I arrived at the car and everyone was already inside with the car started. I started to go around to the shotgun seat, and I could hear the AC/DC song “Back in Black” blaring out of the car. I looked inside the shotgun window and could see Sandy already rocking in the driver’s seat. I opened the door with a smirk, but I definitely was not as ready as I thought I was for the wall of music that hit me before I sat down. It was even louder than it was coming up here.

It took me a minute to get my bearings before fully entering the Thunderdome, but when I eventually did, I heard the music quiet down if only by a little. I looked over at Sandy from putting on my seatbelt, “Why’d you lower it?” I asked her as I clicked the belt in.

She looked at me innocently, “Well you don’t like it that loud, do you? You don’t strike me as someone that likes loud things.”

“W-well, no…” I hesitantly told her before trying to get her to turn it back up, “Y-you don’t have to mind me though! It’s fine really!”

“Nonono!” She affirmed and put the car into gear to leave.

“I promis—”

“Mark!” She stopped me at the same time she hit the breaks again to put the car out of reverse, “Don’t try to push your luck, just get out of my way!”

I don’t know whether it was meant to be singing along with the song or a command to me. Either way, I stopped trying after it because the guitar solo came on. There’s something about a good guitar solo that hits like a primal instinct in the human body to scrunch your nose and just vibe.

I was brought back to my senses after the solo though and did what I should’ve done when I first entered the car, check and make sure everyone is here. I passed the rocking Sandy, who was bopping her hands on the wheel to the music, and I looked in the back to see Gia laying on Danny’s shoulder with her eyes closed. Danny and Rom were both on their phones. It was weird seeing someone at least trying to sleep with this loud upbeat music, but I suppose Gia was used to it.

Rom must’ve felt my gaze be in the back with them because she looked up from her phone and locked eyes with me. I gave her an apologetic smile, and she returned with her own cute version. I went to turn back around, but Rom tapped my shoulder before I could get comfortable again. I turned to see her holding her phone up to me. I grabbed it, and she seemed to say something to me, but I couldn’t hear her really quiet voice over the music even if it wasn’t as loud as before. I looked at her puzzled, but Sandy’s voice broke over the music to tell me, “She wants you to put your number in her phone.”

“Ah!” I looked at Rom to confirm, “Was that it?”

She nodded her head vivaciously, and I took the small iPhone 13 and quickly put my info into her contacts. I saw when I put in my info in that she didn’t really have that many contacts either which makes sense because she’s quiet, but I thought it would be more because she’s always around the super popular and outgoing Gia. I smiled at Rom and handed her the phone back, and she seemed to be really content with this.

She probably wanted it in case there was a situation like this morning where she was over with Gia, and they got separated for some reason. Or it could be for whenever Gia and her need a ride and Sandy and Gia’s mom isn’t available, though her mom rarely is available.

Anyway, I was content with that and knowing that Rom and I were good once more and turned back around in my seat.

“You ready to start college?” Sandy suddenly asked me.

I shifted a bit in the seat from the suddenness and the uncomfortableness of the question. It shouldn’t be uncomfortable, it was just a normal question, but my feelings on the matter made it so. “I…uhhh…I guess I am. I have all my classes scheduled, so I have that headache out of the way. I’m finishing my Financial Aid now, and after that—”

“No, I meant are you excited for college, Dumbo?”

“Oh?” I looked down, pondering the question. Am I excited for college? I guess since it’s a fresh start I guess I am. I don’t really mind either way. At the beginning of summer, I was really nervous and stressing about it, but now I’m almost indifferent to it. I looked back at Sandy who was studying me with a hand under her chin. Maybe it’ll be pretty fun if we have a lot of classes together though. She gazed into my eyes with a cute glitter that forced me to smile.

It was then I realized to myself, “Wait—She’s gazing into my eyes…”

I whipped my head back around in front of me. My eyes widened, “Sandy!” I shouted, “Pay attention to the road Dumbo!”

“Oh yeah!” She said as she lurched the car back into its lane.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“I’m going to have heart attack with her driving.” I lamented as she smiled blissfully unaware of my racing heart.

“I need to have you here all the time! You down to be my copilot from today onwards?” She asked happily as she went back to tapping the wheel. “Sure, if you don’t kill me today.” I told her in between deep breaths to calm down. I looked through the back mirror and Danny was the only one that was shaken up with me. “Goddamn, I can’t let her drive without me from now on, for her safety and others.” I thought to myself.

“Hey you never answered my question!” She told me seemingly happier for some reason than she was just a second ago.

I turned to look at study her, and her face was lightly flushed red. “Wait… Did I say something embarrassing just now?” I thought as I replayed what I had just said in my mind.

“Hey, Markkkk!” She interrupted my thoughts once more.

“Ah!” I exclaimed from my forgetfulness, “Yeah, I guess I am. What about you?”

“I can’t wait!” She exclaimed. “Especially since I’m already friends with someone in my major!”

“Friends, huh?” I thought, “Yeah, I guess we are friends. Something about that word made me wiggle from uncomfortableness in my seat though.”

“What classes are you taking exactly?” I asked her. I knew we were the same major, but I never really asked what classes she was taking specifically.

“I’m taking all the basic courses you need like Algebra I and Zoology I for my science.” She started calmly enough before getting really excited, “But what I’m really excited for is Acting I and Stagecraft! This is like an Art’s School right, and I’ve already talked with Miss Dance about acting in this semester’s play! Have you talked with her yet?! Are you going to be apart of the play? AH! You should audition!!”

“Sandy” I tried to stop her, but she was already too into trying to convince me to be apart of the play. “Sandy…Sandy…” I continued until she finally noticed I was trying to tell her something to which she proceeded to profusely apologize for getting too carried away.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” I consoled before shouting, “Just keep your eyes on the road!”

“Ah! Sorry!”

I shook my head while taking deep breaths once more. I need to take extra anxiety pills with her. “Honestly,” I wondered to her. “How did you pass the driver’s test.”

“Well, it was a small town, and that day was superrrr hot and the car didn’t have a working AC, so the person just passed me without me actually driving.” She explained lightheartedly.

“What?!”

She quickly defended herself exclaiming, “I passed the written test though!”

“The driving is the most important part!!”

“A-anyway,” she said to try and change the subject back to our original topic of classes. “What were you trying to tell me? Did it have something to do with the play?!”

I narrowed my eyes at her. I know what she was trying to do, but I let her off because I wanted her to still focus on the road. “Yeah, it did have something to do with the play,” I told her. “I will be involved in the play.”

“Whatttt?!” She excitedly exclaimed, and I quickly told her, “Keep focused on the road.”

“Right! Anyway, that’s awesome! I would’ve figured you wouldn’t be apart of it because you’re not that outgoing! This play will be the best then if you’re going to be in it!”

“Right… I’ll be in it…” I wasn’t going to be in the play at all, but I wasn’t lying when I said that I’ll be a part of it. My role is just not going to be in front of a crowd, but she doesn’t need to know that. It’ll be a nice surprise.

I smirked imagining Sandy’s reaction when she realizes, but I can’t let her know before its time. Luckily, she was too excited about the prospect of me being in the play to pay as close attention to me as she normally did.

She wispily tapped on the wheel and asked me bubbly, “So what made you get into Acting stuff?”

“Oh?” No one really asked me that before. Usually whenever someone finds out what I wanted to do after high school they just give me the classic passive aggressive, “Oh, that’s nice…” and go on about their life without talking to me ever again.

Hmm… How do I word it to where it doesn’t sound weird. Wait, do I even need to make it sound not weird? I mean she’s the same major as me, so no matter what I say it probably won’t be that weird to her. But I don’t think she’ll think anything I say is weird anyway.

“Well, it’s because I like being in a different world. The idea of being in a world with limitless possibilities fascinates me, and I never really liked this one to begin with. That’s weird I know. I’m sor—”

“Stop apologizing for everything Mark!” She ordered me before I could even finish issuing the apology.

Sandy’s face went serious, and she clanked over to me to look me in the eyes to show how serious she was when she said, “You don’t have to apologize for the way you feel.” She turned back around to the road and started bobbing to the music once more, but I honestly wouldn’t have minded if she kept looking at me. Because when she said those words to me, she was beautiful. The way her hair moved with the AC. The way her skin shined in the afternoon light. The way I knew she meant every word. Everything about her was beautiful.

I’m pretty sure that’s the first time someone’s said that to me. This time I could feel the familiar burn of tears starting to well up in my eyes. “What’s with me today?” I wondered to myself, wiping away the salty water droplets.

Not really wanting her to see me like this, I tried to distract her by asking, “S-so what about you? What got you into acting?”

She seemed to stare off into space for a moment before answering. A slight smile made its way onto my face, and I told her, “Don’t worry, someone very wise once told me that you don’t have to apologize for your feelings, so I won’t judge.”

“Ahh!” She laughed in agreement before joking, “That person seems to not only be wise but also extremely beautiful too.”

Well, I couldn’t really argue with that point either. She continued to say, “But well, I think it was just always something I’ve always liked doing. It got my mom and Dad together for my performances and now… Now I feel like I have to fulfill expectations.”

I studied her whenever she took a pause before her last sentence. Her demeanor completely changed. It was exactly how it was in the arcade. That same deep sadness and regret seemed to wash over her, and now she even stopped tapping to the music. “Hey Sandy? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah! Everything is fine.”

Liar… Why doesn’t she want to tell me?

“Oh!” She let out as she smashed the breaks and swerved to the left. “We’re backkkk!” She announced.