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venturing onto the major highways when necessary. I knew when we left Minnesota, having seen the green road marker we passed. It was the first time I left the state in my life, and I had further still to travel.
    When I asked the necessary questions—like where we were going, and how long it would be until I met with the man that had sent for me—Caleb explained they wanted to take me to the one place they could keep me safest.
    Tennessee.
    I had heard stories of the south—jokes about corn cob pipes, overalls, moonshine, and hound dogs.
    "Tennessee?” I asked doubtfully when he broke the news, staring at him with a mixture of distrust and wariness.
    "It's our home,” he answered simply, reclining back again and closing his eyes, ending any further discussion.
    After several hours and state signs both announcing and forgiving our departure, Derek decided to make a detour into McDonald's. I ordered meagerly, choosing a cheeseburger kids meal, but they must have been starving. Caleb and Derek each ordered double quarter pounder meals, as well as an additional burger on the side.
    "Hold the onions,” Caleb told Derek as we ordered, sitting upright.
    "You're such a pansy,” Derek snarked, shaking his head.
    Derek drove around and dug out his wallet, handing the necessary cash to the drive-thru attendant while taking the food and fountain drinks in exchange. The smell of grease permeated the interior of the Chevy, causing my stomach to rumble, and I flushed red in embarrassment.
    "I guess we weren't the only ones needing a fill up,” Derek joked, smiling at me through the mirror and easing off the brake.
    He drove around the back, parking the suburban lengthwise against the parking spaces. The gears shifted as he threw it into park, leaving the engine running. He reached into the passenger seat, sorting through the bags and separating the food. He handed two bags to Caleb as well as his drink, turning around in his seat to hand me mine.
    I opened the little red box containing my food like a delicate present. The decorated parchment paper holding my fries was crisp, meaning they were still hot and steamy. I put one in my mouth and the salty goodness melted on my tongue. I washed it down with my Coke, easing the hot sting.
    Derek opened both his burgers at the same time, placing one in each hand. He maneuvered the boxes out of the way and positioned one burger at each side of his face.
    "You wouldn't,” I said, horrified eyes widening.
    He took bites from each burger, first one then the other. His mouth stretched as he ate, chomping on his food like a cow with cud. It was both sickening and funny. I couldn't decide if I should be repulsed or if I should break into a fit of giggles.
    Caleb rolled his eyes and opened his own. Thankfully, his eating habits were much more refined. He ate slowly, tossing random fries in between bites of burger.
    As I ate, my mind filtered through the sparse information I received. Caleb explained it was my Father's request to tell me everything himself, and because of that, he couldn't divulge specific details.
    I'd waited twenty years only to be told the answers were close—just not quite yet.
    I studied Caleb and Derek as they ate. I couldn't be mad at them. If they hadn't come along when they did...I didn't want to think about that part.
    "I love this stuff. Who needs arteries?” Derek laughed cheerily, finishing off the doubles and moving along to his fries. He was equally disgusting with the thin slices of potato, shoveling them into his mouth in bundles. He nearly finished when his rip-roaring belch reverberated through the air.
    "Gross!” I yelled and crinkled my nose, trying to act revolted as sniffles of laughter escaped. “That's disgusting!"
    "Better out then in.” He laughed and gulped down the last of his tea. He looked at me through the rearview and winked.
    Caleb rolled his eyes and grumbled.
    Another thing I hadn't done since this morning created an all together different