IN THE WEE HOURS OF TUESDAY MORNING:

"HOWIE, YOU SURE YOU WANNA NAVIGATE?"

KEVIN ASKS AS THEY CONTINUE TO CRUISE DOWN THE HIGHWAY. "I MEAN, YOU REMEMBER THE TIME WHEN..."

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT." HOWIE REASSURES, LOOKING UP FROM THE MAP WITH CONFIDENCE. "JUST KEEP DRIVING."

"WE NEED TO GET TO LEXINGTON FIRST." LAURA POINTS OUT, LOOKING BACK AT HOWIE. "FROM THERE, WE'LL CHECK AROUND TOWN TO SEE IF HE'S BEEN BY."

"HOWIE, ARE YOU REALLY SURE YOU WANT TO NAVIGATE?" KEVIN QUIZZES AGAIN, GLANCING AT HIM WITH A WARY LOOK. "THAT TIME WE LET YOU NAVIGATE US TO MINNESOTA...."

"HEY, SO I DIRECTED US A LITTLE OUT OF THE WAY!" HOWIE CUTS OFF.

"SINCE WHEN IS MEXICO "A LITTLE OUT OF THE WAY" FROM MINNESOTA?" KEVIN SCOFFS.

"WE STILL MADE GOOD TIME." HOWIE DEFENDS. "OH, AND REMIND ME TO WRITE A THANK-YOU LETTER TO THAT GUY AT PABLO'S TACO STAND WHO GAVE US THOSE DIRECTIONS, WILL YOU? HE WAS A REAL HELP."

KEVIN LOWERS HIS HEAD AND SIGHS.

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT." HOWIE REASSURES AGAIN. "THEY DIDN'T NICKNAME ME "COLUMBUS" IN HIGH SCHOOL FOR NOTHING." HE SITS BACK IN THE SEAT, LOOKING AT THE MAP. "NOW, LEXINGTON IS IN KENTUCKY......... OR IS IT IN MASSACHUSETTS?" HE SCRATCHES HIS HEAD, BAFFLED, WHILE KEVIN TRIES TO MASSAGE HIS.

"HOWIE, YOU FORGET. WHEN COLUMBUS SET SAIL FOR THE INDIES, HE FOUND AMERICA INSTEAD." KEVIN SAYS, GLANCING BACK AT HIS CONFUSED FRIEND.

"HUH?" HOWIE REPLIES, NOT LOOKING UP FROM THE MAP.

"I'M FINE." HE SIGHS OUT, LETTING HIS HEAD FALL BACK AND HIT THE SEAT.

BRENDA KNOWS BETTER THOUGH. NO ONE CAN BE THE PASTY-GREEN COLOR NICK IS

AND SAY THEY'RE "FINE". "BRENDA, YOU GONNA DRINK YOUR COKE?"

"NO, YOU WANT IT?" SHE REPLIES, HANDING OVER THE CUP TO NICK. "YOU SURE YOU CAN STOMACH IT?"

"BRENDA, I TOLD YOU, I'M FINE." NICK REASSURES, TAKING THE CUP FROM BRENDA AND REMOVING THE TOP.

"EXCUSE ME, MISS?" A PASSENGER ON THE OPPOSITE SEAT ASKS, TAPPING BRENDA'S SHOULDER. "I COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE; IS YOUR FRIEND THERE ILL?"

IN RESPONSE, NICK GAGS AND TRIES TO SILENTLY PUKE INTO BRENDA'S SODA CUP. BRENDA FROWNS AND NONCHALANTLY LEANS FORWARD TO BLOCK THE PASSENGER'S VIEW OF NICK'S HEAVING BODY.

"NO." BRENDA REPLIES SIMPLY. TURNING BACK TO NICK, SHE'S QUICK TO MIMIC HIS WORDS FROM JUST A MOMENT AGO. "HE'S FINE!"

ESTHER ASKS BRIAN AS THEY CRUISE DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THEY'D LEFT THE "HOLE IN THE WALL" A FEW HOURS BACK AND HAD BEEN RECAPPING DISCUSSIONS FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE UP TO THE PRESENT.

"WELL, THERE'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THERE." BRIAN REPLIES, GLANCING UP AT ESTHER WITH A SMILE. "THING IS, HE'S REAL SHY AND INSECURE ABOUT SHOWING HIS FEELINGS. HE'S ALWAYS HAD THIS FEAR OF WHAT THE GIRL'S THINKING."

"WHAT ABOUT HOWIE?" ESTHER CONTINUES IN CURIOSITY.

"AW, HOWIE'S TOUGH TO FIGURE OUT." BRIAN LAUGHS. "THEY MAY CALL HIM MR. ROMANTIC, BUT HE'S KINDA A STRANGE FELLOW TO TO BE AROUND."

"THAT'S HOWIE." ESTHER LAUGHS, SHAKING HER HEAD. "ALWAYS THE ODDBALL."

"HE HAS HIS MOMENTS THOUGH." SAYS BRIAN. HE LAUGHS BEFORE ADDING,"THOUGH THEY ARE TOO FAR AND IN BETWEEN."

ESTHER SITS QUIETLY IN HER SEAT, PONDERING A QUESTION WHICH HAS BURNT SO BADLY IN HER MIND FOR QUITE SOME TIME. SUMMONING UP THE COURAGE, SHE BOLDLY ASKS, "WHATEVER HAPPENED TO YOU AND DIANA?"

"MMM, THINGS JUST WEREN'T WORKING OUT SO..." BRIAN LET'S HIS VOICE TRAIL OFF. HE LOOKS OUT THE WINDOW WHEN HE ADDS, "WE'RE STILL FRIENDS,THOUGH."

"DOES IT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH ME AND YOU?"

"WELL, YES AND NO." BRIAN REPLIES, LOOKING BACK FROM THE WINDOW AT HER. "MY OPINION THOUGH, IF A RELATIONSHIP CAN'T EXIST FOR WHATEVER REASONS, THEN IT JUST WASN'T MEANT TO BE."

ESTHER NODS IN UNDERSTANDING AS THEY CONTINUE TO DRIVE DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN SILENCE.

"HEY," A.J. SHOOTS BACK, GLANCING UP AT HER. "I'VE LIVED IN ORLANDO ALL MY LIFE. I KNOW EVERY ROAD, INTERSTATE, AND HIGHWAY TO AND FROM THERE LIKE I KNOW THE BACK OF MY HAND. I SHOULD KNOW WHERE I'M GOING."

"I TELL YOU ORLANDO'S THAT WAY. IT SAYS SO ON THE MAP!" DIANA INSISTS, THROWING THE MAP INTO HIS LAP.

"LISTEN, JUST TRUST ME ON THIS ONE." A.J. REASSURES, PUTTING HIS FOOTDOWN ON THE PEDAL. "I'M THE DRIVER."

"OKAY," DIANA REPLIES, GRABBING THE MAP BACK FROM A.J., "BUT, I'M TELLING YOU, ORLANDO IS..."

"WHERE WE'RE HEADING!" A.J. FINISHES.