The Mysteries of Asteroids and Girls

Chapter 1

"I'm in love with you."

God Avery hated going slow. That was the biggest reason she hated turtles. That and she was extremely jealous of their shells. Seriously why had homosapiens not thought of that while they evolved?

She sped past the old geizer and pressed harder on the gas pedal. Going slow forced her to think, and she did not want to be alone with her thoughts right now. She turned the dial up on the music until she couldn't hear the stupid voice in her head that wouldn't shut up. She rolled down the windows and let the cooling breeze of fall fill Bismol and fling her hair everywhere. She didn't care that the small tendrils whipped against her face like needles.

"I'm in love with you."

Faster.

She stomped the hesitant pedal and felt Bismol roar underneath her, trying to keep up with her speedy demands. She tightened her grip on his wheel and tried to leave her thoughts behind her with the old man in his mustard yellow Cadillac.

There was no specific destination she was heading towards. She just needed to get away. Farther from her thoughts. Farther from her feelings. Farther from her.

The wind blew leaves around cautiously before Bismol smacked into them and swiped them off her windshield.. She peered up at the sunroof and watched as a robin tried and failed to keep up with her.

She smirked and flattened her foot, pushing Bismol to his limits and leaving the bird far behind her. She loved the roar of the wind as it pushed almost painfully against her ears. She couldn't get enough of it.

"I'm in love with you."

Faster.

Faster. Faster and farther.

Try as she might, her thoughts kept breaking through the wall of music and wind that filled every atom of her entire being.

Why didn't she say something? Why didn't she talk to her? Why couldn't she make herself stay? Why can't she get Molly's disappointed face out of her goddamn head?

Farther. Faster.

Suddenly a sound that was somehow even louder than the wind and music combined pummeled her eardrums. Her mirrors were filled with flashing blue and red as she finally took her foot off the gas.

Fuck.

"I just don't understand you, Avery."

Her father was glaring at her through the rearview mirror while she sunk farther into the seat, refusing to look away from the window.

"You haven't done this in two years." He turned the corner at a crawling pace. He shook his head. "I just don't get you."

She squeezed her interlaced arms tighter and allowed her fingernails to push dents into them, all the while not making a sound.

Anger crept into his voice as he continued, "Your sister and I thought something awful had happened when we got the call."

Guilt crawled its way up Avery's stomach as she met Irene's curious gaze in the side mirror. She refocused her gaze on the trees which passed at a sluggish pace. Soon anger laced with the guilt. It's not like she was expecting to get pulled over. She didn't have a sign on Bismol saying 'Hey Cop! Pull me over, please! That'd just be the icing on the fucking disaster of a cake that is today!'

She felt a scowl push its way onto her face and she turned her head farther so she couldn't see her father in her peripheral vision.

She threw the door shut and stomped up the concrete driveway, desperately trying to leave any lingering conversation in the car.