Lamia's Dream

Chapter 35

After dinner and more jokes, the others left for prom in a black limousine.  Valerie and I headed to Spencer Mountain in her yellow MINI Cooper at my request.  She shot me a skeptical look, but complied.

Because of the emotional high of the dinner, we didn't talk much on the way.  Instead, we let the music fill in the sound.

I looked over at her and thought, despite the darkness outside and in the car, her beauty still shined.  Both of her lovely, slender white arms reached down to the steering wheel.  She stared at the road with quiet determination.  Even though her mind was elsewhere, mine was on her.  I was so lucky. 

As if on cue, she turned to me, flashing her white teeth in the form of her token generous smile. 

“Yes, Miles?”

I smiled back, matching hers.  “Nothing.  Nothing at all.”

She scrunched her face playfully, and then returned her focus to the road.  I reviewed my plan.  This had to work.

We arrived at Spencer Mountain.  On her hill, Valerie took the car as far as she usually did then stopped.

"Now what?"

"Take it closer to the edge."

Valerie shot me a look.

"I'm serious.  We'll need it."

She did as I said.  The wheels rolled slowly on the dirt pathway and then came to an abrupt stop.

"Now, cut the engine but keep the power on so the radio is playing."

She did.

"Wait for me on the hood of the car.  I'll be out in a moment."

"Giving you the chance to drive us off the hill..." she said with a mocking look.

"Which would kill me but leave you unharmed, since you can fly."

Reluctantly, she left the car and sat on the hood.

"You better not be going on Facebook,” she said, forgetting that I had dumb phone.

"Nope, not even close," I shouted back without looking.

My attention centered on the search in my bag.  I couldn't find it. I almost panicked.  I couldn’t be such a dork that I'd leave it. But soon, under some papers, I found the cd I made.

"Prepare to be delighted," I yelled out to her.

I swapped my cd in for one of Valerie's.  The first song came on.  It was the theme song for prom this year, “Kiss by a Rose” by Seal. 

"Good choice.  But why'd you change to a different radio station?"

I closed the door behind me.  "I didn’t.  This is the first song in a mix I made."

I took my place next to her on the hood.  The car sunk lower beneath our weight. 

Valerie raised an eyebrow.  "A mixtape.  That's your big surprise?"

"Part of it.  Can you explain to me how draining works again?"

She shifted her position uncomfortably.  "What's there to explain? Every human gives off emotional energy, based on how they feel.  I drain that upon making sustained physical contact."

"Yeah, but the taste changes based on how we feel, right?"

"Yes, each emotion has a distinct taste and I can pick up on that after a certain length of time."