The Strange Tale Of Ayla Jae

Chapter Twenty - "You Know I'm A Sympathetic Crier, Shawn. Just Leave Me Be."

"Seriously, just because a car has enough seats doesn't mean they all need to be filled. How sharp can one frickin' elbow be, Daren?"

"I don't know, Glitch. Can't be any worse than that book you insist on keeping your pocket, which just so happens to be stabbing me right back."

"Would you two act like you're not still five, squirming around in diapers in your car seats? Sheesh, I'm getting gray just being next to you two." Maverik says.

I look back from the passenger seat to see him trying to readjust and claiming as much seat as he can. He's currently in the very back row of my gifted and very small crossover car, trying his best to act like he's not annoyed being seated beside the wonder twins.

"It's not you, dude. It's the brute to my left who has never been able to grasp the concept of sharing anything!"

"I shared everything, vagrant!"

"Pleaseee." Chloe says slowly. "It's only been twenty minutes since we left, and even I want to smack the both of you."

For a moment, they all settle down. Before too long, I hear more squirming followed by a few more slaps.

"Would you please," Elin says exasperated, "put your bony elbow somewhere else!"

"Or what? You're gonna hit me with your pointy book?" Daren responds.

"Hey!" Maverik shouts. "Look, I get it. You two are the bickering, comic relief. Side note, you might want to be more concerned about the smell this car has before who's stabbing who." Maverik says. "Besides, we don't have to much further to go and fighting like this is pointless."

"Yeah. And be glad Jasper stayed behind." I respond. I'm barely paying attention to the crew in the backseat, but I'm even getting cranky.

"Maverik?" Chloe says suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Remind me again why I'm driving us to your place?"

"Instead of me?" He says. Chloe nods.

"Well, I suspect everyone needs a little something to eat." He says while glaring to his right side.

"I've got some supplies I can share. Jasper is going to end the agreement on her place we were just at. So, she'll catch up later. Plus, I'm the outsider here. Figured you'd want to be at the wheel. Be more comfortable."

"What I wouldn't give to give us some comfort." I say to myself, trying to keep my stupid almost crying to myself as well.

"Comfort." She says solemnly. "Sometimes, I wonder if I've even been comfortable since my dad lost his girlfriend. My real mom."

"So wait," Daren jumps in, "that whole ex-father remarry business earlier was all after he dated her?

It falls silent, while my head head hits against the window a few times, but I suspect Elin is griping silently with Daren again with his less than stealthy questions.

"He lost your mom, got married, they divorced, you stayed with that woman, and then she remarried?"

"More or less." Chloe responds, sounding a little distant. "Between my old health issues and that whole parent shuffle crap I've had to deal with, I wonder what would have happened if..." Chloe stops.

"If what?" Elin says, breaking the silence.

"You know what? It's not worth it. It won't change anything. How much further, Maverik?"

"Oh, umm, just a few minutes, it looks like."

"Good." Chloe replies before glancing over to me and back out onto the road. "Looks like I've got a few calls to make." I hear her say quietly.