The Exchange

Chapter 33- A Bumpy Ride

The car jolted as a wheel rolled over a dip in the road making the passengers bounce in their seats. Sasha sat shotgun with her window down so that wind rushed into the vehicle causing loose strands of her hair to flail about. Ben and Julien sat in the back, playing thumb wars and bursting into laughter when someone lost. 

It was the day after the party and it was hot and humid. The sun was high in the blue sky and the light rays hit the tarmac in fractured segments, cut up by the trees that lined the road.

Sasha's mind had been racing ever since the event of the unforgettable night. She could picture the blur of bodies and groping and wet- her hot, pink skin against the cool, green grass. Leaning back in her seat she retraced every second of the time spent in the field- each noise, each gasp, each rustle and most of all the feeling of his warm touch brushing over her.

She was overtly aware of Julien's presence in the car, chuckling behind her as he captured Ben's thumb under his own causing her brother to squeal in delight. Out of the corner of her eye she recorded every single movement that he made while simultaneously counting the number of glances he shot in her direction. By the time they reached the next set of traffic lights it totalled 17.

"Hello... Sasha hello? Is anyone there?", her mothers voice began to whisper, breaking through her thoughts even though it sounded a million miles away. Ignoring the quiet murmer of her name she tilted her head back to look at Julien's reflection in the wing mirror again.

"Sasha!"

Snapping into reality and out of her imagination, the image of her and Julien lying together in the grass fractured into a thousand little pieces. She spun sharply around so her mothers frowning face came into view. With a crinkled brow Annette shot her a questioning look, before returning her attention to the road, "Are you okay, darling? Daydreaming again?"

Ben glanced up towards the front before flipping his thumb expertly over Julien's one and attempting to hold it down (he was a master at thumb wars), "Mum, she's away with the fairies! The lights are on but nobody's home!"

Sasha rolled her eyes at her brothers creative use of expressions, but her cheeks had still started to glow. If only they knew what she was thinking about, then maybe they wouldn't be so smiley and upbeat.

"I'm fine", she retorted crossing her arms over her chest, "What is it?"

"Mum was asking you about the party the other night but you seemed like you'd died", Ben informed. 

Sasha's mind immediatly snapped back to the scene in the field, her trembling legs and the echoes of her shaky breath. As the inappropriate thoughts invaded her brain she pressed her lips into a thin white line.

"Yeah, it was good thanks", she responded nonchalantly. She couldn't bear to look at Julien in the wing mirror as her cheeks continued to blaze. Inside she knew that he was probably laughing at her terrible acting skills and increasingly embarrassed state. 

Saving Sasha from her mother's pestering questions Ben piped up excitedly from the back, "I can't wait until I'm old enough go to parties!"

"Long time until that, my little one", Annette replied over her shoulder causing him to pout.

Changing the subject, she glanced back at Julien in the rearview mirror as she asked him a question, "So Julien, have you been around the city center yet?"

Julien nodded, his chocolate hair shimmering in the sun, so strands appeared golden in certain lights.

"Yes I have actually. We went with college but it wasn't very exciting and we couldn't go off and explore. We were sent out to complete little tasks instead and fill in a sheet".