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The road was almost deserted, only occasionally interrupted by cyclists or the rare car passing by, raising clouds of dust. The sunlight reflected off the ground, flooding everything around with a soft golden glow.
— I don't think this was such a great idea... — the girl muttered, glancing towards the bushes where her friend had hidden with the appearance-modifying remote they had stolen from the lab just yesterday, after going "on an adventure" following the party.
— Are you kidding me?! — he replied, peeking out from behind the branches with a wide grin. — This is an awesome idea! Just look at you! We’ll totally hitch a free ride home!
The girl rolled her eyes, slightly clenching her small palms so hard she could feel her long nails digging uncomfortably into her skin.
— Damn it, Max, maybe you should be the girl, and I’ll be myself again? — she said, pouting, absentmindedly fixing her hair that the wind had tossed around her face. She stepped closer to the bushes where her friend was grinning, still holding the remote in his hand, which looked like a toy, but they both knew it wasn’t a joke.
— Oh, no-no, Nick, you were the one who suggested it: rock-paper-scissors! You lost, so now you’re hitching a ride in this look — Max popped out of the bushes, then immediately ducked back in, pressing his finger to his lips. — Quiet, you hear that? A car’s coming!
Nick turned around and spotted a big red pickup truck slowly approaching on the dusty road. Her heart skipped a beat, and her fingers instinctively reached for her skirt, trying to pull it down a little, though it barely made a difference since it was hardly even a skirt—more like a wide, loose belt.
— Come on, you look perfect, just make a cute face! — Max hissed from the bushes, as if he were monitoring some special operation.
— Cute face?! — she protested, but quickly shut her mouth, realizing the car was almost there. She took a deep breath, ran her hand through her hair to make it look as neat as possible, and stepped into the middle of the road, raising her hand in a hitchhiking gesture.
The car started to slow down. Nick’s heart raced faster, and her legs suddenly felt shaky. "God, this is so weird and... But it can’t be that hard, can it?" she tried to calm herself.
When the car stopped, a man in his forties leaned out of the window, with thick brows and a predatory look. His face, though free of scars or any particular marks, immediately made Nick uneasy. His eyes were dark, deeply set, his smile stretched tight, as if forced, and he smelled strongly of tobacco.
— Hey, beautiful. What are you doing out here all alone? — he asked, leaning his elbow on the window and eyeing her figure.
Nick swallowed, feeling her voice catch in her throat. But quickly regaining composure, she slightly swayed her hips, trying to appear relaxed, though she didn't feel it at all.
— Actually, I’m not alone, — she answered, tilting her head and putting on a sweet smile. — I’m here with a friend, just out for a walk. But he’s kind of stuck somewhere. We need a lift into town, could you help us?
The man frowned, looking around. His eyes briefly stopped on the bushes, but then returned to Nick.
— A friend, you say? Where is he? — he asked, squinting skeptically.
— Yeah, over there, — she waved her hand towards the edge of the woods, hoping Max would get the hint and not stick his head out too suddenly. — He lost his camera, looking for it. Such a scatterbrained photographer, you know.
The man frowned again, but it seemed like she managed to distract him. His gaze drifted to her slender legs, then back to her face.
— Photographer? Hmm... Well, you can get in, you can tell me where to drop you. And your "friend", if he’s still out there, can catch up, — he chuckled hoarsely, opening the passenger door.
At that moment, the bushes rustled, and Max's head popped out. His face was a mix of panic and irritation.
— There he is! — Nick quickly added, nodding towards Max. — Finally!
The man made a displeased face, grinding his teeth so hard they creaked. His gaze became even more intense, like he was trying to figure out their little game.
— So, this is your "friend"? — he spat, nodding at Max, who stood frozen in place, like a rabbit in front of a snake. — What’s he doing there? If he’s a photographer, where’s his camera?
Max quickly pulled himself together, stepped out of the bushes, and with a grin, straightened his T-shirt, which was covered in dust.
— Dropped the camera, you know, such a dusty road, plus the bushes... But he found it! — he tried to sound cheerful, patting an invisible camera in his pocket.
The man still seemed doubtful, his eyes coldly scanned Max, then shifted back to Nick.
— So, you’re together. Where are you headed? — he asked, taking his time to close the door.
— To the city, of course, — Nick finished, struggling to keep the tension out of her voice. Her eyes darted between the man and the road, like her gut was warning her that this was too suspicious.
— To the city, huh? — the man squinted, his gaze sliding over her figure. — Alright, get in. But it’s a bit tight inside. You can sit next to me, and your friend can ride in the trunk, — he smirked, as if he had said something completely normal.
— The trunk?! — Nick took a step back, clearly not expecting that suggestion. — Maybe not... — she started, but the man had already waved his hand toward the truck’s bed, where a couple of crates and a coiled rope lay.
....