3,000 Steps on the Highway Chapter 2

Since I was so light, I caught up to my parents' car really fast.

They were taking a break at the rest stop. The table was covered in delicious food.

Mommy was gently trying to get my brother to drink some hot water.

"It's freezing outside, Leo. You have to drink something warm."

My brother took a reluctant sip. I swallowed hard. I really, really wanted a sip of hot water too.

"Mommy, I want some too."

I begged timidly, but Mommy didn't react at all.

She fed my brother water and peeled fruit for him.

It was like she couldn't even see me.

I choked back my sadness.

Suddenly, my dad checked his watch and frowned.

"We've been at this rest stop for an hour. Why isn't Lily here yet? Do you think something happened?"

My heart leapt.

Daddy finally remembered me!

"Daddy, I saw a really big truck, and I was too tired to run, and the truck..."

I tried to shout it as loud as I could.

But Mommy just sounded annoyed. "Arthur, it's only a mile and a half. It's not that far."

"If it were Leo, he would have run here ages ago."

"She’s been lazy and manipulative since she was born. This is exactly the kind of physical discipline she needs!"

My brother nodded in agreement.

He wasn't just a math genius; he was super athletic too.

"She's already dumb. If she doesn't exercise, she's gonna be a sickly burden to us later," he sneered.

My brother made fun of me all the time. That math question in the car was just a trap to laugh at me.

Usually, I just grinned at him like an idiot and didn't get mad. He was my big brother, after all.

But this time, I was actually angry.

I yelled at him, "No I'm not! You're a big meanie!"

If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been kicked out of the car in the dark.

My dad hesitated. He looked out the window at the thick fog, but then his brow relaxed.

"A mile and a half takes an adult about 20 to 35 minutes to walk. Factoring in the environmental conditions, it makes sense that a kid would take a bit longer."

Hearing my dad say that made my chest feel tight.

I was always getting sick. I got winded just walking a few blocks on a normal day, let alone taking 3,000 steps in freezing temperatures without a coat.

But they seemed to forget all of that. They decided to keep waiting.

They waited for another whole hour. Even my brother got impatient.

He threw a tantrum, demanding that my dad start driving.

Just then, a couple walked into the rest stop. Their conversation interrupted my brother's whining.

"We specifically left at 4 AM to avoid traffic, and we still got stuck."

"That accident back there was horrific. They said the person's brains were completely crushed. And it was just a little kid..."

Hearing that, my dad flinched violently.

My mom looked slightly panicked. She quickly pulled out her phone.

Seeing the little dot on the GPS map still moving, she let out a massive sigh of relief.

Then, her panic morphed into fury.

"That camera I bought her doesn't just record, it has a built-in GPS."

"Look! She's moving way too fast to be walking. She definitely put on a pathetic act and hitched a ride with a stranger! She is so disobedient!"

"We're not waiting for her anymore. We're leaving right now. If she's so smart, she can have whoever she scammed drive her all the way to her grandparents' house!"

Hearing this, I panicked.

"Mommy, no!"

"I didn't! That's an ambulance! I didn't hitch a ride!"

But Mommy couldn't hear me.

She zipped my brother's coat up tight and dragged my dad back to their car.

I cried as I floated after them.

The sound of ambulance sirens seemed to be getting closer and closer, but my dad floored the gas pedal and took the exit ramp off the highway.

The car quickly arrived at my grandparents' house.

I happily tried to jump into my grandparents' arms, but I phased right through them.