“They’ll be here at 9:00 p.m.” “Dir-” I stopped myself, “Eric, what time is it?” “7:00 p.m.” “And I’m guessing you want to go explore now?” He nodded like a solar-powered car flower, shaking out his hair. I couldn’t help thinking about the fries at Arby’s. I could trust Arby’s, so my agreement came begrudgingly. Pocketing the keys, I listened to the satisfying sound of the metal scraping the fabric. Eric broke the peace. “Hey, are those key indents on yer car or ammi imaginin’ things?” I walked towards the forest. “C’mon” “Well, are they?” “Yeah, an accident” Eric ran besides me, “An accident? How do ya-?” “ I accidently spoke my mind, okay? An accident.” Eric had to plow his head with his fingers to harvest any thoughts, as expected from an idiot. He kept quiet. The whispering grass beneath my feet became the sound of breaking glass, leaves, and past hearts. He spoke again. “Is that why you don’t like me? People made you lose trust o’ somethin’?” I let silence answer him. He let out the noise of a chair with loose bolts, perhaps a laugh. “You know, you’re not as bad as you pretend to be. I know we don’t know eachotha’ very well but…” he paused, twirling a ring of hair around his finger, “Well, I think I can understand how you’ve been feeling.” I summoned a wordless reply from the back of my throat and he looked away. “Seriously Chell. I-” he halted himself, this time growing quiet. His voice bowed, sounding like an argument playing through thin apartment walls. “I am not on a “hitchhikin’ adventure” just because I want people at my funeral. Rather, I need a reason for me to not cause my own funeral. If I have an average life, then why should I continue? W-why would I-” his eyes shaded themselves and I looked to the sky. I could see lines of stars and they winked at me. Their glimmering persuasions would not win me over. “Hey, it’s not too bad out here.” Eric realigned his gaze with the trees, “We’re almost
40