Page 55

"Well, I'm getting a room. If you all want to sleep in the car, go ahead," Sunshine said with a shrug. "You know, it's not exactly safe sleeping in a car," she added, looking back at Butterfly. "Someone could come along and steal the car with you in it!"

Butterfly's eyes nearly popped.

"That's ridiculous," Crystal said.

"So it's ridiculous. Learn the hard way if you want," Sunshine replied.

We drove on in silence, the sky darkening as storm clouds continued to drift over us. Finally, a motel came into view.

"This is a good enough place, not too busy. They'll be happy to see us. Let's get a room and get some pizza delivered," Sunshine said.

"I guess it will be okay," Raven said

reluctantly. She looked at me. I glanced at Crystal, who was fuming, her arms folded across her chest, her face turned to the window.

"This is a democracy," I declared. "We'll vote. All in favor of stopping here for the night, say aye." Everyone but Crystal did. "The aye's have it."

"Since when does she vote for us?" Crystal asked.

"She gets a vote. She's paying," Raven insisted.

"Do what you want," Crystal moaned.

I pulled into the motel entrance driveway and Sunshine stepped out.

"This won't take long," she said. We watched her go into the office.

"How can she have a credit card, Brooke? She has no permanent address. She stole it for sure and we're letting her use it," Crystal pointed out.

"She's signing everything, not us," Raven said.

"You're letting her take over. We're going to get into more and more trouble," Crystal predicted.

"We're on the road. We have to survive. I don't want to go back, do you?" Raven challenged. "Do you, Brooke?"

"Of course not," I said.

"Me neither," Butterfly said.

"Let her do something for us in return for picking her up," Raven concluded. It was obvious that Raven didn't want us to jump to conclusions about Sunshine--she believed everyone deserved a chance to prove themselves.

We watched the office door. After another five minutes, Sunshine emerged, smiling, holding up a room key. She got into the car.

"Drive over to 32," she said. "Straight ahead."

"There wasn't any problem?" I asked.

"No. Why should there be?"

"You had identification?" Crystal asked skeptically.

"Sure. I have lots of identification," Sunshine said with a laugh. She opened her bag and produced a few licenses, other credit cards and even a college I.D. The college I.D. had her picture on it.

"Where did you get all that?" Raven asked.

"I.D.'s R Us. Where do you think?" she replied with a laugh. "Some of this friends got me. Some I got myself. If you're all nice, I'll tell you how to do it. And guess what, the clerk said there's a great pizza delivery place nearby. I can't wait to take a hot shower. Oh, the manager is willing to bring over a foldout cot. I guess you guys are used to sleeping together, so I'll use the cot."

No one objected. Just as Sunshine had told us, the manager, a young, balding man followed, rolling a cot into the room. He handed Sunshine the extra bed linen.