"My only love sprung from my only hate" | CAOS

Chapter 4

As Sabrina sits in the passenger seat of Nick's car the next day, she thinks about how she once heard that your car reflects who you are as a person. Her family's car was stained with the scent of cigarettes and her Aunt Hilda's perfume. An upside down cross hung off the rearview mirror and the only aspect that wasn't black was the white leather seats. Harvey's truck was rustic and comforting, much like him. It had soot marks on the seats and steering wheel from the mines and smelled faintly of whiskey, which came from Harvey's father. The backseat was littered with receipts, a mining helmet, and various other mining tools, and the truck bed held a rifle during hunting season, which Sabrina hated thinking about. Roz's dad's car was clean and pristine, with a cross similar to the one in the Spellman car hanging in the front, except this one was facing the right way up, next to a small statue of the Virgin Mary. There was a bible in the glove box, along with several pocket versions scattered throughout the car. Sitting in Nick's car, Sabrina knew that it was a true representation of him. He drove a black Jeep with black leather seats that matched the jacket he often wore when he wasn't wearing his varsity jacket. It smelled like a mix of mint and the forest, a combination that Sabrina had begun to associate with Nick. There was a slight smell of sweat in the car, most likely coming from the football and workout gear in the back of the car that Nick hadn't taken out. The car was clean, with just a single old coffee cup on the ground.

"Sorry if it smells bad, I forgot to bring my clothes in after I worked out last night," he said to Sabrina as he climbed in the driver's side, looking slightly embarrassed.

"No, it's fine, it smells better than the cigarette smell in my car," she quickly responded, causing him to visibly relax, the tension leaving his shoulders.

"You can change the temperature or radio if you want," he told her as he began to pull out of the Baxter High parking lot and started driving to Sabrina's house.

"Okay. It's not that far of a drive anyway though," she states, quickly contradicting herself as moments later she goes to turn the heat up and turn the radio to a different station, which makes Nick smirk to himself. She lands on a station that's just starting to play Scary Love by The Neighbourhood.

"I love this song," she tells him, leaning back in her seat, slightly moving her head to the music.

"Me too!" Nick exclaims excitedly turning to her, "you like The Neighbourhood?" he askes, slightly surprised.

"Don't seem so shocked Nicholas, I love The Neighbourhood."

"I am shocked though. I had pegged you as a Top 40's girl Spellman," he told her, obviously teasing.

"Wow, now you're just trying to hurt my feelings Scratch," she said, going along with his taunting. They both began to sing along quietly to the song, as they shared looks every few seconds, quickly turning away and smiling to themselves.

~

"With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls;
For stony limits cannot hold love out,
And what love can do that dares love attempt;
Therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me," Nick read, going to hold Sabrina's hands as they both stood in her bedroom.

"If they do see thee, they will murder thee," she said back, intertwining her finger with his waiting for him to say his next lines. It felt strange, holding a boy's hand that wasn't Harvey's. Sabrina had never told Harvey this, but as nice as it was to be able to express that they were together by holding hands, she hated it at the same time. Harvey's hands were always overly clammy, making her hands feel damp and weirdly sticky after they had interlocked their fingers for a long period of time. His hands were also incredibly cold, which didn't help the fact that Sabrina's hands were also freezing all the time. Holding Nick's hand was vastly different. His hands were much dryer, but not so dry that it was uncomfortable. They also made Sabrina feel as though she had placed her hands over an open fire, as they warmed her frosty fingers. It was nice, she thought as she looked down at their hands.