Ride On

Chapter XXIV: Didn't We Meet

You never know what you have until it's gone. 

You also never realise how much you want to brush your teeth until you're not able to.

The morning was bright and sunny and my room was getting stuffy. I only had my purse with me containing my wallet, headphones, house keys, chocolate scented perfume, backstage pass, and a teabag.

For emergencies.

I was able to shower but could only suffice with the same clothes I wore last night and nothing to brush my teeth with. I'm sure they were covered in food. Gathering my things and wishing the room a rotten farewell I walked down the stairs to return my room key. The man looked me up and down seeing as I looked exactly the same as last night. I averted his gaze.

It was about ten in the morning. The city was perfectly awake by now and besides my headache I felt pretty decent. My feet didn't ache nearly as much as I thought they would. But they sure as hell were going to if I ended up lost. 

All the streets looked the same to me. I felt too shy to ask for directions and nobody seemed to have any time to spare. The diner Angus and I went to seemed a whole country away now. I stopped at an intersection and made an attempt to read the street sign down the crosswalk. 

Nothing doing, I was blind as a bat.

I crossed anyway and just started walking in the opposite direction of the motel. Newspaper stands, post offices, payphones, bottle-o's and lolly shops in every direction but none of them I recognised. I couldn't panic yet, I knew my own neighbourhood, I could take a bus or a taxi and be home in no time.

So why were my palms already getting sweaty? 

Why did my headache worsen?

Why did my stomach tie itself in knots?

A cyclist swarm stampeded past me and I jumped out of the way just in time. I neared a payphone and decided to call my mum and explain my predicament. She was probably worried sick, I meant to be home an hour ago. I dialed the number and waited. 

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mum."

"Where are you?" I heard pots and pans in the background. 

"I don't know, I stayed at a different motel and now I'm trying to get home." I twirled the phone cord around my finger waiting for her to get annoyed with me.

"Listen, your brother is going to call at any minute so I'd better go," she said. "I'll see you when you get home."

And she hung up. 

I placed the phone back in the cradle and left the phone booth. And sighed. 

Thanks, Mum.

"Hannah!"

I didn't bother to respond as I've done so before only to see the person calling was referring to a different Hannah, there being so many of us. But when I heard heavy footfalls behind me I turned around to see....Angus.

Angus Young.

With the messiest head of hair I've ever seen in my life. 

I could have swooned.

"What are you doin' here?" he asked catching his breath.

"Going home," I answered. He looked terrible. The man had bags enough to carry groceries in. I would swear on my life I looked undead. 

"You know the way?"

"No, I was going to catch a ride maybe." I paused awkwardly. "Where are you going?"