Brian hopped in his yellow bug, didn't put on his seat belt, and turned on the stereo. He sped out of the gravel driveway-tires throwing rocks at the pine trees. He stuck his elbow out of window then checked his pocket to make sure he had his cell phone. He sat it on the passenger seat.
"Find me some bo dy to lu uv. Find me some bo dy to lu uv!" He sang, with no shame.
He approached the single red light in downtown Buchanan. It was yellow. Brian sped up and made it just before it turned red. Coming right towards him was Stephanie's dad. He flashed the blue lights, grinned and waved.
Brian's phone lit up. It was Claire.
"You still coming?" She was direct.
"Yep. On my way."
He felt a bit intimidated driving to the elite Mirror Lakes community. He'd heard about it from friends. The rumours-CEO's, pro-athletes, doctors, lawyers, drug-dealers, business magnates built the sprawling development for its convenience to Atlanta.
As he cruised down I-20, he felt free. Like he was taking life into his own hands, determining his own destiny. The tree-lined interstate, with its overhead passes, felt like it was his road. He noticed state troopers every few miles, and slowed down to 75 mph.
As he exited, he turned on the GPS audio. "Turn left in 100 yards."
"Yea, sure. Okay Miss Sarah." He responded.
The address he plugged in, 104 Nautical Way, sounded like a California address to him. Georgia towns didn't have names like that. Washington, Maple, First Street, MLK Street. Names with history. Nautical reminded him of pirates. He loved Pirates of the Caribbean. And Sinbad. But still, the street name was out of place here.
"Turn right onto Conners Rd. in point three miles."
"Okay Miss Sarah."
His phone vibrated. It was Claire.
"I'm outside with my board."
": )"
As he turned down her street, he saw her standing on the sidewalk. She had on white skinny jeans. Tight ones. And a white T-shirt. She also wore every piece of protective gear one could get on a body. Shin guards-black, elbow guards-black, knee pads, helmet-black. She resembled a storm trooper from Star Wars. Just sexier.
His heart raced and he slowed down as he pulled up beside her.
"You are on time!" she smiled at him and walked towards the car.
"Yea, I like to be punctual. Its a thing of mine." He got a whiff of her. She smelled something like candy and flowers mixed together. He wanted to hop out of the car and kiss her.
"You can park here." She motioned to the driveway. "My dad's out running errands."
He slowly pulled in, and she walked beside him. "You like Queen?" She tapped out the rhythm of Crazy Little Thing Called Love on the roof of his car.
"Love em." Brian grinned at her.
"Sweet. Me too!" Claire flipped her hair over her shoulders and stayed right beside his car, holding on to the roof as he pulled in the driveway.
"Don't let me run over you." Brian couldn't help being protective. It was his nature.
"Yea. I love Queen. My dad had a collection of their albums. I found them last summer. Then I lucked up on a turn-table at the pawn store for 20 bucks."
"What's your favorite album?" She stood on her skate board and began spinning with her arms outstretched.
"If you'd asked me last month, I would have said A Night At the Opera, but now I'm stuck on The Game. How bout you?" He reached into his backseat and grabbed his skateboard and backpack. He left the stereo on.
"Night at the Opera. No question. Best album ever." Claire raised both her hands over her head.
"Did you know that Roger Taylor studied to be a dentist?" Brian added.
"That's crazy. How'd you know that?"
"Well, my middle name is Roger. Yep. I'm named after him. My mom had this serious thing for drummers. But he was her favorite. She said I didn't look much like a Neal or Stewart."
Claire's face twisted around. "Neal?"
" Neal Pert-Rush. Stewart's with the Police. Sorry. My family's all into classic rock." Brian opened the car door, and swung his legs out.
"Freddie is one of my favorite singers of all time. He had soul." Claire skated up to her front door, locked the door, stuck a key in her pocket, and skated back to Brian's car.
"My dad told all his family my name was Ringo. I've got baby cards saying, 'Welcome to the world, Ringo!' That's pretty lame, huh?" Brian meant to be putting on his gear. But he couldn't take his eyes off of her. When she skated, it was like she was floating on a cloud. He'd never seen anyone skate so effortlessly, in person.
"That is sick! Your parents sound like mine. Or, well, my dad." Claire turned away from Brian and it looked like she wiped her face. She spun back around. "Get your gear on. I wanna show you something."
Brian sat in his car seat, opened his bag and pulled out his helmet, knee and elbow pads.
"Let me help you with that." Claire took the knee pads out of his hands, squatted down and velcroed them on. She looked up at Brian. He looked into her light green eyes, encircled with long brown lashes, and felt his heart leap out towards her. This was new. Girl kneeling down, looking at him, and smiling.
"There, all done. Now get your helmet on!" She snapped her fingers and then pointed at him and headed down the sidewalk.
Brain couldn't figure out what to do next. He touched his elbows to make sure he'd put on the pads. The past two minutes were a blur. All he could see were her green eyes. Clear, like a clean swimming pool. He wanted to jump in.
He got on his board, and floated behind her. Watching her hair blow and hoping to catch the scent. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled. He didn't know if he smiled back or not. He was too stunned with her storm-trooper beauty.
"Find me some bo dy to lu uv. Find me some bo dy to lu uv!" He sang, with no shame.
He approached the single red light in downtown Buchanan. It was yellow. Brian sped up and made it just before it turned red. Coming right towards him was Stephanie's dad. He flashed the blue lights, grinned and waved.
Brian's phone lit up. It was Claire.
"You still coming?" She was direct.
"Yep. On my way."
He felt a bit intimidated driving to the elite Mirror Lakes community. He'd heard about it from friends. The rumours-CEO's, pro-athletes, doctors, lawyers, drug-dealers, business magnates built the sprawling development for its convenience to Atlanta.
As he cruised down I-20, he felt free. Like he was taking life into his own hands, determining his own destiny. The tree-lined interstate, with its overhead passes, felt like it was his road. He noticed state troopers every few miles, and slowed down to 75 mph.
As he exited, he turned on the GPS audio. "Turn left in 100 yards."
"Yea, sure. Okay Miss Sarah." He responded.
The address he plugged in, 104 Nautical Way, sounded like a California address to him. Georgia towns didn't have names like that. Washington, Maple, First Street, MLK Street. Names with history. Nautical reminded him of pirates. He loved Pirates of the Caribbean. And Sinbad. But still, the street name was out of place here.
"Turn right onto Conners Rd. in point three miles."
"Okay Miss Sarah."
His phone vibrated. It was Claire.
"You close?"
"Yep.""I'm outside with my board."
": )"
As he turned down her street, he saw her standing on the sidewalk. She had on white skinny jeans. Tight ones. And a white T-shirt. She also wore every piece of protective gear one could get on a body. Shin guards-black, elbow guards-black, knee pads, helmet-black. She resembled a storm trooper from Star Wars. Just sexier.
His heart raced and he slowed down as he pulled up beside her.
"You are on time!" she smiled at him and walked towards the car.
"Yea, I like to be punctual. Its a thing of mine." He got a whiff of her. She smelled something like candy and flowers mixed together. He wanted to hop out of the car and kiss her.
"You can park here." She motioned to the driveway. "My dad's out running errands."
He slowly pulled in, and she walked beside him. "You like Queen?" She tapped out the rhythm of Crazy Little Thing Called Love on the roof of his car.
"Love em." Brian grinned at her.
"Sweet. Me too!" Claire flipped her hair over her shoulders and stayed right beside his car, holding on to the roof as he pulled in the driveway.
"Don't let me run over you." Brian couldn't help being protective. It was his nature.
"Yea. I love Queen. My dad had a collection of their albums. I found them last summer. Then I lucked up on a turn-table at the pawn store for 20 bucks."
"What's your favorite album?" She stood on her skate board and began spinning with her arms outstretched.
"If you'd asked me last month, I would have said A Night At the Opera, but now I'm stuck on The Game. How bout you?" He reached into his backseat and grabbed his skateboard and backpack. He left the stereo on.
"Night at the Opera. No question. Best album ever." Claire raised both her hands over her head.
"Did you know that Roger Taylor studied to be a dentist?" Brian added.
"That's crazy. How'd you know that?"
"Well, my middle name is Roger. Yep. I'm named after him. My mom had this serious thing for drummers. But he was her favorite. She said I didn't look much like a Neal or Stewart."
Claire's face twisted around. "Neal?"
" Neal Pert-Rush. Stewart's with the Police. Sorry. My family's all into classic rock." Brian opened the car door, and swung his legs out.
"Freddie is one of my favorite singers of all time. He had soul." Claire skated up to her front door, locked the door, stuck a key in her pocket, and skated back to Brian's car.
"My dad told all his family my name was Ringo. I've got baby cards saying, 'Welcome to the world, Ringo!' That's pretty lame, huh?" Brian meant to be putting on his gear. But he couldn't take his eyes off of her. When she skated, it was like she was floating on a cloud. He'd never seen anyone skate so effortlessly, in person.
"That is sick! Your parents sound like mine. Or, well, my dad." Claire turned away from Brian and it looked like she wiped her face. She spun back around. "Get your gear on. I wanna show you something."
Brian sat in his car seat, opened his bag and pulled out his helmet, knee and elbow pads.
"Let me help you with that." Claire took the knee pads out of his hands, squatted down and velcroed them on. She looked up at Brian. He looked into her light green eyes, encircled with long brown lashes, and felt his heart leap out towards her. This was new. Girl kneeling down, looking at him, and smiling.
"There, all done. Now get your helmet on!" She snapped her fingers and then pointed at him and headed down the sidewalk.
Brain couldn't figure out what to do next. He touched his elbows to make sure he'd put on the pads. The past two minutes were a blur. All he could see were her green eyes. Clear, like a clean swimming pool. He wanted to jump in.
He got on his board, and floated behind her. Watching her hair blow and hoping to catch the scent. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled. He didn't know if he smiled back or not. He was too stunned with her storm-trooper beauty.
