The Bird That Couldn't Sing (GBFF)

Chapter 7 - Sang

Victor drives through the half circle that is Sunnyvale Court, exiting the neighborhood that only consists of about twenty houses and onto to the highway within a few short minutes. As he meets up with the interstate a couple miles away, heading east into Charleston, I let my mind wander. I've never been to a mall before, let alone the one they're going to, so I have absolutely no clue where we are or where we're going. I've broken three rules already. I've spoken to a boy--well... signed--I'm alone with strangers, and I'm lost.

I was way too enthralled in excitement and nerves to even pay attention to Kota and Victor's conversation.

"Is he answering?" Victor asks, adjusting the rear view mirror as we cruise down the road.

"Hey, you ready?" Kota questions. I turn to see he has pulled out a cell phone, one palm against his ear and the other pressing the phone to his head. "We're almost there."

I look over at Victor to see he is already glancing at me. He must see the confusion on my face because he chuckles.

"Don't worry, Sang. We're only picking up an ax murderer." He grins, the fire in his eyes igniting. He glances over at me again after checking the road. "Will you please buckle in? It's bad enough we kidnapped you. We don't need you dying in a car crash on our way to the secret hide out."

I can't help the giggle that escapes past my lips, and his smile widens. He seems happy to have made me giggle, which makes me want to do it again. For some reason, I feel a fluttering in my stomach, like a whole bunch of butterflies. I'm not against the idea of these two cute guys kidnapping me, even if he was just joking.

That means they want me around, right? They want to keep me? Along with the fluttering in my stomach, my heart begins to race. Trying to calm the wild beating of my heart, I reach for the seat belt, grabbing it and strapping myself in.

Victor's hand stretches out to turn on the radio, flipping through multiple stations before stopping on one playing an orchestral piece. Summer by Vivaldi.

Kota groans from the passenger's seat. "Vic, come on, man. We don't want to put Sang to sleep. Isn't that right, Sang?" He turns to me from his seat up front, and it's only then do I realize he's asked me a question. I quickly write in my notepad, "Actually, I love Vivaldi. His music is amazing."

He lifts a brow at me with a small smile, turning to Victor who has his eyes on the road like a responsible driver. "What do ya know? She likes classical, too, Vic," he says, making Victor's head snap to the paper I'm still holding up. His mouth pops open.

"Y-you do?"

I nod, hastily scribbling down more words onto the paper. "Yes, I do." I motion to the radio. "Summer is alright, but I like Winter the best."

He wears a look of awe, his fire eyes lighting up with that familiar heat. He glances over at Kota for a short moment, both sharing that same voodoo eye conversation they seem to do quite often before he finally turns back to the road. Why they chose that moment to do so, I'll never understand. Did they think it was weird I listened to classical music? Probably. Not many girls my age do.

Soon, we're pulling off the interstate and into a vast apartment complex. It's huge and looks more like a luxury resort than someone's home. My face is pressed against the glass of the window, taking in the view in front of me. I probably look like an idiot, but I can't find it in myself to look away.

"Sang, would please stop being so cute? You're nose is smudging the window. You're even worse than a little puppy," Victor teases, snapping me out of my fascinated daze and making me lean back into my seat, my eyes downcast as another blush rises on my cheeks.