Backseat Drivers

Sunset Oil

They pooled their money together in the carpark of the Maple Hotel, figuring that with a couple of nights off drinking and the continuation of cheap (shitty) accommodation, they'd be able to last at least another week and a half on the road before going absolutely penniless. Cindy had even suggested selling some of the gear in Roy's bag, but they'd had to draw a line at that. 

"Oh no, not the drugs, Cindy. We couldn't sell those." 

"He's right," Sean said, nodding at Roy's protestation. "This is fine - it's splendid. We have enough."

He sucked in on his cigarette and then exhaled happily, sticking his wallet back into his pocket, before clapping his hands together.

"Right!"

-

For the rest of the day they'd gone to a modern art exhibition that Roy had pushed for; it was in keeping with Amsterdam's unconventional style, with life-size, glass figures, and twisting shapes of colour, moulded in perfect symmetry. Aika now found herself with her face about ten inches away from an oil painting. It followed the simplicity of the child's mind, but the perfect curvature and tranquility of an artist's hand, and the radiating glow of the warm, oily sun was shaded in a strong gradient. She couldn't remember how long she'd been stood here, or what she'd even been thinking about - she just remembered her and Sean giggling at the door of the museum as they took a handful of shrooms each before following the others in innocently. That was it - she remembered now. The others couldn't know they'd taken anything. It was a secret.

'It's a secret', Sean whispered to Aika as she sniggered and smacked his arm. 

'Shut up!'

No, but indeed Sean had been right - it was a deep, deep secret. The others must never know.

"Hey Aika - are you okay?"

Cindy was watching Aika with concern, her eyes slightly wide at the overly sincere expression on the girl's face - totally unaware of the contorting thoughts behind the surface.

'Ohhh, God this is it. This is the test. Straight face.'

"Yes," Aika replied slowly, concentrating on every word. Then she realised she'd only said one word, and struggled to hold in a laugh. Cindy was scrutinising her face, uncertain. 

'She knows, she knows, it's all over! Can I laugh now? What if she doesn't know? Does Sean know that she knows?'

But Cindy simply shrugged, before looking back at the painting. 

'She's totally oblivious! Haha! Haha! Success!'

-

"Aika's on something," Cindy mused to Calum, as he examined a nudist painting, his arms folded, his face scrunched up in distaste.

"Where's his dick?" he was asking out loud, genuine confusion in his voice. 

"Ssh!" Cindy nudged him hard in the ribs as a couple of strangers turned their heads to see where the vulgarity had come from. 

"Is that supposed to be his dick, there? That's tiny, man, no wonder he looks so sad."

"Calum!" Cindy scolded, unable to hide her smile as more people glanced over, some trying to express their irritation through cold stares. Calum looked over at Cindy, touching his tongue to his teeth in amusement. 

"Come on, Cindy, it's all natural. Embrace the human body."

"I will happily, I'm just not so sure the angry Dutch family over there will."