Soul Nate

Over Again

"Road trips," Nattie muttered. "This should be fun."

"I know!"

"Why are you so perky?"

I grinned at him. "Well, I, unlike you, got coffee at that 'crappy gas station.'"

He glowered at the wheel. "They didn't have espressos."

"Oh, what a tragedy."

"Someone who understands!"

I rolled my eyes at him. "I was being sarcastic."

"Oh." He violently turned the wheel. "This sucks."

"I'm glad you enjoy my company."

I saw him roll his eyes. "Hey, it isn't that bad. We'll get your there in time."

"I know we will."

"Then why are you all grumpy?"

"I am not grumpy."

"Oh, save it."

He signed. "I dunno. It's just... I dunno."

I knew what he was trying to say, that it was hard to spend so much time alone, in a car. With me. I guess I sort of understood what he was saying, but to me, I liked this. I would rake whatever time with him I could, because I knew I probably wouldn't get much of it. And now that I knew I was in love with him, well, I wanted to see him even more. Maybe I'm machostic, but I didn't care.

I stared out the window as the scenery flashed by, too blurry to make out.

"How far do you think we'll make it?" Nattie asked, sparing me a glance.

"Eyes on the road," I said briskly. "I don't know. Depends. It's what, six? So we'll drive till about eleven and see where we are." "

That's a great strategy."

"I know, right?"

He laugned. "So, what you're basically trying to say is: we end up where we end up."

"Pretty much."

He laughed again and I smiled, going back to staring out the window. I remembered that thing Andrew said, that may or may not be on my Facebook quotes.

'There's a certain sense of freedom that comes with movement. Whether you're in a car or a plane or whatever..."

Something like that. I couldn't remember it all, but I understood it now.

"Amy?"

I looked up. "Yeah?"

"What are you thinking about?"

I shrugged. "Andrew. And quotes."

He laughed. "Care to explain?"

I settled back into my seat. "Well, I was thinkin' about that thing he said, the movement quote."

Nattie nodded. "Go on." "

And... yeah. That's what I was thinking about."

"Oh, okay."

There was another silence and I closed my eyes. It would be a long drive.

*

"Nattie. Do you even know how to use a map?"

"Um, yeah."

"Then why did you think we were in Idaho?"

"Don't judge me for things I can't change, woman!"