The green paint from her old Honda van peeled off at several spots, and when Errin tried to open the dented door, it got stuck.
“Sorry, my baby is twelve years old, but still rides like a dream,” Emmy said while pushing the door open from the inside, as she hung over the passenger’s side.
“Whoa, you sure we’re safe in this thing? Does it even have seatbelts?” Errin said.
“Thisthing? My Hondy is the best,” Emmy said while patting the steering wheel.
The holes and stains in the worn seat made Errin weary, but what scrunched her nose was the smell coming from the trash stashed in the door, on the floor of the car and between the seats.
“What the hell is this, Emm? How can this be your car when Lucky’s kitchen is always so sparkling clean it hurts my eyes?”
Emmy giggled and shrugged. “Are you coming or what? Geez…”
Errin smiled and sat down after swiping the crumpled brown drive thru bags down to the floor. She made room for her jean-clad legs and white sneakers by kicking it to the side.
She glanced over at Emmy, who had turned on her car radio, filling the silence with some old R&B tunes. There were no USB ports, no navigation, no nothing. Just a girl with an old dirty car and a radio.
Errin rather liked this side of Emmy. “So, what’s there to know about Emmy?” she started.
Emmy laughed and said, “Always so direct. I knew it was coming.”
Errin sat back in her seat and shifted when a straw poked her back. She snatched the thing and pointed it at Emmy. “So shoot.”
Emmy swallowed a few times before she shot a glance at Errin. “Okay. We’re friends, but I don’t think I’m ready to tell you my life story just yet. Sorry. No offence, but… yeah.” She shrugged a shoulder and turned the car into a street that Errin didn’t recognize. But that wasn’t uncommon, as she’d only lived in Austin for a few months.
“Okay. I respect that. It’s not like I’m an open book,” Errin said.
Emmy snorted. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. You’re prettyeasy to read.”
Errin shifted her seat to turn her body to Emmy and after folding her arms she said, “Ha. Try me.”
“Okay. You’re a dancer by heart. You’re passionate about expressing yourself. I guess not only by talking all the time but also by your dancing. You have an open mind, because I know I can come off bitchy and you still made the effort to befriend me.” Emmy stopped the car for a red light and locked eyes with Errin.
“Whenever people get emotional, you don’t like it. You rather tell a stupid joke than dealing with whichever emotion you’ve got boiling inside. I’m still not sure if that’s something that’s got to do with a trauma or if you just work that way.”
“No trauma. I just can’t stand tension or seeing people cry, I want to cheer them up and make things better. Dunno.” Errin let her words trail and said, “Green.”
“What?”
“The light. It’s green.” Errin laughed. “You drive just like Brennan. He doesn’t watch the lights turn either.”
“That brings me to my cousin. You’re scared to admit you’re questioning the whole going back up north thing. What you’ve got with Bren is special. You don’t want to leave him, but you don’t want to go back on your dreams or goals or what the fuck ever.”
“Well, maybe I am an open bookafter all,” Errin said and added on a disappointed note, “Thought I was a lot more mysterious, damn.”
Emmy laughed. “We can’t have it all.”
Errin stuck her tongue out to Emmy and laughed.
“Okay, then start with something easy. Ah! I know! I’ve met your brother Ryan the other day. Hotness overload.” Errin fanned herself, and Emmy rolled her eyes.
“Please. Never repeat that to his face. My brother’s got a big enough head as it is,” she said.
“Ooh, I love me a good big head on top of a hard long—” Errin crooned, but Emmy interrupted her by honking her horn in an annoyingly long wail.
“Shut up, Errin. Those words in combination of my brother…” Emmy fake shuddered and Errin busted out laughing.
“Was just messing with you, Emm. Geez.” She smiled over at Emmy, who tried to hide her smile by looking over her shoulder to switch lanes.