Keep That Smile

Keep That Smile: Chapter Four

Chapter 4

“I don’t think she’s kidding…” Sam mused in awe. He was still laughing.

                “What do you mean you hate each other?!” She sounded so upset and frantic “Alex, are you listening to this?” Okay, now she was just freaking me out.

                “It’s your problem remember? Your mission.” He huffed bitterly in his thick accent.

                “This is no time to be selfish Alex! Don’t you understand!? The fate of our people is at stake!” she was whipping her head from Alex to us. Sam and I sat there dazed and confused waiting for someone to explain what was going on.  “ALEX!” she screeched, looking as if she were about to bawl.

                “Well what do you want me to do?” He shouted back in defense. I cleared my throat in hopes it would remind them that we were still, in fact, in the same close quarters as them. I could feel her dread radiating through the air in rolls.

She took two shaky wheezy breaths and focused her eyes on us. “Have you ever really looked at each other, you know tried to fall in love?”I looked at Sam and his glance mirrored mine; Confusion mixed with a little fear and some exasperation.

“Um… No.” I said slowly. Terra, you belong in a happy hut.

“Why were you walking her to her car?!” she returned to her angry frantic state, looking like she was going to pop a blood vessel “Why do all the papers say you’re dating?! And why did you sing to her?” she was screaming at Sam in a manic sort of way.

“It’s just what I do…” Sam spoke softly.

“Well who does that?! No one said anything about this!” she shook her head in a why-me motion.  “Alex! Stop the Van!”

“What?” he shouted back sounding extremely exasperated.

“Stop!” the van lurched to a stop and Alex huffed loudly, completely irritated. “Are you sure these are the right two people?”

“Sam Rivers and Colbie Brap?” he asked.

“Then why don’t they love each other?!” she threw her hands up in the air. Gosh, it wasn’t that big a deal…

“Does it really make a difference? They’re going to be there. Do they have to be in love to save the world?” Alex said, his thoughts mirroring mine.

“I don’t know?” she sounded like a true prick “But, we can’t go back until they are.” She looked thoughtful “just in case.”

“Then where are we going?”

“The long way.” She sounded very satisfied with her solution.

“No we aren’t!” indignant as ever Alex now looked like he was going to throw Terra out the back of the van.

 “Yes we are!” tears were sliding down her face now “Please, Alex” she whispered. I watched his features grow softer as he carefully inspected her face. My amusement only grew as he sighed loudly, showing his displeasure, and put the car in gear.

Seduction at its finest, ladies and gentleman.

I looked curiously at Sam to see how he was reacting to being kidnapped and forced to fall in love. The most predictable reaction a person could have would mostly likely be to break down and feel defeated, beg for your life, and maybe even try to escape. I could see myself doing some of those things in the near future but for that moment, I was solid as a rock. Sam however… he seemed to be losing his grip on reality very quickly. Over the space of an hour he continually mumbled incoherent pleas to God, asking that he would wake up and ‘please don’t let me actually be dead.’ I tried to let him have his moment but I had to wonder if he genuinely thought he was actually dead. He was putting on his brave face but it was easy to tell he was miserable and maybe even afraid. The sun was setting as I finally, not able to bear the stress, laid my head on Sam’s shoulder and drifted in a state of unconsciousness. Sweets dreams were the exact thing that I’d needed.