"So, what happened between you and the mechanic?" I look at Abby through the rearview mirror and she wags her eyebrows up and down suggestively.

I scoff. "Bite me, Abby. He's the most conceited guy I've ever met. I'd rather drink boiling hot water than be alone with him one more time."

"That's the start of every romance novel. You've got to admit: he's hella hot." Abby bit her lip and sat back against the seat.

"Yeah, if you're into 'bad boys'." Nick shakes his head, his eyes set on the road in front of him.

"Believe me, Dylan is into bad boys. Once, in high school-"

"I don't think anyone needs to hear that story, Abby." I cut her off before she could finish and she smirked.

"Oh, I remember that guy." Owen chimed in, squinting his eyes at the setting sunlight. "The mechanic actually reminded me a lot of him."

I slam my head back on the headrest to my seat.

"Bad boys, huh?" Nick asked in a low voice so the other's couldn't hear.

"Well, you know, good boys are just as nice." I shrug my shoulders nonchalantly but my cheeks were flushed hot.

The corner of his lips turned up into a smile. "Good to know." He glanced at me for a second, but I pretended I wasn't staring.

"And he fixed this car in like twenty minutes? He's a motherfucking hero." Owen nodded at Abby's statement.

"Would y'all shut up about the hot mechanic? Maybe we should figure out what to do once we get to Vegas. No money, remember?"

"Don't worry, I prepaid for a room. All we need to do is check-in." Owen told us and I let out a breath of relief.

The thought of finally getting a hot shower and sleeping in a real bed made my heart flutter in ways I couldn't describe. At least from there we'll be able to figure out what to do about getting money.

~ ~ ~

The sun had completely fell behind the horizon by the time we actually made it to Vegas. Without a GPS, we were kind of just driving around aimlessly like chickens with our heads cut off. Owen and Abby argue about which way to turn everytime the road forked off, but Nick and I never listened to them. He went the way his gut told him and it ended up working in the end. I determined it was about eight in the evening when we pulled up to the hotel. Nick parked the car on the side of the road in front of the building and the four of us stepped out.

"Finally, civilization!" Abby cheered as she basically threw herself out of the car. I thought she was about to go around kissing the cheeks of strangers.

"Shut up, Abby! My head is pounding and your annoying voice isn't helping. It sounds like a fucking pterodactyl screeching." Owen rubbed his temples, his eyes squinting at the bright lights the city around us shone.

"You know what, Owen. I apologized for giving you a concussion, but honestly, what do you want from me? I can't reverse time." She placed her hands on her hips, walking around the car to Owen.

"And thank God for that because you'd somehow fuck that up too." Abby gasped.

"Both of you need to stop bickering before I cut your tongues off." I interpose between them, my hand reached out towards the other in an attempt to halt them.

"You know what, Owen, you're an ass." Abby provoked, taking a step back from my hand. People walking by were staring at us.

"Oh I'm sorry, I'm an ass? Oh yeah, I just love having brain damage because my friend decided to be a prick and scare me into waking up. Maybe if you thought things through a little more, we wouldn't be here right now with no fucking money."

"Guys! Seriously, stop! We're here, okay? We're at the hotel. Let's just check in and sleep in real beds tonight. Then tomorrow we can figure out how to get in contact with Owen's dad." I switch my glances between them and they both mumble inaudible 'fines'. "Good, now let's go."

I walk back over to Nick, who was watching the whole thing silently, and we make our way to the revolving glass doors. The inside was grand and luxurious with marble floors and white walls. The ceiling was high with a chandelier hanging down from the ceiling. Important looking people were bustling around the lobby, some stepping off the elevator and some waiting to step on. The receptionist looked older, maybe mid-thirties with natural red hair that was tired back into a ponytail. She was wearing a nametag that read Stephanie.

Owen walked in front of us and leaned against the receptionist desk. "Hi, we'd like to check in."

Stephanie looking the four of us up and down: Nick with his skin and shirt stained with oil, Abby with no shoes, me with oil on the back of my neck and dirt on my pants, and Owen with heavy bags under his eyes.

She forced a smile. "Name?"

"Owen Nixon." Stephanie typed something on her computer.

"It says here you were supposed to check in yesterday evening." She said slowly, turning her head back to look at Owen.

"Yeah, see, long story--" He started with a nervous chuckle. Stephanie didn't laugh. Owen cleared his throat. "We accidentally booked the wrong flight so we ended up in Reno and while we were at the airport our stuff got stolen and so we had to rent a car for like fifty bucks from some guy named Jeff but his car broke down so we had to sleep in the car but in the morning this nice couple picked us up and treated us to breakfast and she let me use her phone but I couldn't remember my dad's number so we had to walk to a mechanic and pay him to fix our car with the money the couple gave us but he was a real douchebag but anyways he fixed our car but we didn't have a GPS or anything to direct us here so we kind of just had to guess but we figured it out and now we're here."

Stephanie watched as Owen took a breath for air. "I'm sorry, but you missed check-in so we gave your room to someone else. Your money will be refunded."

Owen slammed his head on the desk. "Ow!" He exclaimed, his voice muffled.

"Come on, Owen." I rubbed his back soothingly, lightly lifting his head back up and walking him to the doors.

"Great, what are we going to do now?" Abby threw her hands up and let them fall back down, slapping her thighs.

"We're just going to have to sleep in the car again-"

But just as the words left my mouth, I noticed a yellow flashing light from the corner of my eye. I look over and see a tow truck lifting the back of our car off the ground.

"No, no, no--' I let go of Owen and run towards the truck. "Hey! Stop!"

The guy watching our car being lifted was probably in his mid-forties, his hair black and curly. He was heavier, a beer gut poking out under his grey shirt. He was holding a grey square with buttons on it and a black wire connected it to the truck.

Nick ran up behind me. "That's our car!"

"Sorry, kid, you parked in a no parking zone." The man tells us without even looking in our direction.

"What? Where does it say that?" Nick raised his eyebrows were furrowed towards each other.

The man points his finger down the street just a few feet, his eyes still set on our car. We look over and sure enough, there was a red and white sign that said NO PARKING.

Nick shoves his hands in his pockets, "I didn't see that."

"Obviously." The man said and I rolled my eyes.

"Look, we'll move the car, can you just let us off with a warning?" I batted my eyes and roll out my bottom lip, trying my best puppy dog face. It always worked on my father.

"Can't do that." He released the button the square and the truck's hook froze with the back of our car hanging from it. "You can pick it up from the garage tomorrow after you pay the $200 fine."

"$200?" I gasped, "We can't afford that."

The man shrugged. "Sorry." He mumbled as he walked back over to his truck.

"You have to be kidding me." I mumble, wrapping my arms around myself as I watch the tow truck drive away with our car.

Nick's breathing was returning to normal from the run we had just made, the yellow flashing lights reflecting off his eyes as he watched the car disappear beside me. People were walking up and down past us, some giving us dirty looks for being in their way. I didn't care. All I could feel was the undeniable and overwhelming sensation of impending doom that washed over me at that very moment as I watched that tow truck drive away with our car.

It felt like the world was punishing me. Whatever we did, something went wrong. Maybe this was God punishing me for having pre-marital sex with a stranger. Maybe this is my karma for being a slut.

Nick turned towards me as I started sobbing, two tears rolling down my cheeks. I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart aching with anxiety and pure fear. He wrapped his arms around me and I snuggled my face between his shoulder and neck.

"It's okay, it's okay," He repeated into my ear. "Everything is going to be fine."

I sobbed into him, not caring if I sounded like a dying walrus or if I looked crazy. I was sad and I just couldn't hold it anymore. I wanted to talk to him about everything. I wanted to just lift everything off my shoulders, but I couldn't. I didn't know how.

I heard the footsteps of Owen and Abby on the pavement, but no words were exchanged. I imagined the faces they were making to communicate with each other, as if speaking would make me cry even harder.

I pulled back out of Nick's embrace, immediately missing it but I wipe the tears from my cheeks anyways. The three of them watched me like I was a glass doll sitting on the edge of a shelf.

"You okay, Dylan?" Abby questioned and I nodded.

"I'm fine." I rubbed my eyes. "What are we going to do?" I cross my arms over my chest and sniff the snot that had built up in my nose.

"Who knows." Owen said heavily, walking over to lean against the wall of the hotel.

"We're literally homeless." Abby threw her hands up as if yelling at God or some kind of higher power.

"Okay, I know this seems bad," Nick started and we all looked at him expectantly. "I don't know where I was going with that."

We all groan and I let my head fall down.

"I guess we'll have to resort to dumpster diving." Abby mumbles and I roll my eyes.

"Come on, guys, we're in Vegas! Let's walk around while we think about what to do." Nick proposed and I sighed.

We started roaming around the streets of Las Vegas aimlessly in the dark. It wasn't long until we ended up on Fremont street where all the commotion was. The streets were packed with people, some performers, some dressed as celebrities and other were just tourists like us. There was a zip line that went across the sky just above us, causing the occasional screams from people passing by. Bright lights flashed from signs and I stared in awe.

There were a lot of people passing by and squeezing through so I gripped onto Nick's arm so I wouldn't get separated from him. I felt his breath quicken against my arm.

We walked around for a while and my mood gradually got better. There were so many interesting people and brilliant performers. I even saw an Elvis impersonator just walking by me. We stumble across an acoustic guitar just sitting against a wall of a restaurant. There was a psychic sitting at a foldable table just a few feet away from it. She looked like she was in her mid-forties with platinum blonde hair and a crazy assortment of jewels on her clothes. She was busy trying to catch the attention of a man and a girl, telling them she can see their future together.

"Oh cool," Nick stepped over to the guitar. "Did someone just leave this here?"

"Who knows," Abby said, folding her arms over her chest.

Nick picked it up and examined it close up. Then, he positioned it under his right arm and held it by the neck with his left arm.

"Do you play?" I asked, stepping closer to him so he could hear me over the other people talking.

"A litte," He tells me with a smile, strumming a few cordst to show that he's not lying.

"Play something for us." Owen intervened and I nodded.

"Yeah, play us something." I smiled as his turned pink.

"Uh okay," He positioned his fingers on the frets and strummed his right fingers on the strings by the waist.

"She's the girl that no one ever knows." He starts to sing, making me gasp. The voice was soft and smooth like honey. It sent shivers down my spine. "And I say hi, but she's too shy to say hello. She's just waiting for that one to take her hand and shake her up." He glanced up from the guitar and his eyes connected with mine. "I bet I could."

"I wish my heart was always on her mind. 'Cause she's on mine like all day, all the time. Forget me not, forget me now. I've come too far to turn around. I'm here tonight." I realized he was singing Say You Like Me by We The Kings.

I told him it was one of my favorite songs a few months ago.

I bobbed my head to the music coming through my earbud as I scribbled down what the professor was saying. My notebook was almost completely filled with notes I'll probably never look at again.

Nick nudged my shoulder with his pencil and I gave him a dirty look. "What are you listening to?"

"None of your business." I told him in a playful but snarky tone.

He smiled. "Come on, tell me. It can't be that bad."

I rested my head on my hand, propping my elbow on the table. "No, it's not bad. I have amazing taste in music."

"I'll be the judge of that." He smirked and held out his hand, palm up towards the sky.

I roll my eyes with a smile and give him the left side of my earbuds.

"'Cause I'm never going down, I'm never giving up. I'm never gonna leave, so put your hands up. If you like me, then say you like me. I'm never going down, I'm never giving up. I'm never gonna leave, so put your hands up. If you like me, then say you like me." The earbuds sang into our ears and I watched Nick's face her his reaction.

He smiled. "I like it. What's it called?"

"Say You Like Me by We The Kings. It's one of my favorite songs." I told him and he smiled at me.

I could feel my face heating up so I looked down at my paper to cover the smile pulling at my lips. We listened to that song on repeat for the rest of the class.

"'Cause I'm never going down, I'm never giving up. I'm never gonna leave, so put your hands up. If you like me, then say you like me. I'm never going down, I'm never giving up. I'm never gonna leave, so put your hands up. If you like me, then say you like me." Nick sings, his eyes looking into mine.

My heart stopped. I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was looking into his soul, and he was looking into mine. My stomach was doing flips but it was exhilarating. I got so lost in his eyes that I hadn't noticed that a crowd was forming around us. People stopped to watch Nick as he sang, his fingers strumming the chords. His eyes never left mine. People started tossing coins and dollar bills on the ground in front of him, but he didn't bat an eye.

"It's time to fall into my arms, 'cause I've been waiting for too long. You're an angel, grab your halo, and let's fly tonight."

I couldn't believe this was happening. He had to have practiced this day and night to be able to play without sheet music. He didn't even know the song when I showed it to him and now he can play it by heart.

"Just say you like me." He finishes the song with a line that sends chills through my whole body.

The crowd explodes in applause and Nick blinks in surprise. He smiles and thanks the crowd, picking up the change that was thrown his way off the ground.

"How much did you get?" Abby asked as the crowd started to diminish.

"Twenty-three bucks." Nick counted out, breathing deeply.

"Holy shit, just from one song? That's enough for a buffet, right?" Abby cheered, clapping her hands together.

"Hey! Hey you!" We all turn around and see a guy, probably our age with a growing beard and shaggy hair running up towards us. "That's my guitar!"

Nick glanced down at the guitar in his hand and then back up at the fuming man. "Oh, I'm sorry. It was just sitting there-"

"I don't care, you just stole all my tips. How am I supposed to follow that act?" The man yanks the guitar from Nick's hand and storms off into the crowd.

"I didn't know you could play guitar." I said as Nick turned back from watching the man walk away.

Nick's face lit up in a pink color and she shoved his hands in his pockets timidly. "Yeah, my mom taught me when I was younger."

"You're really good. I've always wanted to learn guitar." I smiled up as Owen and Abby bickered over how to spend the tips Nick just made.

He smiled. "I'll teach you sometime."