The Strange Tale Of Ayla Jae

Chapter Sixteen - Two Plus Two Is Four, But Is Four Better Than Two?

"This thing smells. Are we sure there isn't a dead raccoon underneath the floorboards or something?"

"Stuff it, Daren. A car is a car. Everything about it sucks except for the ability to get to one place from the other fast." Elin says snarkily.

"I'm not complaining, Glitch. If you had the opportunity to make something a little less pungent, wouldn't you?"

"Come on, you guys." Chloe interrupts. "We've got more important issues than a musty old car smell."

"I never said musty."

"No, but it was implied." Elin says.

"No, she implied it." Daren replies. "Musty is what you call an empty room, not a dead rotting raccoon carcass."

"Do you really have to be so specific on the kind of smell? Seriously, you haven't changed at all from when we were little have you?" Elin says.

"I told you, I never left that moldy cheeseburger behind the couch, and I never told Helena that I thought it was you!"

"Please. Of course you did. You have the spine of a licorice whip." Elin says, shoving Daren back in his seat. At this point, I think they're kidding around, but you don't bring up something like that if you aren't exactly holding a grudge.

"Will you two frickin' cool it, please?" Chloe says abruptly. "It's a free car from a more than generous close friend. We're lucky he even planned to give it to Ayla at all, otherwise we'd be shelling out for a cab or something. The car smells. Deal with it."

Chloe's tone is a bit stark, but I know she's frustrated and focused on driving. I listen to all three of them go on for a little while longer, but true to form, I'm fixated on all of the things we're passing by from my spot in the passenger seat. Chloe's taking the drive easy, so it gives me time to distract myself by watching every random detail that passes my visage.

We've rolled on into the early morning hours of town, so slews of people have started to follow routine. Suits lining up for public transportation, and tense drivers itching to prove that their arrival time is more important than your own life. Small businesses and corporate hollow shells alike have started their morning shifts, and in some ways, it all comforts the expectant nature in me. I don't spend much time in town, really, so this passage through is a nice deviation from the norm. Still, there's some truth to what Daren said. I don't know who Dave got this car from or what he did with it once he had it, but it does smell.

"Actually, it's more of a spoiled fast food, leftover trash stink, I think." I say, breaking my silence of the car ride thus far.

"Close, Ayla." Daren says, a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Chloe is right though. I can't believe he gave it to me." I say to him, my eyes never leaving their scanning of the town passing by.

"Did you mean what you said back there, Elin?"

"What part?" She replies, caught a little off guard it seems like.

"The sticking your neck out part." I specify. "I mean, you barely know me."

My ears feel like they're itching, waiting to hear what she says. The only way I learn anything about our time together is through them.

No one says anything for a little bit. I suppose we're all interested in how she responds.

"I get it, Frodo. It was a life time ago the last time we were around each other. Honestly, after seeing you today, it's like I stepped through some shady bootleg time portal and ended up a decade older. The three of us, though, we're still the same in a way. Awkward bods, pent up emotional issues, but all just insecure little dips with no sense for just how screwed they are."