moscow mule

Eli

"California girls we're unforgettable!", The salty air from the beach traveled through my windows, as I sang the words to my favorite Katy Perry song. Summer was coming to an end, so I decided to go for a drive. I was about to go into my junior year of high school, and things like drives around the city were exciting to me. All I needed was my dog's company, my car, my favorite music,and I was satisfied.

I continued my drive in a secluded road by the beach until I saw a hitchhiker. He was a boy who looked around my age, he looked hopeless, and cold due to his only piece of clothing being swim trunks. I didn't see a reason not to stop. I slowed down my small worn out truck, and came to a stop when I finally reached him. He wore a face of relief and sprinted to my car. He opened the passenger door and jumped in.

"thank you", he said before putting his seatbelt on.

"it's no problem, where are you headed to?"

"reseda", He replied as he pet my dog.

"What's your name anyway?" I asked taking a quick glance at him who was looking out the window.

"Oh yeah sorry, I'm Eli." He responded as he stuck his hand out for me to shake it.

I noticed some small hesitation before he answered but I brushed it off.

"I'm Cassandra." I said as I took his hand and shook it, before turning my attention back on the road.

"Can I call you Cassie?" He asked before taking the extra pair of shades I had sitting in a cup holder and putting them on.

"Hm, people usually say Sandra or Sandy, but Cassie's fine."

"Are you cold?" I asked, noticing that he kept rubbing his arms.

"Kind of"

I grabbed a basic white shirt I had in my backpack, and handed it to him.

"Sorry it's the only thing I have"

"Beats being cold", He responded in a shrug.

It was tight and fitted.

"What's your dog's name?" He asked.

"Daisy"

He was really entertained by her.

"So why were you hitchhiking?" He nervously laughed at my question.

"I planned a beach date with my girlfriend because we were having a lot of problems. We ended up arguing and basically we broke up, she was my ride and she drove off without me."

"I'm sorry, that sounds like it sucks."

"It's okay, I kinda felt it coming." He said as he put my dog on his lap.

~

I had just met Eli and it felt like we were already friends. It was easy to talk to him and we got along really well.

"So your WHOLE school really broke out in a karate fight?!"

"Yeah, there was a lot of drama between dojos, it's kind of funny to look back on it now." He said laughing.

We were interrupted by his phone ringing. He took the call and once it finished he gave me a disappointed look.

"what happened?"

"no one's home, my mom's running errands and my dad's at work"

"you live close to me, do you wanna shower at my house and wait for your parents?" This was a weird idea considering I just met him, but I felt bad.

"Are you sure? would your parents be okay with that?"

"my parents are on vacation right now, but only if you want."