Blog 9: Sunset Grill

Spring finally arrived back at her car, miraculously still sitting there on the curb. Of course, there was a ticket. $200. Not as bad as it could be.
The ticket triggered the image of the check. $10,000.
All the things she could do with $10,000. Spring could only focus on one.
But she hadn't taken it. She'd refused, but Linda insisted. So, when she'd fallen asleep again, Spring left it there on the bedside table. She couldn't take $1,000 from a stranger, not even though she'd saved her life.
Spring fumbled in her purse for her keys, finally producing them and getting into her car. She lifted the keys to the ignition to start it. 
Spring jumped at the ring of her phone. She'd almost forgotten about it. She hadn't spoken to someone on her phone in days. Not that she usually got many phone calls.
She answered. "Spring?" It was Spencer's voice.
"This is Spencer Daey. You bought a car from me a while back."
Spring was silent. Spencer had been ignoring her. And the last time she'd called him, she'd left a message sounding like a total lunatic. Now he thought she didn't even remember him.
She realized she'd been silent for several seconds. "Oh yes!" she said, trying to recover from the awkward pause.
"One, I'd like to apologize. I'm sorry for yelling at you."
Spring was silent. She didn't know how to respond. She felt she should be sorry for bothering him in the first place.
"Two, I need a favor."
Spring made a noise like a cough mixed with a laugh. What on earth could she do for him?
"I want to go to the Grand Canyon," Spencer said. "I can't drive, I can't use my legs, but I'd like to go there and I need someone to take me. You're the only person I know who has a car. I thought I might ask..."
Again, words didn't come quickly to Spring. "The Grand Canyon?" Spring finally asked. "But why?"
"Because everywhere there is ground. And that's what I want. I want to feel ground, everywhere, all around me, nothing else. Will you go with me?"
Spring was silent. This was crazy. He was crazy.
But, then again, she was sometimes, too. She had a feeling she knew what he meant about ground. When everything was so out of control, she could use some solid soil, too.
"Okay," she said.
"Okay?" Spencer said, almost surprised.
"Okay!" she exclaimed. 
They made plans to meet within the next few hours. They didn't want to waste any time.
Spring hung up, giddy from the conversation.
There was just one problem, she realized. Her car didn't work. The one reason he called her of all people, her car, and it wasn't working. Or, at least, it hadn't the last time she'd tried.
She sighed. "Here we go," she said. She put the key in the ignition and turned.
The engine hummed beautifully, no, gloriously to life. Spring nearly screamed in excitement. All she needed was to swing by her house to grab some clothes and equipment. 
Trish, unfortunately, was at the door to meet her.
"Spring, where the HELL have you been?!" she screamed.
"No time, Trish," Spring said.
"What do  you mean no time! You've been gone two days and you have nothing to say! And you cursed at me when you left! I want you out! I want you out of here!" Trish gasped for air after her rant. 
"Fine, Trish, I'll get out. As soon as I get my clothes." Trish's screams followed Spring into her room. Caleb's began to mingle with them. She threw some clothes in a duffle bag and grabbed a sleeping bag, and she was ready.
" -don't even have the courtesy to apologize! And take your goddamn mail with you!" Trish's screams continued. She threw an envelope in Spring's direction.
Spring picked it up. "Linda Powers" was printed in the upper left corner.
Spring ripped it open, but she already had a feeling she knew what was inside.
$10,000.