"So... how do I know you're not some crazy serial killer that's gonna take me to a cabin in the woods and murder me?" I was coming to the realization that blindly following this complete stranger into her car to go on a so called "adventure" wasn't the most sane idea.
She turned to me from the driver seat of the Jeep Wrangler, her keys hovering over the ignition.
"First of all, we're in the Chicago metropolitan area, there's no woods to take you too. And as for the crazy serial killer part," she had a devious grin as she plunged the key into the ignition, the car starting up like a beast coming awakening, "Well, I guess you'll just have to take a chance on that one."
"Will you at least tell me where we're going?" I asked as we pulled out from the curb, driving away from the teenage infested house.
She gazed into the empty streets of the subdivision, the houses broad and organized in uniform rows like soldiers marching into battle. Her expression was full of wonder, as though she was looking into a vast and mysterious world. And maybe she was.
"Somewhere we can be free," she finally said, the words resonating in the air like the last lines of a politician's speech.
It was silent for a second before I said, "Yeah, cause that's not something a crazy person would say."
She laughed, a sweet and glorious sound, "We're going into the city," Her eyes flashed to mine and a stunning smile was on her lips, "I figured we could do some sightseeing."
"I hate to be a Debby Downer, but it's nearly eight o'clock, the museums and stuff are going to be closed by the time we get there."
With a knowing grin she said, "That won't be a problem."
"So you're a murderer and a tresspasser, perfect."
This time she didn't make a sound and kept her eyes fixed on the road, but I could see the smile creep onto her lips, "I'm neither a murderer nor a trespasser, I'm an explorer."
The last rays of the dying sunset splashed orange and yellow hues across her face, making her skin glow like an angel's, and I couldn't help but think, If you're an explorer, then I want to be one too.
Instead I said, "So what school do you go to? I haven't seen you around before."
"I actually graduated last year. I take classes online now."
"How old are you then?" I asked, not expecting her to be out of high school.
She glanced back at me for a second before fixing here eyes back on the road, "Seventeen."
This surprised me even more, "How are you only seventeen if you graduated last year?"
"I uh.. I graduated a year early." She visibly tightened her grip on the steering wheel and her voice was uneasy with a sort of embarrassment. I couldn't tell why, though.
"Whoa, you must be really smart." I thought about my C in Physics.
"Not really, I just took classes over the summers so I could get the minimum required credits."
"Oh," I replied, looking out the window for several seconds, but I couldn't help asking, "Why?"
She hesitated, her eyes studying the road, "It was easier. My dad and I move around a lot for his job, and the school thing was always a hassle. Plus I never had many friends, so it wasn't like I had anything better to do over the summer."
There was a sudden tension in the car and I could tell it was a sensitive subject, so I attempted to change the conversation, "So uh.. What were you doing at Derek's party?"
She visibly relaxed at the change of subject and replied, "I live a couple houses down and I thought I'd check it out. I'm not much of a party person, though."
"Me neither," I noted quietly, more to myself than her.
"Yeah, that I could tell, " She laughed, "Want to listen to some music?"
Before I could answer she reached across the dashboard and clicked on the radio with dark red painted fingernails. A slow indie song played through the speakers.
"Oh, I love this song," she claimed, turning the volume up.
The slow beat and relaxing melody flooded into the car like a symphonic river.
From the passenger seat I studied Luna as she drove down the highway, her head bobbing slightly to the music. She seemed entranced by the soothing harmony. Then suddenly, words were flashing through my head like neon signs. I pulled out my phone and wrote in the notes:
As she drove through the night,
It was the look in her eyes.
Of stories waiting to be told,
Of secrets wishing to be showed.
"The Japanese House," she said, interrupting my writing.
I turned off the phone and tucked it back into my pocket, "I'm sorry?"
"That's the band. A strange name, but I like that about it. I think this song is called Still."
"Oh." I didn't know what else to say so I just listened with her as the song ended.
"So what were you doing on there anyways?" She asked, tilting her head toward the phone in my pocket.
I felt a flush rise on my neck, "Oh.. Nothing."
She glanced at me, hearing the nervousness in my voice, and raised her eyebrows, "You know if you don't tell me I'm just going to assume something worse than it is."
"I just get... ideas, sometimes."
"Ideas for what?" She continued to press, flicking on the turn signal to change lanes.
"Writings." I muttered.
"So you're a writer?" She asked.
"I guess.."
Neither of us said much after that, we just listened to the radio as we drove down the highway towards the city, a calm silence between us.
---
It was about 20 minutes later and we had just parked on the streets of Chicago. It was a lot less crowded during the day but there were still quite a few people walking about. The tall buildings were giants looming over us, beaconing us to enter their world. Stepping out onto the pavement, I felt a wave of excitement course through me. I glanced over at Luna and she was already watching me, a wide grin across her face.
"You ready?" She asked.
"You bet I am."
---
Hope you liked this chapter, super pumped about the rest of this book. Comment your thoughts about this part and vote!
And by the way, above is the song that they were listening to in the car. I actually really like the band The Japanese House and I recommend their music if you like that genre.
