Paper Towns — Chapter no 31

The chorus responds, “Hold it.” He says, “But I—” And the chorus

responds again, “Hold it!” It is fun, for now, Ben needing to pee and us

needing him to hold it. He is laughing, and complaining that laughing

makes him need to pee more. Lacey jumps forward and leans in behind him

and starts tickling at his sides. He laughs and whines and I laugh, too,

keeping the speedometer on seventy-two. I wonder if she created this

journey for us on purpose or by accident—regardless, it’s the most fun I’ve

had since the last time I spent hours behind the wheel of a minivan.

Hour Two

I’m still driving. We turn north, onto I-95, snaking our way up Florida,

near the coast but not quite on it. It is all pine trees here, too skinny for their

height, built like I am. But there is mostly just the road, passing cars and

occasionally being passed by them, always having to remember who is in

front of you and who behind, who is approaching and who is drifting away.

Lacey and Ben are sitting together on the bench seat now, and Radar is

in the wayback, and they’re all playing a retarded version of I Spy in which

they are only allowed to spy things that cannot physically be seen.

“I Spy with my little eye something tragically hip,” Radar says.

“Is it the way Ben smiles mostly with the right side of his mouth?” asks

Lacey.

“No,” says Radar. “Also don’t be so gooey about Ben. It’s gross.”

“Is it the idea of wearing nothing under your graduation gown and then

having to drive to New York while all the people in passing cars assume