Twisted Smiles

VI

I ate my second donut in a flash. Food is always welcome, especially if it's free. We got up from our seats after I finished eating and made a beeline for the only exit that actually lead outside, trying our best to avoid bumping into any of the people inside the now crowded café.

The sun was brighter once we made our way outside, its brightness ricocheting around us, making it hard to see.

I turned to face Gabriel, squinting.

"Do you have a car or something?"

"No, I live close by so I just walked here."

"Hum," I said nonchalantly. I knew he was only seventeen, which isn't old enough to drive a car but is sufficient for a motorcycle. I don't know why someone could think they differ, since it's obvious that motorcycles are definitely more dangerous than cars, but who can understand Russian laws? I certainly can't. It would've still been rude not to ask, either way. "So, where are we going?"

He huffed, running his hand through his shaggy blonde hair. He looked around at the buildings surrounding us, then to the sky, frowning in thought. After a few seconds, he shot his blue eyes back to my face, grinning.

"Have you been to the deck down the lake? It's very green and peaceful there."

I shook my head. "I don't think so."

"Great, let's go!" He quickly grabbed my hand, towing me after him.

"Wait, what about my car?" I interrogated, trying to stop and break free from his grasp.

"It's just a few minute walk. We can get it afterwards."

"Okay," I mumbled, letting him drag me along with him.

A few minutes turned into a half hour.

I bit my tongue at every surge to curse him out. He did notice my grumpy expressions every once in a while and reached his arms over to tickle me. I'd giggle like a five-year-old and cursed myself as a reminder not to expose my thoughts.

It was useless.

We walked along the levee of the river until it transformed into a dirt track. The path walk of concrete materialized as tall grass took its place. Buildings and all sort of civilization also started disappearing within the long trees after fifteen minutes had passed since we began walking till there was nothing else but green all around us. Birds chirped in the distance, obscured between the bushy trees. We even passed by a couple of horses eating grass at the river's bay.

At last we rounded a corner and reached the place he'd mentioned. As soon as we'd reached our destination, I stopped dead on my tracks, amazed. The place was insanely beautiful. It was so green, so full of life and conserved nature. It was defiantly not something we commonly see around nowadays, with all the modern constructions and all. I felt the urge to take a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air around me. I walked up to a wooden platform on the river bay, half on the landside and half over the water, kind of hidden from the dirt path. It had three wooden benches and I walked over to sit on the one in the middle. Gabriel followed but instead of sitting, he turned around and leaned on the railing of the deck, heedlessly.

It had definitely been worth the long walk... kind of. I still would've been a tiny bit happier if I could've gotten my car. But I realized on my way here it would've been impossible to drive it through this many trees. And no way in hell would it be worth ruining the shiny black hood of my new –