Chase The Skies

Chapter 4

"Say it,"

"No," She blushed madly and threw a chip at me.

"Come on," I whined.

She shook her head, "You know you want to," I sang.

"Fine, tomato! Happy?" She crossed her arms and I couldn't keep the smile off my face.

"Very." I licked my salty fingers and they made a pop sound as each finger exited my mouth. Potato chips for brunch, not as good as moms Sunday brunch but a close second.

"Disgusting!" She scrunched her nose.

"Delicious!" I responded.

"Whatever," She looked down at her hands that were drumming on the table. "What shall we do today?"

"How long are we staying?"

"Not sure, I'd like to make my way to Las Vegas. I'm running low on money." She inspected her nails carefully.

"You that good at poker?" I asked in disbelief.

"No, I'm good at cheating." She smiled slyly at me and her gaze went far as if she was remembering the last cheat she did.

"Let's stay here for today and go on a bus tomorrow bright 'n early." I suggested.

"Nope! Bright and early doesn't work for me." I remembered this morning when I was trying to get her up, she held onto the headboard and screamed when I tried to yank her out of bed and when I took her covers she kicked me in the groin.

I shivered just remembering that kick, "You're right. Definitely not bright or early." She just laughed.

"I do like the plan though, I need to get some laundry done."

"Alrighty then, we'll leave tomorrow - sometime after 11 a.m."

The rest of the day was spent sitting in a shady laundry mat. Maggie put the last of the clothes in and started the washer.

"Why can't we leave?" I complained and sat on a dryer behind me.

"I don't trust that nobody will steal my clothes."

"Nobody would want your clothes if you handed them over," I scoffed and she hit me with a rolled up newspaper.

Maggie sat on a dryer beside mine. She was still for a few minutes, then the fun began. She swung her legs back and forth, clucked her tung along to the clock, and tried to sing Blurred Lines in an opera voice.

"You getting bored yet?" I teased.

"Shut up!" She smacked my head while standing up and went over to the cashier/convenience store area. With all the washers going it drowned out the conversation Maggie was having with the lady behind the counter. So, like any curious guy, I squinted my eyes and strained my hearing and got a whole lotta nada.

She pranced her way back with a smile on her face. "What's got you smilin'?"

She held up a small box and shook it, a pack of smokes. "You smoke?" I asked, surprised. I never smelt it on her. I guess I couldn't count it out from her personality because honestly, she did seem the kind to smoke.

"I'm not an addict if that's what you're thinking."

"How can you smoke and not become addicted?" I cocked my head to the side, ready for some crazy, far out, left field answer.

"I don't get attached to things," She gave me a sad look, then popped a smoke between her lips. "You got a lighter?" She asked with closed lips.

"No, I was never into that stuff," Of course like every kid I tried it a few times, and each time I just about coughed up a lung. I could drink 'till the cows came home but smoking was just not something I'm interested in.

She dug through her pockets and pulled out a purple and pink zebra print lighter and the smell of smoke filled the air. I looked nervously at the 'No Smoking' sign, then at the lady behind the counter reading a magazine. I don't think they enforce this rule too much.

She took a long pull and huffed it out through her nose. "You know I heard that each cigarette you smoke takes a day away from your life." I ramble.

Wordlessly, she brought out her pack and shoved 2 more between her lips and gave me a "are you serious?" Look.

I chuckled and looked back towards the spinning clothes. Lucky them. They didn't have to question life as they know it. No rebellion, no decision, they were nothing.

It seemed as if everyone knew the answer to my question but nobody was willing to tell me, except the old dude. He was cool. He had life figured out for himself, although I don't think I could ever live not letting people in. You'd get lonely. Or at least, I would.

***

You know those perfect nights? Not the ones where you party or get laid, but the ones where everything just feels right. I had that night.

Maggie and I rented the movie "The Anchorman" and had to pause it every few minutes to laugh. When the movie ended we settled into bed, when I thought we'd be sleeping on opposite sides of the bed Maggie surprised me and her vulnerable side showed through the cracks I'd made in her wall.

"Love?" She asked scooting to my side, "Would you hold me?"

Without question I snaked an arm around her thin waist to drag her too me. I wore flannel pajama bottoms while she wore a baggy T-shirt. Too many layers was my first thought, but as a content sigh left her delicate lips I realized that this was just enough layer between us.

It was safe to say I was more than attracted to Maggie. It wasn't just the fact that she had a killer body, but her personality fit like a puzzle piece with mine.

I didn't remember much about my Grandma, but I did remember the one thing she'd always say when cousins got married was; "It doesn't matter if your angels get along, what matters is that your demons dance well together!" Everyone thought she was crazy, which was probably why she was put in a home so quickly, but to me she was a genius.

If you just think about it for a moment you understand that she isn't crazy, that she may be the last hope for any humanity on this earth. It doesn't matter if you can get along at your best, what matters is that even in your most darkest forms you get along.

At least that's what I thought. Maybe Gran and I were both crazy, I could be buried next to her when I'm dead. Then again I'd have to listen to her tell the same jokes over and over again, "Do you know the best person to borrow money from? A pessimist because they won't expect to get it back!"

Her fake teeth fell out once because she laughed so hard at that. Oh Gran we're both crazy! If only you could be alive now, you'd understand what I was doing.