything but that, please, Genevieve has watched every movie he's in at least thirty times."

What kind of dude didn't appreciate the Sandman? He had to be one of the most boring people I'd ever met, but I wasn't up for an argument, so I shrugged and swapped it out for South Park.

"Will you turn it off when Vieve gets back? She thinks that show goes a little far."

"And here I thought she was cool for loving Adam Sandler," I grumbled.

I got through two full episodes before he rolled up his map and the girl and Baxter returned, their arms full of things they'd salvaged from the wreckage.

"I think they'll be alright if I wash them. I saved my favorites that weren't torn." She dumped a pile of dresses on a chair and sat beside them, frowning up at the television. "Can we watch something else? Something funny, please?" She glanced sideways at Everett who sighed.

"I will tolerate anything but Adam Sandler," he relented. She whooped and pulled out Get Hard from it's hiding spot under a cushion and unwrapped it.

"You two ok with this?" she asked, holding up the movie.

"Kevin Hart, hell yeah," I said. She wrinkled her nose.

"I actually love the movie in spite of him," she said, taking out South Park and sliding Get Hard in.

"I forgot to tell you they're both incredibly racist- it's why I wasn't allowed to live in the guest room," Baxter said.

Genevieve punched him and grabbed a water bottle. "So who's driving first?" She put her finger on the tip of her nose and we followed suit. Everett was the only one not paying attention.

"I guess it's Everett," she said, grinning. "Who's navigating?"

This time I was last to the nose, so I ended up stuck in the passenger's seat with the map out.