My Sisters Best Friend || Yellow Jackets

Chapter Five || Car

As we step out of the school, the vibrant notes of music fill the air from a nearby car, and it's a tune that's surprisingly catchy.

Caught up in the rhythm, my head starts bobbing instinctively, and I playfully snap my fingers in time with the beat. Shauna stands there, amused, and I can't help but grin. "What are you doing?" She asks with a small laugh.

Guiding her into a spontaneous dance, I twirl her around and then draw her in close, our eyes locking in a shared moment of connection. Her breathing quickens, and her cheeks take on a rosy hue.

"It's just such a great song, couldn't help myself." I murmur, reluctantly breaking away from our embrace.

Shauna lets out a relieved breath, her tension dissipating. I raise an eyebrow, a mischievous smile forming. "Shauna?" I ask, and she meets my gaze. "Yes?" Her lips curl into a curious smile.

"Race you," I declare playfully, dashing toward her car with a head start. Even though she's renowned as the fastest on the team, I'm determined to win this little challenge.

Protests echo behind me as she calls out, "Hey, that's cheating!" Laughing, I maintain my lead, though my triumph is short-lived. A sudden stumble threatens to send me crashing to the ground, but I manage to regain my balance just in time.

Concerned, Shauna hurries over, her worry evident in her eyes. "Are you alright?" she asks anxiously, her attention on me.

I reach out and tap her car with a triumphant grin. "I beat you," I mumble through my laughter, a sense of victory washing over me. Shauna playfully crosses her arms, rolling her eyes before joining in on the laughter.

"I'm perfectly fine," I assure, the words rolling off my tongue with a reassuring lilt as I head towards the passenger side of the car. Shauna, with an air of practiced ease, moves to the driver's side, her graceful fingers deftly unlocking the car doors. We both slide into our designated seats, and as I settle in, my gaze sweeps across the front interior of the car, taking in the sights and subtle details. It's in this moment that my attention is captured by the cassette player, a delightful relic of the past that seems to carry a story of its own.

Noticing my inquisitive glance, Shauna pops open the glove compartment, unveiling an eclectic assortment of cassette tapes, each bearing its own unique potential for auditory enchantment. "Take your pick," she offers with a grin, her voice laden with a sense of adventure and intrigue. I can't help but respond with a widening smile of my own as I survey the collection before me. My fingers delicately skim over the spines, lingering over each option with a sense of appreciation. But it's the Tears For Fears cassette that beckons to me, its familiarity and the promise of cherished melodies compelling me to pick it up, the tactile sensation accompanied by a satisfying sense of connection.

The glove compartment is gently eased shut, the soft click accentuating the sense of anticipation that hangs in the air. "Tears For Fears, huh?" I comment, my voice infused with an admixture of playfulness and nostalgia as I inspect the cassette, almost as if its physical presence has summoned forth a trove of memories and emotions. "I didn't know you liked them." I add.

A chuckle dances in her voice, a knowing twinkle dancing in her eyes as she navigates the car out of the parking lot, the engine's gentle hum forming an understated symphony to our conversation. "I would say the same to you except then I would be lying."

A quizzical expression knits my brow. "What?"

"I found out you liked Tears For Fears when you walked into the changing rooms before practice and started belting out the lyrics to Head Over Heels." A laugh bubbles up within me, the memory's vivacity returning with a renewed vigor.