Chapter 2

We stopped at an IHOP in Santa Monica. I ordered the chocolate chip pancakes, of course. I've always adored chocolate chip pancakes. I started off with one. Then two more. Then three more, and continued from there. By the time I got to ten on one plate, a waitress had fainted and Mike had to beg me to stop before I ran out the whole restaurant's supply of batter. Mike had to pry my fork out of my hand and take the plate away before I finally stopped and realized that I was full. I looked at Mike and he just stared back, dumbfounded. He stood up and helped me up then placed two hundred dollar bills on the table and we left before they could throw any forks at us. (The manager already had one aimed and ready to go).

Mike stepped into the car while I hobbled around to get to my side and fell into the seat. "Hot dogs." Mike said, staring out the windshield. "What?" I reply, thinking he was crazy. "Ice Cream." He says again, a serious look on his face. He looked at me and grinned, I knew what he was doing now. "Stop it, Mike! Don't do this to me!" He starts yelling. "Chocolate covered strawberries! Flan with sugar icing!"

He's playing this game we used to play when we were kids and one of us got really full. We'd yell names of foods and see how long it took the other to throw up.

"Banana split! Spaghetti carbonara! Tomato soup! Pizza! Fried ice cream! Fried candy bars!" Mike is such a jerk sometimes. "Mike! Stop or I'll throw up on you!" His taunting continued. "Chicken cordon Bleu! Melted parmesan cheese!" It was the last one that got me. I blow big, pancakey chunks all over his nice leather jacket. I wiped my mouth while he frantically wipes his jacket. "What the hell did you do that for?!" he yells angrily. "I told you I'd throw up on you." I taunted back. The universe works in mysterious, wonderful ways.

Mike just turns around and puts his key in the ignition. He turns it slowly and we back out of our parking space. Soon we're on the road again. I lay in my seat watching the lines on the road go by and I slowly drift into sleep.

When I wake up, red walls carved with hearts and stars surround me. I am still delirious from my long sleep (at least I assume it was long) and continue looking around from my hazy vision. I hear a hiss from far away. I wonder what it is. It just keeps going and as it does, I grow more and more anxious. I stand up and try to walk to the source of the noise. My wobbly feet almost fail me two or three times, but after about two minutes I finally make it to the source of the noise. I feel humidity choking me and begin to feel afraid of what this is. I look around the corner and instantly feel stupid.

It's just the shower. Mike must be taking one because of the vomit I inflicted on him last night. I assume he was so tired last night from all the driving and worry that he fell straight asleep instead of showering. I walk over and tap on the wall so he will hear that I am up. I can see his hand move to turn the water off. As he is doing that I think of a hilarious prank, so I grab his towel, run out to the car and lock the doors.

As look around outside while Mike is probably wondering about the whereabouts of his towel, I notice that it is very bright outside and that palm trees surround me. That isn't abnormal for the area of California where we live, but I instantly get the feeling that we are far away from home. The smell is different, the feel is different, and the whole environment here is different. Just then, Mike emerges from the hotel room, startling me, and wearing nothing but swimming trunks over his dripping body.

In his hands are my best bikini and another pair of trunks. He has a huge grin on his face and I am instantly worried about what he has in mind. He bounds over to the driver's side door holding his keys. Crap I thought, I forgot to grab his keys…

He shoves the key into the keyhole and unlocks the door. He lifts the door handle and the door pops open, exactly what I didn't want. He sits down in the hot leather seat and throws my bikini at my face. I wonder where he got this, but I'm not as worried about that as what he plans to do that involves bathing suits.

"Put it on." Mike says seriously. "Wait, what? I can't do that in a car, Mike." I reply. "I won't look," Mike replies sarcastically "If you're worried about that. Although…" He crawls over to me and puts his hand under my chin. "I am your mate, I should at least see what you look like." He says, breathing the words into my face. I'm trembling a little, despite my better instincts. "Mike," I reply. "I've gotta get something off my chest…" I say, looking at him meaningfully. "Yes?" he says, looking hopeful. "It's just…I don't know how to say it…" "Yes, Kat? You can tell me anything, you know." I begin again. "It's just…your breath smells. Bad." I reply smiling.

Mike shoves me a little and returns to his seat. I put the bathing suit on under my clothes (this was a difficult task) and return to my normal position staring out the window.