The Firebird flew down the windy dirt road, kicking up swirls of dust in the red glow of the taillights. We sat in complete silence, except for the intermittent buzz of my pager in my purse. I pulled out the plastic contraption and saw the numbers "5138008." When I turned it upside down it said "BOOBIES." I rolled my eyes. That had to be Sam.
"Everything okay?" Zach asked.
"Fine," I said, but underneath my hands my stomach twisted in nervous excitement.
The pager buzzed once more. I turned it off. The car was silent again, except for the crunch of stone gravel under the new tires. Zach leaned back in the driver's seat with his arm straight out the window caressing the warm air, heavy with the scent of spring. I curled my legs underneath my dress. My bare feet poked out of the tulle underskirt. I glanced down at the fresh coat of cherry red toe nail polish I painted carefully this morning. I thought about all the preparations for this moment. It was months in the making.
"You look so beautiful tonight," Zach said, breaking the stillness.
His voice was deep like the sea, spreading out in delicate waves that lapped at the shores of my heart. Zach brought his left hand to the steering wheel, then moved his right hand down to turn on the radio. His hand came to rest on my knee. Smooth.
"The way you danced tonight... so free. It's like I finally got a glimpse of who you really are."
"And who is that exactly?" I asked coyly, wanting more. Wanting it all.
"Someone passionate. Someone sexy."
Sexy? The compliment spread like a blanket of warmth from my head to my toes.
"There it is. Mirror Ridge," Zach said as the mansion emerged from behind the trees.
I chuckled. "Did you know I found this old place in the woods when I first moved here? I was out exploring on my bike. I even lost my Grandma's necklace somewhere in that field in front of the house."
"No kidding. What were you doing out here?"
"Just exploring with my brother." I smiled at the memory of knocking into the statue and squeezing it with all my might as Ryan nearly died laughing. It seemed like a lifetime ago. "I got up close and personal with that statue in the back yard."
"Up close and personal?" Zach raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah, I kind of got tripped up in the grass and bumped right into it. I hope it's still standing."
"You bumped into Dionysus? That explains some things."
"Like what?"
"Well, Dionysus is the god of wine and partying, but that's not all. He's all about letting go and giving in to your dark side."
"My dark side?" My throat went dry as I whispered the words. I felt the shadowy abyss inside of myself. The place I didn't want to go. "How do you know all that?"
"We learned about the Greek mythology in ninth grade English class. I guess it just stuck with me because I've seen that statue my whole life. My granddad got it when he planted his first grapes. Probably twenty or thirty years ago. I guess he was hoping it would bless his harvest."
"Did it?"
"Maybe. You'll have to try the wine sometime and let me know how it makes you feel." Zach made a sharp left, pulling onto the weed-ridden driveway of Mirror Ridge.
YOU ARE READING
Song of a Sophomore
General Fiction[2023 Top 25 in The Historical Awards, 2022 Watty's Bootcamp Mentee] 💜Embark on a heartfelt journey of self-discovery, first love, and the transformative power of a 90s playlist in this captivating coming-of-age story.💜 To 15-year old Rose, it's n...
