It Started With A Book

Chapter 7

This means nothing.
___

"Do you even know how to read a map?" Elliott momentarily glanced at from the road to Brin and back again.

"I'll have you know," Brin huffed turning the map right side up, "I've read plenty."

"Okay," Elliott bit down on his lip, grinning. He knew she had no idea how to read a map by the way she pressed it within an inch to her scrunched up face. But seeing the long stretch of road in front of him, he decided he needed a laugh.

"Fine Navigator. Where are we right now?" He tossed her an I told you so look when she failed to come up with a response.

"I feel like you're getting a kick out of this," she folded the map back and put it back in the glove compartment, half sulking.

"I never thought I'd say this but you're right---Ow! What was that for?" He rubbed his arm that was now the target of Brin's fist.

"For you being a know it all," she shrugged, twisting the dial on the radio and rolling down her window.

"No, no. What are you doing?"

He swatted her hand away not wanting to hear the latest Cody White song. As far as Elliott was concerned all of White's hits were meaningless pop songs that girls including his sister and now Brin fawned over.

"You don't like Cody White?" Brin half shrieked looking at Elliott as if he had grown another arm.

"What gave it away?" he deadpanned.

"Not cool," she folded her arms over her chest.

"Actually you're the one who's not cool. Anybody who listens to Cody White doesn't have any musical taste."

Brin wasn't one to be at a lost for words, ever. Being the only child of Catey and Fred Henderson, she learned early on to never be off guard and to be already thinking of a response before the last words left the person's mouth.

Being the Mayor's daughter, she had to have a few tricks up her sleeve.

Because this circumstance wasn't one she'd been in too often, she resorted to...ahem... unconventional means.

"Are y-you, are you mocking me?" Elliott exclaimed. "Wow, very mature, Brin."

This continued for at least 30 more seconds till one of them caved.

"Yes!"

"This means nothing," Elliott replied, watching as Brin smiled.

He had to admit, it was nice seeing her smile. Her laugh didn't hurt either.

He cleared his throat, finding the air in the car now suffocatingly humid, and the distance the console had made between them looked incredibly small.

He tugged at his collar, eyes locked on the two lane road. He didn't even realize Brin calling his name just two minutes later, until he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Elliott!"

"Hmm...what?"

"I was asking if there was something you'd like to listen to," she pivoted to the point where she was staring at him directly.

Had it always been this hot in the car?

Reaching down to turn the heat off he stopped. He pulled back his hands realizing it wasn't even on.

"Um...no," he pulled down the sun visor to block the glare of the oncoming traffic, hoping it would also block the blush creeping towards his cheeks. "Are you hungry? I'm hungry. Maybe we should stop for something to eat. What time do you want to grab a bite?"