Julie's playing Kingdom hearts and other than making jokes about Sora's sexuality, setting character's names to music (Roxas fits perfectly to a certain song about a street walker by Sting) and suggesting that a better storyline for the Pirates arc woulda been Calypso has a beach party and everyone's invited (stone crabs with teeny maracas anyone?) I don't have much to do. So yeah, this happened.
I wrap my arms around me wishing that I'd worn my coat but the sun tricked me again this morning and I only have my thin red hoodie for warmth. Everything would be a lot less cold if I could get a coffee somewhere but that would only be an invitation for Sarah to spend more time with me. I can not shake this girl even though I'm pretty sure she doesn't even like me that much. The small link of high school seems to be enough for her to follow me all around town like a puppy telling me tales about people I care little about. I check my watch. Still three hours to kill. I'd planned on checking out the little vintage shop down the road from the history department and see if they had any bowler hats left but that was out now too. I'm wracking my brain for some excuse to get away when I realise she's waiting for me to answer her.
"Yeah, yeah. I remember Dan. What's he doing now?" Who cares? He was a bastard in school, probably being a bastard in some shitty job now for all I care.
"He's in a band now. For real." Figures. Can't get a proper job, too thick for further education so go for fame. Sarah's babbling something about some gig they've got lined up. Like as not just some club booked them on a quiet night with a bunch of other hopeful morons. What is it about boys and guitars. They think they just pick up a guitar and be Hendrixing in no time.
"So you wanna come with then?" I shrug noncommittally. I don't care what it is, I never actually plan time with Sarah. "You gotta come. You never go out. It's not healthy to shut yourself off from the world" I sigh. She does this everytime. Big pep talk on how to socialise like she knows how I spend my days. Why can't I think of an escape plan. All I can think about it smashing my fist through her smug mouth. I've just popped out one of her teeth when a word jars me out of my imaginings. I grit my teeth as I make my response:
"No, Sarah. I do not have a boyfriend at the moment." Cue sympathy sounds and more pep talk, this time on how to get some. Kill me now.
We walk on like this for a few more minutes. I'm freezing now and the Starbucks across the road is too tempting. I step out without looking too much at the traffic only to be pulled back onto the pavement.
"Saved your life!" Sarah beams at me. A beat-up blue mini van screeches to a halt in front of us. I smile recognising the design that twirls along the side. The passenger door is flung open and there she is. My escape route.
"Come with me if you want to live." Cass tells me this completely deadpan serious, her wild mane of red hair adding to the drama. The words tumble out of my lips before I can stop them:
"My hero!" Sarah looks awkward but starts her feeble attempt at a self-introduction. I leave her spluttering by the road as I jump into Cass' van and she roars away to freedom.
"Jeez, you're shivering. I gotta flask of chocolat somewhere." Her fingers point vaguely in the back. It's stuffed full of art supplies. I gamely pick my way through, spurred on by the fact that my right hand is practically numb now. It looks like she just robbed the art store. I tell her this. She laughs, tells me the story of how it would have panned out. Her in a bright orange balaclava with paint ball guns threatening to ruin the pristine canvas they charge too much for. I give up and manage to get seated again. I shove my hands under my armpits and try not to scream at her when Cass produces the elusive flask from under her seat along with half a cheeseburger which she offers to me.
"I thought you were veggie? Y'know to go with the crazy hippie vibe you got going." Cass snorts and steals a bite from the burger in my hand.
"I remembered how tasty cows were and gave it up." I nearly choke on cheese at that.
We entertain each other with tales from our respective courses and what with the laughing and warmth of the van I don't realise where we are. It's only during the first silence that I realise we've been driving for nearly a hour.
"Where we going, Cassie?" She doesn't answer me at first. Instead she chews on her lip, distorting her pretty face.
"Cassandra? Tell me where you're taking me. I've got a class soon." She drums her fingers on the steering wheel, the big silver rings clattering off each other. She answers me in a quiet voice, barely a murmur.
"Galway." I explode. She had no intention of telling me until she had to, I can tell.
"Were you hoping I wouldn't question the boat ride?" I'm so close to shaking her when she merely shrugs at me but she drives recklessly enough as it is. I shout and moan at her until she finally pulls over and talks to me properly. When she does she's close to tears.
"I left him. I left Richard. I know he's been cheating on me, I don't need to find that out one day, and I can't go back there. I can't." I look more closely at the piles of stuff in the back and notice the suitcases hidden under the boxes of paint. "We had a fight last night. There's this gallery in Galway that wants to exhibit my work. You remember the Irish guy we met last year who I got to sit for me? Well his dad really does own a gallery, wasn't just a line. Or it was a line but a real one. Anyway they want me to come over but Richard said he wouldn't come with me and got mad when I said I'd go myself. He, he really scared me Cee. I didn't know what he was gonna do. I thought he was gonna..., that he might...so I packed my things and drove off as soon as he went for work this morning and then I saw you with Sarah and knew I had to rescue you from that cow and I guess I felt safer with you here."
The last sentence is a rushed jumble and I really have nothing to say to it. So I reach over and hold her instead. She's shaking, scared for the first time in all the years I've known her. I keep holding her until she calms down enough to drive again. And maybe it's the turpentine smell rising from behind us or the way she's smiling at me now but I tell her to drive us both to Ireland with a happy dizzy feeling in my head.
She kisses me and we set off, back on the motorway. Roaring towards the sea and freedom.
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