Hello friends and enemies....acquaintances and strangers? Writing today...this book I am working on is seriously perplexing at the moment. Will I finish it? Who knows. Hoping for some spark of genius or motivation...but it seems to be no where at all at the moment. Hidden in the heat wave that's blistering hand is gripping us full force? Perhaps. Most likely dulled out in a head full of other concerns. The candle does not burn bright enough to find it at the moment...hoping to invest in a searchlight, perhaps. But, here's a little something to tide you over.....
“Thanks for the out,” Kansas smiled as she buckled her seatbelt. “So, where are you taking me?”
“Taking you? Your parents will kill me if I leave with you without them knowing,” Michael laughed as stuck the keys in the ignition. “No way I’m going piss off the chief.”
“Come on. Let’s go somewhere, do something!” Kansas pleaded. “Let’s go on an adventure.”
“How about, we listen to the radio instead.” Michael turned the stereo on, a country song blasting through the speakers. “Sorry, I’ll turn it down.”
“Loud is good,” Kansas raised her voice to be heard over the music. “Loud drowns everything else out.”
“But, then we can’t talk, we can -”
“Only make faces and lip sing poorly,” Kansas said with a wink.
“Let’s talk,” Michael turned the radio off, looking at Kansas, his lips pulled tight.
“Talking is too serious,” Kansas reached for the radio as Michael pulled her hand away, into his own. “Talking is...too much right now.”
“Kansas, if I don’t do this, I’ll lose the nerve. And, in two months I’ll be away at college and-”
“I’ll be stuck here,” Kansas sighed.
“But, it doesn’t have to be. You don’t have to be. Come to North Point with me in the fall. You apply now, you’re sure to get in with your test scores. Hell, I got in and I know you’re a hell of a lot smarter than me.”
“That’s funny. You really think my dad would let me go to North Point with you, in a whole different state? He won’t even let me leave the house to go to college, not even State which is only an hour and half away. But you think you can convince him to let me go to a school over eight hours away? Yeah, that’s a real good one, Michael.”
“He can’t protect you forever, Kan. He has to let you grow up someday. You’ll be eighteen in September. An adult. You have to start acting like one.”
“Oh, gee, thanks, Michael,” Kansas bit at her lip, trying to hold back tears. “Even if I wanted to go, he won’t let me. I mean, I sure as hell can’t convince him, not sure why you think you could. You got some magic trick up your sleeve?”
“Not magic, but I have a plan that might work,” Michael grabbed Kansas’ hand, gripping tightly in his sweat soaked palm. “Say you’ll marry me, Kan. Let’s get engaged.”
“What? Oh, Michael, really?” Kansas jerked her hand away.
“I mean, we don’t necessarily have to, like get married tomorrow or anything. But, if we get engaged, your Dad might, well….he might let you go with me to North Point. And then….”
“I could finally get out of this place,” Kansas let out a breath. Was she actually considering this? Was this the only way to break away. “But, engaged?”
“Kan, you’re my best friend. And, you know, we wouldn’t have to get married if we didn’t really want to. But, if we, you know, wanted to, we could.”
“Michael, I just...I don’t know. I don’t think I could use you like that.”
“Don’t look at it as using me. We’d both be doing each other a solid. You’d get to go to college, and…” Michael paused, looking out the window. “I’d get to say I was engaged, even if only for a moment, to the prettiest, nicest girl in the whole universe.”
As Always, Dear, trusted, beautiful readers.....Love Much and Read Often...xoxo J.A.
“Thanks for the out,” Kansas smiled as she buckled her seatbelt. “So, where are you taking me?”
“Taking you? Your parents will kill me if I leave with you without them knowing,” Michael laughed as stuck the keys in the ignition. “No way I’m going piss off the chief.”
“Come on. Let’s go somewhere, do something!” Kansas pleaded. “Let’s go on an adventure.”
“How about, we listen to the radio instead.” Michael turned the stereo on, a country song blasting through the speakers. “Sorry, I’ll turn it down.”
“Loud is good,” Kansas raised her voice to be heard over the music. “Loud drowns everything else out.”
“But, then we can’t talk, we can -”
“Only make faces and lip sing poorly,” Kansas said with a wink.
“Let’s talk,” Michael turned the radio off, looking at Kansas, his lips pulled tight.
“Talking is too serious,” Kansas reached for the radio as Michael pulled her hand away, into his own. “Talking is...too much right now.”
“Kansas, if I don’t do this, I’ll lose the nerve. And, in two months I’ll be away at college and-”
“I’ll be stuck here,” Kansas sighed.
“But, it doesn’t have to be. You don’t have to be. Come to North Point with me in the fall. You apply now, you’re sure to get in with your test scores. Hell, I got in and I know you’re a hell of a lot smarter than me.”
“That’s funny. You really think my dad would let me go to North Point with you, in a whole different state? He won’t even let me leave the house to go to college, not even State which is only an hour and half away. But you think you can convince him to let me go to a school over eight hours away? Yeah, that’s a real good one, Michael.”
“He can’t protect you forever, Kan. He has to let you grow up someday. You’ll be eighteen in September. An adult. You have to start acting like one.”
“Oh, gee, thanks, Michael,” Kansas bit at her lip, trying to hold back tears. “Even if I wanted to go, he won’t let me. I mean, I sure as hell can’t convince him, not sure why you think you could. You got some magic trick up your sleeve?”
“Not magic, but I have a plan that might work,” Michael grabbed Kansas’ hand, gripping tightly in his sweat soaked palm. “Say you’ll marry me, Kan. Let’s get engaged.”
“What? Oh, Michael, really?” Kansas jerked her hand away.
“I mean, we don’t necessarily have to, like get married tomorrow or anything. But, if we get engaged, your Dad might, well….he might let you go with me to North Point. And then….”
“I could finally get out of this place,” Kansas let out a breath. Was she actually considering this? Was this the only way to break away. “But, engaged?”
“Kan, you’re my best friend. And, you know, we wouldn’t have to get married if we didn’t really want to. But, if we, you know, wanted to, we could.”
“Michael, I just...I don’t know. I don’t think I could use you like that.”
“Don’t look at it as using me. We’d both be doing each other a solid. You’d get to go to college, and…” Michael paused, looking out the window. “I’d get to say I was engaged, even if only for a moment, to the prettiest, nicest girl in the whole universe.”
As Always, Dear, trusted, beautiful readers.....Love Much and Read Often...xoxo J.A.