Drive Me Crazy Read Free Page B

in the middle of Pennsylvania for toilets and treats four hours later, Kate was convinced that she had died and gone to hell. Absolutely everything she had envisioned for their girls’ road trip had soured into a giant disappointment.
    Alexis was snippy (she refused to wear her glasses, and straining to see highway signs had given her a headache); Sierra was distant and quiet (Kate knew her parents’ split was bugging her, but Kate couldn’t talk to her about it with Adam lurking around); and Adam was rude, sarcastic, and condescending (translation: asshole). As far as Kate was concerned, the start of their highly anticipated road trip had been four of the worst hours of her life. She’d spent most of them folded into her corner of the car, trying to put as much distance as possible between her body and Adam’s.
    “Only one toilet works, so we’ll have to flip to see who gets to test the waters.” Adam was swinging a giant rubber fish with a key attached to it. He had been sent inside the gas station to find out where the loo was located. “I, personally, am relieved that I stand to pee.”
    “I’ll go first.” Kate rolled her eyes at Adam and grabbed the limp fish from his hand. “I brought seat covers.”
    “Of course you did.” Sierra laughed. “I’m coming with you.”
    “Me too.” Alexis grabbed Kate’s hand. “See ya, Adam. Girls pee with partners.”
    When they were safely out of earshot, Alexis blurted out, “What’s with you, Kat?”
    “What do you mean?” Kate pulled out a tissue to open the door to the bathroom. The knob was grimy, and pieces of the tissue stuck to the metal when she twisted her hand away.
    “I mean, why are you being so abrasive to Adam? What’s your deal with him?” Alexis held the door open, and Sierra and Kate followed her into the restroom. The smell of cigarettes and sanitizer was overpowering. The size of the room made the disgusting toilet cowering in one corner look miniature. There was a machine on the wall dispensing Purple Passion condoms, and next to that was a wooden sign that said: WOMEN ARE LIKE FISH : THE BIGGER, THE BETTER .
    “My deal is he bugs me. He’s rude, arrogant, and is ruining our road trip.”
    Sierra held her hand out for a seat protector, which Kate proudly pulled from her bag. “Ladies, turn away. I’ll go first.” Sierra laid the thin piece of paper over the toilet seat and groaned when it soaked up little wet puddles that had been camouflaged on the black seat. “This is disgusting—I’m squatting.”
    Alexis and Kate turned to face the condom machine to give Sierra some privacy. Alexis nudged Kate’s foot with her own. “So you’re saying that you are already convinced you’re going to have a crap time on this trip, just because Adam is here?”
    “Do you feel like things are off to a great start?”
    “No, but I think that’s because—” Alexis cut off as Sierra flushed the toilet with her foot.
    Sierra piped up from behind them. “Because you’re being a brat, Kate. Do you need to be so argumentative? I mean, he asked if anyone was hungry this morning, and you told him you’d rather starve than share his bag of pretzels. That’s just sort of mean. I know he’s not your favorite person, but maybe you could give him a chance, and see if things could be a little more…”
    “Fun for everyone?” Alexis finished.
    “So now it’s my fault that our girls’ road trip is ruined?” Kate couldn’t decide if she wanted to scream or cry. How could her friends not see her side? “You’re saying that since I think Adam is annoying, I’m the one ruining the trip?”
    Alexis moved toward the toilet for her turn. “God, this is gross. No, Kat, that’s not what we’re saying. I guess I’m just wondering why he bothers you so much. You’re not usually like this, and he’s not that unbearable.”
    “You know I’ve hated him since middle school. And now he’s always just such a prick that I can’t really get past