"Ready to go?" Robbie asked, closing the trunk of his SUV. Rebecca (Becca for short) nodded, zipping up her coat to keep warm.
"Yeah let's get going. Mom and Dad are already on their way and we don't want to be late."
The brother and sister piled into the car with Robbie in the driver's seat. They were on their way to a family Christmas party, and because Robbie had the biggest car out of anyone in their household, he had been chosen to transport the food and drinks they would be bringing to the party. He was dressed smartly-but warmly- in dark denim jeans, an emerald green sweater, and a brown coat. He had even slicked back his dark brown hair for the occasion.
Becca wiggled her toes in her black boots and she mentally cursed herself for wearing a dress instead of pants. As soon as Robbie started the car, she cranked the heat. Before buckling in, she took off her black coat and set it on her lap. Little flecks of snow melted as they fluttered from her coat to her legs clad in black tights, and left little droplets on her dark red sweater dress. They lived in Colorado, and the snow had been heavier than ever that year. That was another bonus to Becca riding with Robbie- his car had 4 wheel drive and could easily navigate the slick roads. Robbie backed out of the driveway and Becca turned on the radio, playing some Christmas carols.
"How long should it take to get to Nana's?" Becca asked.
"Maybe a half hour? I want to drive slower than usual just in case the road is icy. Better to be safe than sorry." Becca nodded and sent a text to their parents, letting them know that the food may need to be reheated in the oven.
The drive began quietly with Becca staring out the window. The trees had long ago lost their leaves, and their bare branches twisted ominously into the dark sky. She focused her attention to the radio and to her brother, his hands resting on the wheel. The soft blue glow of the lights in the car relaxed her and she crossed her legs.
"It's really coming down," Robbie observed. At first the asphalt was speckled with white flakes, but as they drove on, less and less of the black pavement was visible. Becca checked the time on her phone.
"We'll be there in 20 minutes, it's no big deal, right?" She asked nervously. Robbie nodded, but he didn't seem so sure.
"Final year in high school, huh? Where have you been thinking about applying?" Robbie was two years older than Becca and was halfway through college. It was Becca's senior year, she had just had her 18th birthday party that October.
"That's for me to know, and you to find out," she said, laughing. The truth was, most applications weren't open for submission until Spring and she had no idea where she wanted to go to college. She missed having her brother around, they had always been close. She'd considered trying to get into the University Robbie attended, but she didn't want to be a burden on him and his friends.
"I miss you, Becs. You know I wouldn't mind it if you came to school with me. Just don't date any of my friends," he teased.
"I don't think that will be a problem," she said laughing, "I haven't dated anybody yet and even if I did date in college, I certainly wouldn't go after your bros." She used her fingers to put air quotes around the word "bros". They were back in their groove again, bantering the way they would before Robbie went off to college. Some of the anxiety Becca had been harboring in the pit of her stomach dissipated.
"Shit," Robbie said under his breath. Becca looked up from her manicured nails (simple french tips, she was a classy girl after all) and at the road. It was becoming more and more difficult to tell where the road ended and the snow banks began. The snow was coming down harder now.
"You have gear in the back just in case, right?" Becca asked. The two had lived in Colorado practically their entire lives. They had been taught to keep water bottles, heated blankets that could be plugged into the cars outlets, hand warmers, a first aid kit, and various other supplies in the trunks of their cars. Especially during the winter time.
"Of course. Mom and Dad made sure I stocked up before going to college. But I'd definitely rather make it to Nana's and sleep on her air mattress than crash in the back of the car," Robbie said, wrinkling his nose. "Even if her guest room does smell like her cat."
The car slowed to a crawl. "How far are we?" Becca asked nervously.
"Well, if I keep driving at this speed, we are back to 20 minutes. Call Mom and see if the roads there are any better. Maybe we can tough it out.
Becca called their Mom. When she asked about the roads her mother grimly advised them to turn around and head back home if at all possible.
"I think we're stuck. The road behind us is just as bad as the road in front of us," Becca told her mother.
"Okay sweetie, well Robbie should have plenty of supplies in the back seat. Keep us updated. Pull over and ride it out if you can, wait for the plows in the morning. Don't worry about the food, go ahead and eat it for dinner."
Becca huffed and hung up the phone. "Did you get all that?" She asked, looking at Robbie.
"Yep. Okay, let me find a section of the road where we can pull off. We don't want someone to crash into us by accident." He pulled into a wooded area on the side of a straight stretch of road. The two got out of the car and put emergency reflectors around the vehicle so they would be easy to spot, but they hadn't seen any cars in miles. They both shivered as they opened the trunk and put the backseats down, which made the back of the car roughly the size of a queen sized bed. Their hands were turning pink as they hurriedly laid out the blankets, climbed in, and shut the trunk.
"I'm going to blast the heat, can you take care of the blankets?" Becca asked. Robbie nodded, and Becca bent over the front seat to reach the keys in the ignition. Robbie caught a glance of Becca's shapely ass as she leaned over. The sweater dress, while modest, still curved to fit her figure and Becca was on the dance team at school. She was in great shape. Robbie quickly looked away and felt a pang of guilt, he plugged in the blankets and waited for them to heat up. They both removed their shoes and jackets and placed them at the end of the car in front of the trunk. It was just as warm- if not a little warmer- than they would be if they were indoors.
"As long as we crank the heat every once in a while and keep the blankets on, we should be fine for the night. Are you hungry?" Robbie asked. Becca shook her head no, and sent a text letting their Mom know everything was okay.
"So, why haven't you dated anyone? Did something happen?" Robbie probed. He missed talking to his sister, and regretted not being there to protect her.
