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Chapter Nine - "A Ride to the Cabin"
Today will begin the rest of my life, Lily thought as she woke. It was a dramatic statement, but hopefully it would be true. Today she would begin her campaign to win over the Tucks. And then, hopefully, they would ask her to join them. Hopefully.
Lily got out of bed and showered and dressed. She picked up her knapsack and looked in at the one item she had been carrying with her the past two days. It was her only weapon in her fight to win over the Tucks. On top of that she placed a few changes of clothes. She hoped that the next time she came back to this hotel room it would just be to gather her belongings.
She slung the knapsack over her shoulders, checked her hair in the mirror, and then left the room. She stealthily walked through the lobby, trying to be inconspicuous. She didn't want the hotel staff to be aware of her comings and goings, or, for that matter, her presence. The less they knew about her, the less they'd be able to tell her parents when they eventually found the hotel.
Lily stepped out of the hotel and started to stride down the street, when she heard someone call her name. She turned around, fearing the worst, to find Jesse walking towards her from the very restaurant that she had sat in three days before.
"Hey." He said, as he caught up to her.
"Hi." She replied uncertainly. What was he doing here?
"Mae wanted me to give you a ride to the cabin." He said, answering her silent question.
"Oh. Thanks."
"My bike's over there" he said, gesturing across the street.
His bike. Oh, boy, she sighed.
"So what's in the knapsack?" He asked as they approached the motorcycle.
"Clothes. My parents said I could stay the night tonight. That is, if Mae asks me."
"I'm sure she will. She was disappointed you couldn't stay last night."
"So was I." Lily replied honestly.
Jesse looked at her a little curiously as he handed her a bike helmet. She took it and put it on, wondering what it would do to her hair.
Jesse got on the bike and instructed, "Okay. Just climb on behind me."
She did as she was told, gingerly sliding onto the seat, careful not to touch him.
"Um, you're going to have to hold on. So you don't fall off."
"Right." She mumbled, lightly resting her hands on the sides of his waist.
He laughed a little and started the bike, and took off down the street. They weren't going that fast, but Lily gasped as they started and forgot all her embarrassment as she clung to Jesse, sliding her arms all the way around him.
The wind whipped in her face as they seemed to fly down the street. It was nothing like riding in a car. The sense of openness, of vulnerability, was overwhelming. There was nothing between her and the road, and she was acutely aware of it. She decided the best thing to do would be to close her eyes and hold on.
Luckily, it was a short trip, but the part through the woods was rough. There was barely more than a deer path serving as the road, and the sound of the trees whipping by was not a pleasant one. Lily sighed with relief as they reached the cabin. Motorcycles may be fun for some people, but not for me, she thought vehemently.
She and Jesse climbed off the bike and removed their helmets. He smiled at her.
"Scared?"
She couldn't pretend otherwise.
"Yes." She admitted. "Didn't you notice?"
"A little." He said, rubbing his sides where she had clung to him.
She smacked him lightly on the arm, her first casual gesture with him.
"It was not that bad!" She exclaimed, laughing.
He grinned and was about to respond as Mae came out of the house.
"Good! You caught her before she walked all the way out here."
"Yes, I did. But I think I gave her quite a scare on my bike."
Mae patted Lily sympathetically on the arm. "Isn't that thing terrible? I tried to get him to take my car, but he wouldn't."
"I like my bike." Jesse defended himself.
"But you're the only one." Mae shot back.
Lily laughed. She was pleased to see she was already comfortable with the Tucks. They were such easy going people; it was hard not to be.
Chapter Nine - "A Ride to the Cabin"
Today will begin the rest of my life, Lily thought as she woke. It was a dramatic statement, but hopefully it would be true. Today she would begin her campaign to win over the Tucks. And then, hopefully, they would ask her to join them. Hopefully.
Lily got out of bed and showered and dressed. She picked up her knapsack and looked in at the one item she had been carrying with her the past two days. It was her only weapon in her fight to win over the Tucks. On top of that she placed a few changes of clothes. She hoped that the next time she came back to this hotel room it would just be to gather her belongings.
She slung the knapsack over her shoulders, checked her hair in the mirror, and then left the room. She stealthily walked through the lobby, trying to be inconspicuous. She didn't want the hotel staff to be aware of her comings and goings, or, for that matter, her presence. The less they knew about her, the less they'd be able to tell her parents when they eventually found the hotel.
Lily stepped out of the hotel and started to stride down the street, when she heard someone call her name. She turned around, fearing the worst, to find Jesse walking towards her from the very restaurant that she had sat in three days before.
"Hey." He said, as he caught up to her.
"Hi." She replied uncertainly. What was he doing here?
"Mae wanted me to give you a ride to the cabin." He said, answering her silent question.
"Oh. Thanks."
"My bike's over there" he said, gesturing across the street.
His bike. Oh, boy, she sighed.
"So what's in the knapsack?" He asked as they approached the motorcycle.
"Clothes. My parents said I could stay the night tonight. That is, if Mae asks me."
"I'm sure she will. She was disappointed you couldn't stay last night."
"So was I." Lily replied honestly.
Jesse looked at her a little curiously as he handed her a bike helmet. She took it and put it on, wondering what it would do to her hair.
Jesse got on the bike and instructed, "Okay. Just climb on behind me."
She did as she was told, gingerly sliding onto the seat, careful not to touch him.
"Um, you're going to have to hold on. So you don't fall off."
"Right." She mumbled, lightly resting her hands on the sides of his waist.
He laughed a little and started the bike, and took off down the street. They weren't going that fast, but Lily gasped as they started and forgot all her embarrassment as she clung to Jesse, sliding her arms all the way around him.
The wind whipped in her face as they seemed to fly down the street. It was nothing like riding in a car. The sense of openness, of vulnerability, was overwhelming. There was nothing between her and the road, and she was acutely aware of it. She decided the best thing to do would be to close her eyes and hold on.
Luckily, it was a short trip, but the part through the woods was rough. There was barely more than a deer path serving as the road, and the sound of the trees whipping by was not a pleasant one. Lily sighed with relief as they reached the cabin. Motorcycles may be fun for some people, but not for me, she thought vehemently.
She and Jesse climbed off the bike and removed their helmets. He smiled at her.
"Scared?"
She couldn't pretend otherwise.
"Yes." She admitted. "Didn't you notice?"
"A little." He said, rubbing his sides where she had clung to him.
She smacked him lightly on the arm, her first casual gesture with him.
"It was not that bad!" She exclaimed, laughing.
He grinned and was about to respond as Mae came out of the house.
"Good! You caught her before she walked all the way out here."
"Yes, I did. But I think I gave her quite a scare on my bike."
Mae patted Lily sympathetically on the arm. "Isn't that thing terrible? I tried to get him to take my car, but he wouldn't."
"I like my bike." Jesse defended himself.
"But you're the only one." Mae shot back.
Lily laughed. She was pleased to see she was already comfortable with the Tucks. They were such easy going people; it was hard not to be.