Fireflies

Chapter 10: Little Things

Sage was a man of his word. He kept his promise to the pretty girl with the celestial name - Aryah.

Sage hopped in the old Chevy truck and brought it around slowly. The truck, creaky from many years of use, came to a full stop with the passenger door in front of Aryah. Sage rolled down the window and said, "Your chariot awaits."

Aryah smiled. There was no hesitation when she grabbed the handle and opened the door.

"Here, let me grab your bag," Sage offered. He knew that first impressions were important and, for some odd reason, he wanted this girl to think the best of him. He wanted her to feel safe. 

Aryah handed him her bag and climbed into the truck.

"Seatbelt?"

Aryah gave him a sidelong look that made Sage grin widely. He shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, just making sure."

"Yeah, yeah." Aryah rolled her eyes and smiled again. She pulled at the strap and stretched it across her chest. How easy was it for this boy to make her smile, Aryah thought. After the day she'd had, she felt lucky to have found him. She wanted to thank her lucky stars but didn't want to do so prematurely. The jury was still out on Sage despite the nagging sense of security she felt with him.

Sage rolled down the window and Aryah allowed herself to relax against the plush leather seats of the old truck. One arm dangled out the window and her fingers played with the wind. Sage drove at a steady pace, not too fast and not too slow. It was if he knew that she was interested in seeing the little town bathed in the glow of twilight and dancing fireflies.

Aryah watched the passing landscape and marveled at how she'd gotten here in the first place. Just three days ago she was Aryah, the soccer player slut with a shitty older brother and parents with a failing marriage. And now, she could be whoever she wanted to be. She literally could just...be. She felt as free as the wind caressing her fingers and tousling her locks. This made her smile.

When Aryah got the chance, she would have to text Hadi right away and tell her how the crazy adventure had already begun. She'd have to tell her that she'd danced the Canterbury Shuffle with with a young handsome chef - well more like a chef's hand, but who's story was this anyways? She'd tell Hadi about how she'd managed to get duped by a bus driver and a 60 year hippie con man. And then she'd have to tell her about Sage. His story was still developing, but already she felt the words forming to articulate the boy with hair like burnt honey, eyes like sapphire, and the smile of a rainbow turned on its head.

Even now those eyes darted between the road and her direction. The first time she'd felt his eyes she'd been amused, but now she was curious.

"If you don't keep your eyes on the road, we might crash," Aryah spoke plainly; her eyes focused on the road ahead. She didn't want to make it seem like his surreptious glances alarmed her. 

Sage snapped his eyes forward and blushed at being caught. "Oh, I'm sorry," he spoke softly.

Aryah laughed at his bashfulness. "What do you keep staring at anyways?"

Sage was silent for a moment. Aryah watched him grip the wheel and then release. "That's a loaded question."

"It doesn't have to be. Just tell the truth."

A straight shooter, thought Sage. He liked that. "You."

Aryah sucked her teeth. Duh. "Yeah. I know you were staying at me. But why?"

"I don't know. I've just never seen anyone quite like you before."

A short burst of laughter erupted from her lips. "You mean you've never seen a black person before?"