Look After You {Completed}

VI. June

~June~

            “We're done in highschool,” Mina says in disbelief, the wind blowing across her face and fanning her hair out as I grip the steering wheel.

           i nod, it was hard to believe myself that we were graduates of highschool.

            I make a sharp turn and hide a smile when Mina glares at me, smoothing her hair down.

            “Must you have the windows down?” Mina asks me in exasperation, her sunglasses tinted to dark to see her eyes but I can imagine them.

            I laugh, making another sharp turn and Mina lurches forward, grabbing the car handle.

            “Doesn’t the wind make you feel alive? Free?” I ask, rolling all the car windows down. The salty smell of brine and sand fill my nostrils.

            “I doubt I’ll be alive with a reckless driver like you,” Mina retorts.

            I gasp in pretend hurt, raising my hands above my head, I control the steering wheel with my knees.

            “Woooooo!” I whoop in the air, waving my arms about in the air.

            Mina screams. “Are you crazy!” she yells.

            “YOLO!” I yell in the air, stealing a glance to Mina who looks scared.

            I’ll admit, I enjoyed the look she had on her face.

            “YOLO is carpe diem for stupid people like you!” Mina shrieks, her hands flying to cover her eyes.

            I roll my eyes at her dramatics, placing my hands back on the wheel, not even able to stop smiling.

            “I am ‘seizing the day’ Mina, we must live while we are young,” I says, imitating a surfer dude drawl.

            Mina peeks out from her fingers and I can see a small smile on her lips. “We’ll die young if you keep this stupidity up.”

            I shrug. “It’s not like I’m really here for anything or anyone.”

            The words slip out of my mouth and I regret that they ever did because the air suddenly turns serious, personal.

            Mina slips off her sunglasses and stares at me. I keep my gaze straight ahead of me, swallowing hard.

            “You really think nobody needs you here in this world?” Mina asks.

            I don’t answer, glancing at the car consul to turn up the radio.

            Mina shuts the radio off and I move to turn it back on.

            “Stop,” Mina snaps. “Why do you always shut yourself away whenever the topic of you comes up?”

            “It’s not important!” I snap back, feeling a tightening in my chest.

            “It’s important to me,” Mina says softly.

            “You don’t mean that,” I say through tight lips, gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turn white.

            “You would know that I do if you would just give me a chance to help you,” Mina mumbles.

            I don’t say anything, flicking on my turn signal and pulling into a sandy area with a wooden sign saying: parking.