The Girl Who Chased Stars

IX

I wait on the side of the road until I see a familiar red pickup pull into the lot.

Skai leans over the passenger seat and pushes open the door for me. "Hop in, Sailor."

Slamming the door, I get in beside her. She starts the truck up, and then reaches into the back. She places something cold in my hands, and after giving it half a thought I unscrew the top and gulp it down.

"Uh, God."

She laughs. "If you don't like it, why'd you drink it?"

"I need some alcohol right now."

Skai takes the beer from me, and takes a sip. "So, are you going to tell me why you're at a-"

"No," I quickly interrupt.

"Okay. That's cool."

After two minutes of extremely awkward silence Skai smiles, and orders me to put some music on. "I don't have any music," I argue.

"Get my phone, it's in my back pocket."

"Are you inviting me to feel your ass?"

A whisper of a smile crosses her face, and she hands the beer back to me.

"Just get the phone, ass hole."

I take another swig from the bottle, and realize that the taste improves the more you drink. "Yeah, okay."

I pull her phone from out of her pocket and press the on button. " I need the password." I state.

" It's one two three four," she replies.

"Seriously?"

Skai shoves me playfully and laughs. "You asked!"

I bite my lip to keep the grin from showing and type in the password. Sure enough, it works. "What do you want to listen to?"

"Ooh. Um, type in Words in the Fire."

"Okay."

Instantly a song pops up, and I click it. Skai takes the phone and plugs it into the car's speakers. "Nice."

I watch Skai as the song begins to flood through the truck. It's smooth and reminds me of trees, and drinking coffee, for some odd reason.

"Wow. This is not what I thought you'd be into."

Skai smiles softly. "I love this song so much."

" I thought maybe you'd be like some hard rocker chick. Like, i don't know. A secret fan girl of those screaming hard-rock bands."

She laughs, and nods her head. " Oh totally, Amy. I go downtown and rile up a mosh pit with all the metal heads, and then I befriend Satanists and do crazy spirit rituals."

The beer almost sloshes everywhere from my laughing.

" I love this."

Skai looks over at me quizzically. "Love what?"

"This!" I laugh loudly, motioning to her, the dashboard, the beer. "I love not giving a shit. I mean, I never do this kind of stuff. Just going for spontaneous drives to nowhere with crazy friends who make me laugh, and I don't know, I just, I feel so normal."

Skai grins, and it almost seems as though she's blushing.

"Where are we going, anyways?" I ask her.

"It wouldn't be an adventure if we knew where we were going."

I smile, and look out of the window. "You're right." I say, "You're completely right."