Human Nature Is A Bitch.

2wo - Nana's Kitchen

Had a great birthday, thanks family!

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"So um," I started, holding onto the handle for dear life as Mickayla screamed with joy in the back, "where are we going?"

Dan slowed down a tiny bit to go around a tight curve.

"To eat," he paused for a mischievous second, "to eat you for lunch," he added. I wasn't sure I heard him correctly at first. And then the weight of what he had said sunk in and a heat shiver soared through my bones and settled in my core. What. The. Fuck.

"Dan, slow down, we don't want to die today," Kent said, surprisingly calm. Dan must do this a lot.

Dan listened to the voice of reason and slowed down to just above the speed limit. I turned to look at how Mickayla was; she was smiling at Kent shyly.

"You always ruin the fun in everything Kent. Their not traumatized. Yet."

I shot a worried look at him. "Oh come on AunJelle. Don't give me that look. I hate that look, I get it from my sister all the time. She thinks I'm reckless."

Facing forward I said, "I don't blame her. I feel like I'm going to die."

"I would never go as far as killing someone. I'm a very safe driver." A hint of hurt crossed his features before a smirk covered it up.

"On another note, where are you two young ladies headed? I noticed you had a rental car and a apartment and everything," Dan asked.

"We're on a trip across the country. We just came from Santa Fe and before that from Dallas. It's so nice there..." Mickayla trailed off.

"Oh yeah? Well we're visiting my cousin David in the next town tomorrow. So we have all day free. Could you guys spend it with us, you think?" Dan said.

"Are you actually being nice? I think we should, you know, to reward you." Mickayla said sarcastically from the back seat. Dan glared at her through the mirrior and she busted out laughing. I cracked a smile, too. I could actually have fun on this trip. Was what Dan said true? Was I way too uptight? I pouted a little.

"What's wrong with you, Apple Jacks?" Dan said with a playful smile. I scoffed. "Is that the best you could come up with?"

I looked back and saw Mickayla and Kent engaged in a random conversation about food. "I'm hungry," Mickayla stated. "Me too. So where are we going Dan?" Kent added. We entered the small town called Lake City that the apartment was outside of. We sped past a gift shop with carved bears on stands for sale outside.

"You never answered his question!" an irritated Mickayla told Dan. "It's a little place called Nana's Kitchen. I go there all the time. They have really good steak, and other stuff," Dan replied finally.

We arrived at the restaurant around ten and there were no customers there because it wasn't quite lunch yet. I climbed out of the car and was faced with an older-looking restaraunt. The bell on the glass door chimed when Kent led Mickayla inside and held the door open for her. Dan stayed suspiciousley by my side, his hand on the small of my back. I tried to take in the interior of the small place, but his hand was very distracting.

In front of me, Kent and Mickayla sat in a booth side-by-side. I scooted to the inside so that I was right across from my best friend. "Hey, I'll be right back, I need to go get Nana. She'd love to meet you," Dan disappeared into the kitched through a door on the right. The place was decorated with a foresty theme, dark green walls and dark-wooded fixtures. There was a light suspended above each booth and the booths themselves had the comfiest padded seats I had ever sat on. Potted plants hung from the ceiling and lots more in the windows.

"Is he actually related to this Nana?" Mickayla asked Kent.

"No, everybody calls her that. The whole freaking town. She's the nicest lady I believe I've ever met. But, then again, there's you..." She blushed a deep crimson while I just laughed. Mickayla never blushes. Dan appeared in the middle of my laughing with a lady who looked to be about 60. She had a skinny body and grey/white hair that was pulled back into a messy bun with a blue bandana on her head. She looked really good for her age. She wore a black t-shirt reading Nana's Kitchen on it and blue jeans.

"Nana, this is Mickayla and her lovely friend AunJelle." He gestured to us.

"Nice to meet you dearies. What would you like to drink?" She said with a gentle voice as she pulled a notepad from her back pocket and a pencil that was tucked behind her ear. She put the menus on the table and Kent passed them out. We told her what we wanted to drink and she went back to the kitchen. Dan slid onto the seat next to me and smirked at me. Another sexy smirk...

"What?"

"You know that they put micro chips in Dr. Pepper right?"

"Really?" Mickayla raised her eyebrows in mock surprise.

"Yeah, they use them to take control of your body. They could make you jump off a building or something."

She smiled. "I would just love to know more, but I'd rather go jump off a building." The table busted out laughing. I laughed so hard that I snorted. I felt the blood rush to my face as everyone laughed harder if that was even possible. Nana appeared with our drinks on a black plastic tray. She sat them down in front of our red faces.

"Our special today is the chicken basket with your choice of sides." Dan looked around at all our faces. "I think we will all take a chicken basket," he offered. "Um... I'm a vegetarian. But I'll take a salad," I stated.

Nana nodded. "Of course sweetie. What kind of dressing?"

"Thousand island?" She nodded and asked the others about the sides. When Nana walked away, the guys stared at me. "I can't imagine life without meat. How do you live?" Dan scooted closer to me and put his arm around me, engulfing me in his scent. I glared at him playfully.

"No, really, I want to know. In health like a million years ago we learned that the body can't live without the nutrients that the meat provides and stuff."

"Exactly. You're right, the body can't live without the nutrients, so I eat other foods that have the same nutrients that the meat does, like vegetables and peanut butter instead."

Mickayla laughed. "You didn't know that?"

"Shut up."

Dan's arm pressed into my back softly, reminding me of its presence.

"My mother was vegetarian," Kent said from across the table. "She couldn't stand the smell of bacon that my dad cooked so she would go for a walk until all the smell was gone."

She reminded me of my own mother, only my parents love meat so much that they cooked it at every meal, and I just got tired of them making me eat it. So I went vegetarian.

"Anyway," Dan spoke up, "how long are you guys staying here?"

"Two days. Our destination is Sunset State Beach in California, but first, Durango, St. George, Las Vegas, Death Valley, and then the beach." Mickayla quietly stated.

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Finally we were done eating, and about to leave. As we were getting up from the booth, a group of four rather hot guys walked in. They caught sight of Dan and Kent, and began to strut towards us proudly like they were better than us, which would soon be proven wrong. 

The leader of them, a blonde bitch in a leather jacket, walked up to Mickayla and ran his knuckles down her cheek. I knew she was mad by the fire in her eyes which she covered up. I knew something was going to happen so I moved closer to Dan, who held me protectively. 

"Hey doll. What are you doing with these ass-kissers, wouldn't you rather be with a real man?" He winked at her. She moved closer in a very flirty way, and ran her finger down his chest. I noticed Kent tense up. "Thanks but I would rather fuck a camel." Everyone except him laughed. He glared at her as she grabbed Kent's hand and started toward the door.

One of the guys behind the egoistical jerk ran his eyes down my body and back up to my face, which caught Dan's attention. I turned to see Mickayla and Kent walk out the door, but when I turned back around, all I saw was Dan's fist connecting with the guy's face.