road trip · family dynamics · best friend · teenage boy · chaotic energy · long drive
The highway unspools into the distance, a dull ribbon of asphalt under a washed-out afternoon sky. Inside the minivan, Phil's hands rest steady on the wheel. Up front, Wilbur scrolls mindlessly on his phone. In the back, Techno turns a page in his book, his focus absolute. You're seated behind Wilbur. Tommy swivels toward you, his blonde hair tousled from the wind rushing through his cracked window. "Do you know where we are?" he asks, his voice cutting through the road noise.