Supernova Souls - Ryan Upchurch

-56-

DELILAH

He watched me in the mirror, staring straight at me. He made it hard to concentrate on finishing my eyeshadow. Ryan was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, hair perfectly done and dressed in one of his more formal outfits. By that, I mean he had on a white button up long sleeve shirt, black jeans, a heavy, dark black coat lined with some sort of white fur and black alligator skin boots.

He caught me looking at him instead of myself and flashed me a satisfied smirk, as if he was proud of himself for stealing my attention for himself. He laughed at the reflection of my raised middle finger, and I scowled, dropping my hand.

"Like what you see?" I shook my head and focused on my makeup. It didn't take me long to finish it, especially since I wasn't going off a horribly made and over complicated tutorial to do something fancy. Something simple—well, to my standards— and that was that.

Ryan followed behind me to the door, my purse dangling from a tattooed hand of his, Ole Glory's keys in the other. I grabbed my coat off the rack and shrugged it on over my sweater. He opened the front door for me and nodded towards it, a signal for me to go first, which I did.

Rain drizzled down on top of my head once I left the safety of the front porch. Ryan cursed at the same time I pulled my coat closed and tugged on the stuck zipper. Sadly, my coat didn't have a hood.

Like a child scared of rain, he ran past me and towards the C10 in the driveway. Gravel lifted behind his boots, dust flying up behind his swift feet. How did he not fall?

I would've busted my ass doing that.

As if he could hear the sarcastic remark I made in my head, he laughed. The drivers side door swung open and slammed shut in an instant, a loud bang following the close. Ole Glory's engine roared, her new self glowing with life and her lights seeming like if they were eyes, they'd be dancing with mirth. Her bright headlights cut through the wind and the rain like they were nothing. I smiled at the Chevy and went over to the passenger side and climbed in. I put my feet flat against the dark carpet, noting how the rust holes have been fixed and replaced with newer, sturdier metal panels and new, soft carpet.

I remember looking at the hole that used to be at my feet and shake my head at ten year old me's stupidity.  I used to stare at that hole and wonder if I'd fit through it. It sure was big enough for me to fall through, and it's a miracle I never did.

Younger me never wore her seatbelt.

I used to dangle my feet through that hole and stare down at roadkill we'd pass over. Vivi would laugh at the dead things I'd point out, and how I'd recoil in disgust whenever I saw one. I'd always end up laughing right with her.

Ah, good times.

A little redneck child just living her life and loving it, no matter how odd or gross road trips with her grandparents around Tennessee got.

"You ready?" Ryan asked. My purse made a jangling noise when it hit the floor. This time, it only took a moment for the vents to retire the cold A/C for warm air. Ole Glory's A/C used to be the rolled down windows in the summertime, and her heat a blanket you wrapped up in when winter hit.

That blanket was now neatly folded in the floorboard beside my purse.

I nodded, and the truck began to roll backwards. Gravel crunched beneath the tires. New ones, not ones dry-rotted and in old age.

No hissing noise greeted me when I unmuted the radio, like she used to do. The saved station from last time she was driven still played.

105.9, classic rock.

Vivianne's favorite, and the only station Ole Glory used to willingly play without turning to static every twenty seconds.

Creedence Clearwater Revival filled the speakers. The song was halfway finished, but that didn't turn me away from singing along with what was left of it. Whenever CCR came on as a kid, I loved it. Out of everyone, they were my all-time favorites.

Run Through The Jungle was the one playing.

Music drowned out the pitter-patter of rain hitting the truck, but the purr of the engine stayed so loud it could not be outshone. Just like old times, she still had the same obnoxious exhaust that just might kill a man if he dared get too close.

Trees passed us by in a blur as we drove down the mile long, winding driveway lined with gravel. Most had lost all leaves. Others were holding on to their last few, branches bare except a choice few.

Reds, oranges and pinks reflected on the black hood like a perfect sunset painted just for me by Vivianne. It was so beautiful, so heartbreakingly stunning..

Like her last smile.

She was probably up in Heaven with an eternally youthful grin on her face, looking down on me with love and pride in her eyes. Pride, because she always dreamed of seeing Old Glory like this.

If she would've lived longer, there's no doubt that she would be right here in this truck with us, trying to push Ryan out of the drivers seat so she could drive instead. Oh, and playfully griping at the radio for not playing Paralyzed by Elvis Presley for the twelfth time yet.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Taking Ole Glory into your hands and fixing herself like she's yours. You didn't have to. I would've done it in time."

"I wanted to."

                                         —
Sorry I didn't publish this chapter last night, I had the worst migraine known to man that lasted all day and really did not wanna re-read everything and make it 10x worse.

I hope y'all like it though, I pretty much rushed through this chapter—writer's block is getting to me again.
Still not gonna let it win though, weekly uploads are still on.