The sun twinkled off the cars in the used car lot. Kate was behind the wheel of a stationary, white economy car. Tom was in the seat next to her, watching as she gripped the wheel. Her eyes were closed as if a movie was playing out behind the lids. It often seemed to him that she lived a more passionate dream life than reality. He noticed that she had changed a lot since the summer. She had blossomed from pretty to beautiful and her figure had filled out, though he could not remember exactly when that had happened. But she had changed in other ways, too. She smiled a little less often and she was always moving. It made him feel panicked, wondering if she was going to leave him. He worried he would look for her one day, only to discover she had gone.

He looked out the window and watched the people walking through the lot. It seemed to be swarming with people who were not looking at the cars. In a blue Jetta, a row over, a middle aged man with a wedding ring was kissing a young blond. A tall, thin teenage girl with an "I Went to Naboo and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt" shirt was screaming at her mother, her speech riddled with curses. There was even a woman writing on the cars with a Sharpie. Tom doubted the owner would object or even notice if Kate drove the car off the lot now.

"Six days," Kate whispered.

"What?"

"Six days until I get my license," Kate opened her eyes, "and we can just drive away, Tom."

Tom laughed, "Katie, where are we driving to?"

"I don't know, away from here, anywhere."

"You can't just run all the time, Katie. You have to finish high school. What about college? Summer just ended, you can't run away two months into sophomore year."

"I can do what I want."

Tom sighed and let it go; he didn't like talking about Kate leaving anyway. Instead he leaned over in the car to kiss Kate.

"Don't," she turned her head.

"What?"

"Tom, we need to talk about this. Six days, Tom, we can't pretend it's never going to come. That we're never going to have to choose."

"We're not pretending."

"Please…"

"Okay, talk," he said smiling.

She scowled at him, "Don't joke about it."

"Fine. What's up?"

"Are you going with me?"

"Where?"

"Away."

Tom was silent. Suddenly, he hit the dashboard with his fist, "God damn it, Kate." She jumped. "Why are you doing this?"

"I'm not... I just…" she was at a loss for words.

"You're so amazing, and perfect and wonderful, why won't you just let me love you?"

"I love you," her eyes were sparkling with tears ready to spill down her cheeks.

"Then stay with me, Katie. Don't make me chose."

She looked out the window, "I can't stay…"

"Why the hell not?" She turned to look at him, staring into his eyes. This angry out burst was uncharacteristic of Tom.

"Tom, you know why I have to leave. I need to move, get away from…" she paused, "stuff."

Tom was silent, "I can't loose you."

"You don't have to. Come with me."

"Katie, what about my dreams?" he was staring into her face, "I want to be a doctor, I can't drop out of high school. Things can't always be about you."

Kate flinched and looked away. "I have to go. Please, Tom. Please come with me."

Tom leaned back in the car seat and stared out the windshield. Kate watched a tear run down his left cheek. It moved like beads of water roll off a ducks back, never loosing its perfect, spherical shape.

Tom turned to face her, "I can't go Katie." He opened the door and got out of the car, slamming it behind him.

As he walked away, he didn't look back. Any moment he expected her to run up behind him and tell him she wasn't leaving, but she never came.