The Road Trip

Chapter 1
The Road Trip - Prologue

Chapter Description: Everyone gets ready for the road trip.

“Ok, is everybody packed up?” Jenine shouted across the house as she zipped up the small duffel bag on the table before her. Inside was a change of clothes, snacks, drinks, and an ipad for when Lucas got bored. She took one last look across the table, there were two bags in front of her; the duffel bag that she just packed, and Lucas’ backpack that she had filled with his clothes. 

“Right here mama.” Lucas piped up from besides her, in his hands were the tattered sock monkey that he’d had for the past two years. 

Jenine smiled before kneeling down to meet her son at his eye level, “Of course, we couldn’t forget about Joey could we.” She kissed him on the forehead before taking the small monkey and placing it on top of the bag. She looked down at Lucas again and a thought ran through her head, “I might want to pack some pull ups, last time we took this trip he almost didn’t make it to Shauna’s house”. She paused before speaking to Lucas again, “Now go wait on the couch for Mommy ok?” Lucas smiled before doing a little trot over to the couch and flopping on top of it, his legs weren’t strong enough for him to jump on top so he climbed up and rolled over onto it. Jenine turned around and walked out of the kitchen and through the main hallway that ran across the house, both walls on the sides of it acting as barriers between the three bedrooms and the bathroom. She peaked through every door as she walked by, in Lucas and Jeff’s room Jeff sat on his bed playing his Nintendo DS, she leaned in and spoke, “Got everything ready buddy?” Jeff looked up and nodded, “Alright go wait on the couch for me and Mark.” 

Jeff stood up, grabbing his backpack and exited the room as Jenine watched him, he flopped on the couch and began playing his game again. Jenine turned around and walked down the hall to Mark’s room. Mark was busy squatting down, trying to fit something inside his backpack as Jenine watched, she leaned in and spoke, “You ready to go bud?” but Mark didn’t hear her. She spoke a little louder, “Mark?” still no response. Jenine rolled her eyes before entering his room, as she got closer she could see that Mark had his headphones in and was probably listening to some music. 

She sighed before tapping on his shoulder, Mark jumped a little before turning around to see her, quickly taking his headphones out. “Wh- what?”

Jenine crossed her arms, “I asked if you were ready.” and looked at him expectedly.

Mark stuttered a bit, “Oh- oh yeah sorry I was trying to make everything fit. Gimme like 2 minutes and I’ll be ready.”

Jenine leaned over to see what Mark was trying to stuff in his backpack, it was some kind of game console. She sighed before asking, “Aunt Shauna’s place has a huge backyard and it’s right off of a lake, can’t you and Erik find something to do that isn’t video games?”

Mark, a little flustered, responded, “Well yeah but Erik wants to play Soldier Boy 4!” He saw that his response didn’t change his mother’s expression. “Ok look, I promise we’ll go swimming ok?”

Jenine sighed before responding, “Fine, but you have to take Lucas with you when you do.”

Mark grunted, “But what if he poops himself again?”

Jenine gave him a wry smile, “Well I guess you’ll just have to change his diapers huh?” Before flicking him on the ear and walking away. She then turned around, “Five minutes ok?” and Mark nodded. 

Jenine entered her and Ethan’s room to see Ethan lost in his work on his computer, she turned and entered her closet to find Lucas’s Pull Ups and grabbed them, she turned and approached Ethan who also had his headphones in and tapped him on the shoulder. He took them off and looked up at her, “We’re taking off, ok?”

Ethan nodded before speaking up, “Have a safe drive ok?”

She nodded, “We will.” and kissed him on the cheek before turning to leave. 

Mark exited his room and sat on the couch with Lucas, & Jeff. He then watched his mom walk toward the bag, unzip it, and place the pull ups inside. Then she looked at her three sons, all waiting on her, and said, “All right, ready?”