A Mermaid's Tale

Chapter Six

After school Kate got a ride from Max to the mall, alongside Violet and Adrian. There was a silence in the car for a number of minutes. Max broke the silence by playing one of his CD’s. He has a…unique music taste and not everyone in the car was so fond of listening to his music. Kate was in the front passenger seat and knocked her head back. She had her feet up on the dashboard with her hair flowing down her left shoulder. “Max! Please turn this crap off!”

   “No way,” Max protested. “Every car ride we have to listen to your rock stuff. One ride I am asking for me to enjoy my music.”

   “This is your car, Max.” Kate wouldn’t quit getting her point across. In her mind she was always right. “You can listen to your music whenever you want.”

   Violet leaned forward in her seat and held onto the back of Max’s seat. Her head was just above Max’s shoulder. “Also Kate’s music is good.”

   Max let out a long sigh and pulled out a CD from his glove compartment. “My mom would be so disappointed to find out I gave into peer pressure.”

   He handed the CD to Kate and she had a grin plastered on her face from getting her own way. The first song played and it was American Idiot by Green Day. Kate immediately started head banging along with the song.

   After only two minutes into the song Max switched it off. Kate’s mouth dropped, “What the hell?” Kate protested.

   “You’re making Adrian feel uncomfortable.” Max snapped.

   Kate looked in the rare-view mirror and saw Adrian’s hands were clenched onto the leather seat, his head was knocked back and his eyes were open wide. Like a cat caught in headlights.

   Kate bit her bottom lip and felt it was strange that Adrian had such a dramatic reaction to the music being played.

   They spent the rest of the car journey in silence. They arrived outside the mall and Violet linked arms with Kate, leaving Max and Adrian to walk behind them.

   “That was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” Violet spoke in a low tone so she was out of earshot from Adrian.

   “What?”

   “Adrian looked like he was going to have a freak out from the music in the car.”

   Kate bit her bottom lip. She wanted to defend Adrian’s behaviour but unsure why. They only met a day prior. He didn’t seem to have good people skills and he is awkward around other people. “I think people just need to get to know him. He’s most likely just shy because he hasn’t got any real friends yet.”

   Violet raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you get to know him since you’re so keen to defend him?”

   Kate looked over her shoulder and locked her gaze to Adrian. His eyes were locked to the floor as he walked. There was something mysterious about him, like he has a dark secret that only he knows.

   “Let’s make a deal,” Violet offered. “If you can get to know his past by the time of Max’s party, I’ll kiss the guy I told you about.”

   “Is that it?” That’s easy, thought Kate

   Violet raised her hand in the air as a sign she wanted silence. “You have to tell me five true facts about him by midnight of Max’s party.”    

   Kate had to think for a moment. It would be interesting to find out why Adrian is so mysterious. “Fine, you’ve got a deal.”

   They pushed the front doors to the mall open and headed for the costume shop.