I Wish It Would Rain

Chapter 13

“I don’t get why you’re doing this,” I complained, resting my chin on my hands as I sat there blindfolded in the passenger seat of Keith’s truck.

It was nearing 7:30, as Keith had just picked me up at my house for our second date. But he made me put on the blindfold before I even stepped a foot into the vehicle. We’ve been on the road for a good ten to fifteen minutes now. A strong scent floated through my nostrils, making my mouth salivate.

“Because,” he said as I felt his hand reach for my unoccupied one, “it ruins the surprise and beauty of the place if you see it while driving up to it. I want the first to you see it to be when you’re actually there. Besides, I don’t want you knowing how to get there. Otherwise you would always come around and bother. Therefore, I gave you the blind fold.”

“You’re a meaner,” I pouted, quoting Maddie from the movie “Barnyard” while sticking my tongue out at him playfully.”

“I’m not a meaner, chickadee,” he teased. I could just picture the smirk on his face, sitting there looking all smug, not paying attention to the road.

“Chickadee? Where did that nickname come from?” I asked while playing with his fingers that were wrapped in my hand.

“I’m assuming that you got the word ‘meaner’ from “Barnyard”, and that it was a little baby chicken who said it,” he paused while I silently nodded my head. “So I called you a chickadee. Know what? I think the nickname suits you. So from now on, I’m going to call you chickadee.”

“You’re still a meaner,” I muttered, crossing my arms and slumping back against the seat letting out a sigh of defeat.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be there soon, and you’ll be able to take the blindfold off then chickadee.” I could hear the smile in his voice as he used my new nickname.

“Geez, I can hardly wait,” I replied sarcastically, giving him a sickly sweet smile that only made him laugh. “I’m glad that I can amuse you so much.”

“I can’t help but laugh when I’m around you. You bring out my playful side, I guess you could say. But you’ve got to admit that being with me amuses you too,” he nudged me in the side and I couldn’t help but blush.

“You wish Kody,” I scoffed, smiling to myself.

“Kody?” My smile grew wider as I heard the questioning in his voice.

“Yeah. If you call me chickadee, I get to have a nickname for you. Maddie called Otis ‘Odie’, so I decided to call you Kody. Deal with it,” I smirked proudly.

There was a silence, as I thought that he decided not to say anything else, or risk engaging me in even weirder conversation that we were having.

“Actually, I kind of like it. I’ve got to admit, it surprises me.”

“What surprises you?” I asked, happy that he liked the nickname.

“That I have fun hanging out with you,” he said, and I felt my heart stop.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, my voice holding a pinch of anger in it.

He paused, I guess knowing that he upset me as he tried to find the right words to say to try and make me feel better.

“Penny, it wasn’t meant to sound like that,” he said frustrated.

“Then tell me what it was supposed to mean.” He was lucky that I had this blindfold on, or else I would have been staring daggers at him. It’s not a pretty sight when I get mad or upset, and people usually leave me alone so they don’t have to face my wrath, or make me even more upset. But I guess Keith just wasn’t that wise.