Mikaal

29: Mikaal

"So where are we going again?" Dalia asked, looking at Mikaal's side profile from the passenger seat of his Subaru hatchback. The black material covered cushiony seats were really comfortable to be in, bucket-style like in her own car and thus hugging her body with its side wings.

"Why are you asking me questions you know I'm not going to answer?"

Mikaal's tone was light and playful, which made Dalia smile. "Just testing," she said with a shrug.

At this point, Mikaal made a sharp turn onto the freeway, the momentum causing her body to shift to the left. As soon as the 'hundred sign' came into view, Dalia felt herself being pushed back into the seat as his car shot forward, his foot hard on the accelerator.

Exhilaration bubbled inside Dalia, her fists clenched to further absorb the rush. "I didn't realise your car was so zippy, especially because it's a hatch."

"Yeh, well, it's a hot hatch." He had turned to look at her as he emphasised the words with his lips.

"Hot hatch?" Dalia asked, one eyebrow raised.

"A sporty hatchback."

"Oh," Dalia said, "Haven't heard that before."

Dalia settled back in her chair, turning her head to face the road once more. They were on the way to another surprise activity, but this time, Mikaal had told her to meet at UWA, where she had left her car. Dalia thrived in surprises; it was so much fun, the buzz she got from 'not knowing' what to expect - but especially in the game of trying to guess what the surprise could be, considering that he insisted that he drive them both there.

Dalia glanced to her left, looking through the tinted windows, paying close attention to the street signs, seeking clues. It was cloudy outside, but Spring most certainly was close, the clouds looking fluffy more than threatening in spite of being silver in colour, and the temperature was perfect - not too hot nor too cold.

From what she could gather so far, they were heading north via Mitchell Freeway - a thirty kilometre long stretch of road that connected Perth city with the northern suburbs. As for how to dress for their surprise catch-up, yet again, he had told her to wear comfortable closed shoes and cool clothing - specifically "not a skirt".

She had wondered if it was another outdoor activity, except he hadn't said anything about bringing a water bottle or snacks. He had also persistently asked her if she was one hundred percent sure that her ankle was fully healed - which did suggest her feet were involved somehow... 'Could it be dancing? Hmm, but no skirt...'

"Did you hear back from the allergy clinic?" Mikaal asked, glancing at her as his car cruised at a steady speed.

"Not yet, but I think I should be getting the report in the mail this week or was it a phone-call... I'm supposed to have a follow-up visit as well."

"That's good."

"Hey," Dalia said, noticing the Chicago Bulls logo on the vinyl car mat at her feet when she reached down to scratch her left ankle that had a bit of a rash from the ankle support she had been wearing for over a week, "this is cool."

"Oh, yeh, got it after an NBA game in Chicago."

"In America?" Dalia's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yeh."

"You were in America?" Dalia realised how stupid her question was after the words were already out of her mouth. She had a tendency to ask questions that had an obvious answer, seeking, she supposed, 'verbal confirmation'? Maybe it was because she was a very 'auditory' person, so there was just something about needing to 'hear' someone repeat what her mind was concluding.