Loading the U-Haul barely took any time at all. Alexa and Finn carried the bed into the car, as well as a dresser. The only other big thing to go into the truck was a ratty yellow couch that had been in the garage under a blanket. Sarah and Jill got that into the truck while everyone else was trying to get Jill's queen-sized box spring through the hallways and out of the house. The couch was heavy enough to make Sarah have to strain to lift it up the ramp, but they only had to walk a short straight shot into the truck and they managed with a minimum of grunting. Jill and her mom went back inside to check for a few odds and ends, and Sarah used the dolly to put all the boxes into the truck.
"See, she's helping without complaining," said Finn, pointing at Sarah.
"Yes, because she's nicer than you," snapped Alexa.
Sarah ignored them. She tipped a bit more blue light back into the dolly to top it off and rattled her way back down the steel ramp. She noticed a little pile of cut grass next to the fence and pulled out a few long pieces of hay. She sat down on the porch between Finn and Alexa, forcing them apart to make room. Still not talking to them, she put a bit of magic into the stems and amused herself by braiding them into different complicated patterns while she sat.
Not too much longer, Jill came back out, holding the box of bathroom stuff that Alexa had been messing with. Her mom was right behind, jangling keys.
"I think we're good to go, if Jill forgot anything she can just come get it on the weekend or whenever," her mom said.
"I'll ride in the truck, Alexa, you and Finn can just follow," said Jill.
The three sat and each ate another donut while Jill and her mom got the truck started and pulled out.
"I'll drive," said Sarah. "You've got her new address written down, right?"
"Yeah, it's easy to find," said Alexa.
"Isn't it just on that main road?" asked Finn. "Straight shot between the college and freeway?"
"Other side of the college, but yeah, sorta," said Alexa.
"Take the front seat, Finn," said Sarah. "I don't think you'd fit in the back seat."
"Maybe I should drive?" Alexa pointed at her jeep parked in front of the grey Camry. "More room?"
"Not with you two acting crabby. You can drive yourself, but I'd rather make sure I've got an escape route," said Sarah.
"I'm being nice!" protested Finn, and Alexa frowned too.
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"Plus, if we hit a drive-through after, we may as well all be together," said Sarah.
"Ooh, we'll drive right by Burrito Boy, let's eat there," said Finn.
"Let's get Jill unpacked, and then we'll talk," laughed Alexa. "It's not even ten thirty yet."
As they all got themselves arranged in the little car, Sarah started it up and cranked the AC up to max. Alexa took the seat right behind Sarah, and Finn started messing with the radio. The only presets that Sarah's mom had were for various news stations, so it took him a minute to find music he liked.
Pulling onto the freeway, Sarah glanced in her mirror and asked, "So why aren't you moving out too?"
"What, and spend all that money to save myself a half-hour drive?" Alexa blew a little raspberry. "I'm fine living at home, especially if it means I don't need to find a job or take out more loans."
"I'm moving out the first chance I get," said Finn.
"That's what Jill says," said Alexa. "I think she's looking forward to moving somewhere that everyone doesn't already know the tall girl. Plus, her parents are paying for it."
"That must be nice," said Sarah.
Midday Saturday was a good time for traffic. The freeway was fast, and Sarah felt like she was making good time on the freeway, even if she never caught up to the moving van. Sarah felt like you could blink and the suburbs would vanish, leaving nothing to see but scraggly evergreens and brush. The grass and brush were already turning yellow in the summer heat, making the whole place look like a wasteland. They weren't in the wilderness long though, as quickly as they vanished, more houses and businesses popped through the trees as they got closer to the next town. Soon enough they were back in civilization, with signs and businesses asking for attention.
They took the exit right before they crossed a big river, then followed a long straight road through a nondescript suburb. They passed the university and took another turn along another long straight road. They did indeed drive by Burrito Boy, a little place in a dingy white box of a building. Even at eleven, there was a long line at the drive-thru, so Sarah figured it probably tasted better than it looked.
Jill's new place wasn't actually an apartment. It was a little yellow house on its own lot, although looking at it critically Sarah could see why they were calling it an apartment. It was a single-story home, set close to the road, and the two-car garage looked like it had more square footage than the rest of the house. The front yard was a strip of grass about six feet wide, and judging by the fence she could see, the backyard was about the same size. The U-Haul truck had gotten there first and was already backed into the driveway.
Sarah parked in the road, and Finn and Alexa both hopped out before she could get her car all the way stopped and turned off. They ran and helped get the ramp out of the truck, and then they started unloading. Sarah joined them, taking the dolly and bringing boxes into the little front room, setting them down in the corner and out of the walkway.
The house had two bedrooms, a bathroom, a teeny living room, and a kitchen. Jill's mom was agonizing over the bedroom - the queen bed filled nearly all the space, and you couldn't get into the dresser without sitting on the bed. Sarah thought the living room and kitchen seemed like a bigger problem. Once they got it in, Finn could sit on the couch and touch the opposite wall with his feet. And the kitchen didn't even have enough counter space for Sarah to sit on, nor did it have a dishwasher.
Jill was excited anyway. She was opening boxes and getting stuff put away, hanging pictures on walls, and generally making herself comfortable while chattering about her space. Her room didn't matter, because without brothers she could take her time in the bathroom, and the kitchen didn't matter because she hated cooking. By the time everything was unpacked, Finn and Alexa had caught her enthusiasm and mostly forgotten their earlier fighting.