Haven

Road Trip

When he got out to the parking lot, Kaden found Lanie already sitting side-saddle on his bike, her book bag slung over her shoulder. Her feet just barely touched the ground. As he came closer, he saw her gaze drop down to the helmet under his arm. "Where's mine?"

Without a word, he tossed the helmet over to her. She nearly fell off the bike stretching out to grab it. She turned it over in her hands. A frown creased her lips. "Well, if this one's mine, where's-"

"Don't need one."

"What if we crash?"

"We won't."

Lanie stood up properly, so he could swing his leg over and climb onto the bike. He turned around to look at her. She stood just outside the parking space, looking very pensive. Kaden asked, "You having some second thoughts?"

"I had second thoughts when I agreed in the first place. These are more like eighth thoughts, by now."

Kaden rolled his eyes. "You got a bible handy?"

"Excuse me?"

"Do you have a bible?" Kaden repeated. "Preferably like, a stack of them. So I can swear on them, if it makes you feel better, that I'm not going to crash this bike."

She allowed herself a guarded little half-smile. "It doesn't, but I guess I appreciate the gesture."

Finally, having seemed to have made up her mind, she climbed on after him. Jumped back up on it, the same way she had done before, then swung her leg over the other side. She spun the helmet around in her hands, then slid it over her head and fastened the strap under her chin. Kaden turned around to help her tighten it.

Once he was facing forward again, She reached her arms out, let them hover by his sides. She let them fall down to the body of the bike, hummed under her breath, then braced herself against the back. "So do I just- How do I- There's not really a seatbelt or anything, how do I... not fall off...?"

"How do you think?" Kaden patted his side. "Grab on."

"I mean, is that okay? With you?"

"I'm okay with the logic of it. Beats you falling off the back while we're on the highway."

Lanie grimaced. "I've just never been on a motorcycle before."

"You don't say."

"I don't know what the etiquette is."

"Oh, you never saw the Sons of Anarchy episode about biker etiquette?"

"Shut up."

Lanie slipped her arms around his waist, so her hands rested over his stomach. After a second, she shifted back a little. She settled for her hands at his sides. Kaden looked over, "You good?"

"...Yeah."

He backed the bike out of the parking space, got it turned around, and turned on the ignition. The bike roared to life, and he kicked off. As soon as they started moving, Lanie's arms flung around his waist, and she pressed into his back. Kaden couldn't help laughing.

They pulled out onto the county road, and he gunned it. He felt her fingers dig into the fabric of his shirt, and just for her benefit, he made a point of weaving around a couple cars. Lanie shouted, over the roar of the engine, "So where are we going, exactly?"

"Wal Mart first!"

"What do you mean 'first'? How many stops are you making?"

"Three!" Kaden called back. "Making the pick-up at Wal Mart, making the drop-off at the Black Box, and then one more to grab food, and we'll head back to school!"