Writing and Photography by Jeff E. Brown

The test wasn’t going to be the trip itself. It was going to be the time in the car. Nine hours on a mostly desolate highway and the playlist would only provide so much cover. They’d only been dating for six weeks, so how she let him talk her into a road trip of all things was really blowing her mind. She wasn’t drunk when she said yes. Was she just trying to do the opposite of what she normally would do, hoping for some sort of karmic boomerang of good results?

It was too late now. They were packing his car for a camping trip and they would have an insane amount of time to talk-more than any couple should rightfully want or need. They were barely a couple at this point, but she figured the trip would either cement that or blow it right up.

She had to avoid politics, not because she didn’t like to talk about it, but because he would get so engaged and eventually fall in love with his own opinions so much that it would never end. Also, no sports. She didn’t care and could not feign interest for any man. They could stick with movies and books, but that wouldn’t last too long and they had nine freaking hours to cover. Charge the phone and all hail the playlist.

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