Like Maps

Drumming Song Pt. 2

                   The drive last two hours at least and both sides of the road fade from houses into trees. On any normal trip I would take photos of the tree lines, of the road ahead of us but this ride is spent snapping photos of Grace's smile. Videos of her singing Katy Perry at the top of her lungs, belting every lyric with the largest grin I'd ever seen. I could feel the tight pain in my ribs from all the laughing I'd done myself.
                   "Pepsi or Coke" Grace's pipes up as we drive down the road.
                   "Uh, I mean I kind of like both but I mean I'd rather not drink—"
                   "If you're about to say that you prefer not to drink soda you're going to have to stop talking so that our relationship can continue." She laughs and I blush hard.
                   "I wouldn't say it like that, just—"
                  "Hey I wasn't kidding." She giggles cutting me off. "It's a very important subject to me. Almost as near to the heart as fries"
                  "Curly?"
                   "All the fries Hannah, all the fries. You're lucky," Grace says pulling onto a dirt road.
                  "Looks like you're getting out of answering that Coke or Pepsi question."
                  "What about you?" I ask as the car moves slowly bouncing over bumps.
                  "I shall not answer before you."
                  "So where are we?" I ask as Grace pulls into what looks like a parking lot.
                  "Shyer lake" She says turning the car off.
                  "Why, are we here?"
                   "Because there is a hill" Grace says unbuckling "right over there" her hand crosses in front of me as she points to what is clearly just a really, really dark path into the woods.
                    "You're gonna murder me aren't you" I say gripping my seat belt.
                    "Unbuckle Farto if I wanted to kill you I'd of done it already." She laughs pulling on something next to the steering wheel before pushing open the door and getting out. I feel my breathing stagger as I sit with myself in the car. It takes me a minute to really grasp whats happening. It's just the two of us, just me and Grace. And I cannot breath. When I join her outside Grace is at the back of the car pulling something out of the trunk.
                     "Whatcha got there a shovel?"
                     "You are very weird." Grace smiles as I round the back of the car and see she has a blanket and a cooler.
                     "Is that a picnic?" I ask as the trunk slams.
                     "Yup, after you" she grins gesturing towards the path.
                     "But I don't know where we're going." I mutter looking at my shoes.
                     "Yeah. I guess I should." She smiles but it fades kind of fast as she locks eyes with me. "Are you okay?" she asks sounding worried.
                      "Yeah."
                     "Are you sure? We don't have to—"
                     "Oh no, I'm—" I stop and look at my feet. "I'm fine. I just—"
                     "What?"
                     "I don't want to say it." I say still locked onto my feet.
                     "Hannah?" her voice wavers.
                      "It's just, I—when you smile." I look up and she's smiling again. "When you do that I—I—it's dumb"
                     "Hannah" this time her voice cracks and it sound like she's trying to hold back a laugh,
                     "I sort of forget how to like breath, or speak, or really anything." I blush," I—I get distracted by the drumming in my head."
                   "We should start going." Her face is blushing red as we walk towards the path. "I hear it too." She says from in front of me.
 

                      The path is worn out, traveled, safe-ish. Grace moves through the dark faster than me. She's quick, like she's traveled the path multiple times. I follow and try not to fumble over the bumps she so obviously cleared before. When we've finally reached where we're going Grace sets the picnic basket down and pulls out a blanket.