Forgotten Memories

Chapter 13: Ice Cream and Runaways

-Aria-

"On the road again. . ." Daniel sings, then looks at me. "Come on! Sing with me!"

Laughing, I hug my knees to my chest. "Where in world are we going? Rue told me I should come with you, but she didn't tell me where. You could be an axe murderer for all I know!"

He shakes his head, smiling. "Of course. And I'm gonna take you to my abandoned farm to kill you."

I feign surprise. "Gasp! I knew it all along!" I laugh again, then look at him. "No, but seriously. Where are we going?"

He shrugs. "Somewhere. I mean, if Luke can go out with Hope while you're just stuck at home, I guess I can take you out too."

I cross my arms. "What is this, a competition? I'm not a prize you can win over, Daniel. Luke was my first crush and my best friend, and no one can take his place. He will always be my best friend."

He scoffs. "You really think I'm trying to win you over? Is that what you think? I am not that type of guy, Aria. And I'm offended you think that low of me."

I throw my hands up. "I didn't mean that." I take my hands through my hair and sigh. "Sorry. I'm just tense, that's all. I mean, I'm gonna die soon."

He drops his gaze.

We drive in silence a few minutes, before we arrive to a lake, a few miles away from the city. I get out of the car and, just stare.

"Wow. It's beautiful."

Daniel moves to the back of the truck and brings out a basket. He walks over to me and smiles. "My mother would always bring me here on her free days and we'd spend all day, just playing."

"We?"

He drops his gaze again. "My brother. He passed away when I was 12."

I drop my bag on the ground and grab the basket out of his grasp, also setting it on the ground. "What?" he asks.

I smile sadly. "You need a hug." I wrap my arms around his midsection, and he hugs me.

"Why?"

I look up and smile. "Everyone needs a hug once in a while."

••••••••••

-Hope-

"So," Luke says, taking his eyes off the road for a second. "How've you been?"

I laugh, licking the chocolate off my ice cream cone. "This is weird."

He scoffs. "I am trying to make a conversation, woman!"

I laugh again. "Well, okay! Let's see. . . What's your favorite color?"

He smiles. "Teal."

"What's your favorite song?"

He pauses. "That's hard. It always changes, depending on my mood. Maybe Hotel Ceiling by Rixton, which reminds me, wanna listen to it?"

I shrug. "Sure. Let's hear it."

He tells me to look it up on his phone, and it starts playing.

He's humming along to it, then starts singing the chorus.

"I've been staring at the hotel ceiling, drinking everything I've found this evening, trying to hold on to the sweetest feeling, so I never let you go, don't you leave me lonely. . ."

I smile. "It's because of Aria, right?"

He shrugs. "Yeah. She's on my mind no matter what I do. I can't help it, and it's isn't so bad anyway."