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CHAPTER EIGHT OF ???

 ❝ the town in the middle of butt fuck nowhere ❞

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THIRD-PERSON POV. THE JANUARY OF 2005. AMBROSE, LOUISIANA.

THE RIDE TO THE SEEMINGLY-MYSTERIOUS TOWN OF AMBROSE WAS NOTHING SHORT OF AWKWARD. Lester sat in the driver's seat, looking at (Name) out of his peripheral vision before looking back out at the road ahead. (Name) sat the closest to Lester, whilst Carly sat on Wade's lap. (Name) fiddled with her thumbs, occasionally looking out the windows. 

The truck had seen better days. And it frankly smelt, but nobody said anything. (Name) eyed a severed pair of deer hooves attached to the rearview mirror. "Can you roll the window down please?" Carly asked, breaking the silence. as Wade tried to roll the window down to get some fresh air into the foul-smelling truck, to no avail.

"Sorry about that," Lester apologised, as the three looked at him. Lester was focused on the road at this point, occasionally sneaking glances at (Name), "Truck's seen better days,". Lester's grin was a morph between impish and boyish, a crossover. It suited him. (Name) casually looked out of the dirty front window, eyeing the clouds. 

"Uh, do you mind rolling down your window then?" Wade sheepishly asked. Lester cast a glance over at Wade, responding with a "not at all", in a Southern drawl, as he rolled down the driver's side window halfway and fresh air flooded the car. (Name) reached into her pocket to get her iPod but then remembered it'd gone. She kept forgetting. 

Her bag sat on the floor between her ankles. It had anything you'd ever need; snack foods, water bottles, a First Aid kit, a map, a flashlight, a phone charger and other trinkets. Oddly, (Name) was staunchly prepared for any scenario, just in case the world ended and she had to live in a post-apocalyptic world forever. Lester kept turning his head to look at (Name), who looked back at him. "Sorry," Lester spoke up, breaking the silence, "I kinda get used to the smell,".

Lester gave (Name) a half-smile, which she returned. Wade and Carly, mostly Carly, were mentally judging (Name), who treated him with kindness. She'd treat those who treated her nicely with kindness and anyone who didn't with violence,  like a kick to the crotch or a punch in the nose. "Really?" (Name) queried, "It'd take me a while to get used to...the smell, no offence,".

"You can get used to anything," Lester mused, "If you're 'round it long enough, sugar,". The truck continued to drive through the country lane, which was surrounded by a seemingly endless forest of towering trees with bright green leaves. (Name) struck up a conversation with Lester about the roadkill. "If you get 'em in the early mornin' before the sun bakes 'em up, they're not too bad. If they're fresh, I just take 'em home. Why waste the meat?".

Lester looked at (Name), hoping to find a nice response from her that deflected the judgy stares from Wade and Carly. "Kickass," (Name) said, "I mean, you do you, man. Your way of living dude, I don't judge you for that. I had an aunt who did taxidermy and I interned at a funeral home,".

Carly frowned at (Name)'s choice of internship during their senior year of high school. "Are we almost there yet?" Carly piped up, clearly eager to get out of Lester's truck and get the fan belt that Wade needed and just forget this whole ordeal ever happened. (Name) didn't blame her.

"It's just up the road," Lester says, going to scratch the back of his neck. (Name)'s eyes lit up as she eyed the Bowie knife in a holster at his hip, "Yep. Ambrose. Used to be a pretty nice town before the interstate came in,". Lester noticed (Name)'s intrigued expression, and a boyish grin found its way onto her face, "You like knives?".

Carly held onto Wade's arm, as they both noticed the knife strapped to Lester's hip. "That is one sweet knife," (Name) complimented. Lester grinned at her. "Tools of the trade," Lester mused, reaching to grab the knife, "You wanna see it?". (Name) nodded, fascinated. Lester was quick to unsheath the knife, as the blade glinted in the sun. 

"That's a Bowie," Lester said, "It's a good knife. That'll cut through anything,". Lester stabbed the knife into the dashboard, making Carly and Wade jump as (Name) grinned in fascination, recalling the pocket knife she had in her bag. The truck came to a sudden stop in front of a washed-out bit of road, making (Name), Carly and Wade jolt forward a little.

"Hey, what's going on, man?" Wade asked, looking over at Lester whilst Carly clung onto Wade for dear life, like a dependent child, "You said there was a town up here,". (Name) squinted her eyes, trying to spot a glimpse of the place she described as "the town in the middle of butt fuck nowhere", or Ambrose. 

Lester was leaning forward, one hand on the steering wheel. "Well, there is," Lester mused, jabbing his index finger at a bend in the road just a few metres in front of the other side of the washed-out part of the road, "Just 'round that bend,". Lester opened the driver's side door, and began to climb out of the truck, "I gotta flip my hubs into four-wheel, do you mind givin' me a hand?".

(Name) opened her mouth to offer him a hand in the task, but was cut off by Carly making yet another rude-toned comment, half-glaring at Lester. "When's the last time you were here?" Carly asked, as (Name) sharply elbowed her. 

Lester leaned against the doorframe of the car, letting on another charming, boyish grin. "What? You don't believe me?" Lester laughed, half-amused, "I forgot this way was washed out, that's all,". (Name) and Lester made eye contact, briefly, before (Name) turned her head to look over at Carly and Wade.

Wade let out a sharp breath of exhale. "We'll walk the rest of the way then, thank you," Wade decided, to Carly's relief and (Name)'s chagrin, "You've done enough,". Lester scoffed at Wade's comment as (Name) gripped the sleeve of her denim jacket.

"Well, why would you wanna do that?" Lester queried, in his thick Southern drawl. (Name) was getting slightly annoyed, not at Lester or Wade, the latter of which was trying to go about things politely, but at Carly, who was just straight-up being rude. "Look, we wanna walk, so just let us out. Now," Carly demanded.

Lester's smile faltered. "Sure," Lester spoke. (Name) felt a chill fall down her spine, as Carly's rude nature had most likely upset Lester. Lester leaned forward and grabbed the Bowie knife from the dashboard and put it back in its holster at his hip, closing the driver's side door. 

"Carly," (Name) said in a whispered tone, looking over resentfully at the strawberry blonde, who looked back at the (hair colour) girl, "If we get murdered in the middle of butt fuck nowhere because you pissed him off, I'm kicking your ass in the afterlife, got it?". Carly gulped nervously, holding onto Wade's arm.

Lester walked around the back of the truck until he reached the passenger side door, as Wade began to fiddle with his seatbelt. Lester opened the truck door, looking annoyed at Carly and Wade, "Well, get out then," Lester snapped, as Carly was the first to get out, followed by Wade. "Try and do somethin' nice for someone,".

(Name) grabbed her bag and slung it over one of her shoulders, annoyed when Wade shut the door behind him. She glared at him through the dirtied window glass, as Wade tried to reassure Lester that it wasn't like that, but Lester bit back with a sarcastic comment. (Name) opened the door when Carly and Wade were already crossing over bits of rock in the washed-out road.

She hopped out of the car and looked at Lester, whose annoyed and upset look vanished when she got out, closing the door behind her. "Sorry about them," (Name) said, half-smiling, "They're just...well, arseholes sometimes. Maybe not Wade, but more likely Carly. She's got the looks but no personality to match with it,".

Lester half-chuckled at (Name)'s comment. "It's fine," Lester reassured, "You shouldn't have to apologise for them, sugar. Some people just don't appreciate others' ways of life,". (Name) dug into her bag and grabbed a sharpie and a scrap of paper, writing her phone number on it, and handing it to Lester, whose eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Here," (Name) said, as Lester took a scrap of paper out of (Name)'s open palm, accepting it with a boyish grin, "Call me. Maybe we could meet up when I drive up from Florida next time, Lester,". (Name) waved goodbye to Lester, shoving the sharpie back into the back and zipping it up, as she began to cross over the bits of rock to catch up with Carly and Wade. 

Maybe. Lester had thought to himself as he watched (Name) leave, catching up to Wade and Carly, leaning against the hood of his silver-coloured, red-doored truck. Just maybe Bo and Vincent could spare her.