Mostly car talk.

It really was a gorgeous car. It stood out so much next to all the SUVs and minivans, and even against the sedans and coupes in the street. The body, the pop-up headlights, the spoiler, the hot yellow color, the impeccable sheen… It was clear at a glance that Alice put a lot of effort into her car. Even with the passing interest I had in cars from video games, that thing impressed and excited me.

As it approached, one of its pop-up headlights closed and opened, giving the impression that the car had just winked. It got a much needed laugh out of me, helping me with the nerves. Alice pulled up next to the road, right in front of me and waved as I got in.

“That was amazing,” I told her, still grinning.

“Right?” She laughed. “I get why pop-up headlights are not a thing anymore, but it’s such a shame. They’re so fun.”

I sat down and closed the door, and although there was enough space, the car felt a little cramped. For starters, it was a two-seater, but on top of that it had these metal pipes around and on the back.

“What are these for?” I asked, tapping one with my fingers.

“These are roll cages. They’re for safety, in case the car rolls over. They stiffen the chassis.” She then patted her seat. “I also changed the seats for racing ones and the seat belts for harnesses.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I noticed that, too. The seats kind of looks like one of those expensive gaming chairs they sell.”

“It does?” She asked, raising a curious eyebrow. As she moved the car back to the road, she also asked, “Why do you need a chair like this to play games?”

I chuckled. “You don’t. They just look cool and people buy them for that. I hear they’re actually pretty uncomfortable.”

“I would expect so. These seats are made for safety, not comfort.” She smiled apologetically. “Well, that’s true for the whole car. I don’t use it much for casual driving. Sorry, is it too uncomfortable?”

I shook my head. “You really take this seriously, huh?”

“It’s why I’m also wearing gloves,” she said, moving her hands on the wheel. “I also have a couple of helmets in the trunk, and I’m wearing a racing suit that’s fire resistant under this jacket.” She pulled on her white, fluffy jacket for emphasis. “I like racing, but it’s not like I’m not aware how dangerous it is. I planned on installing all this even before my brother told me he wouldn’t let me go to the mountain pass until I had them.”

She turned left on the road, the opposite direction one would take to go to school or downtown. This road led to another residential district, and beyond that, the mountain road that led out of town.

Alice grimaced. “Hey, if you’re worried about being in this car with me, I’ll understand. If you’re having second thoughts…”

“I admit I’m a little nervous, but seeing you take all necessary precautions is reassuring. Have you ever had an accident?”

“A few, but none of them were serious.” She giggled. “I’m actually proud of that, you know? There was this one time I oversteered during a race and almost spun out. I managed to get control of the car back and only had a small bump on the tail end. That was the worst one. Then there was the time I was learning to drift, but I don’t think those count. I spun the car a lot, but it was an open lot and I only hit the cones.”

I pursed my lips. “Say, Alice?”

“Hm?”

“How long… have you been driving this car?”

She suddenly began to laugh nervously. “Do you mind if I keep that a secret?”

“Not at all.” I sighed. “I can’t believe our president is such a rule breaker…”

“I won’t excuse myself,” Alice said, defeated.

It was a shock, but I reserve any judgment. Different people, different families, different priorities, different customs. Alice definitely had her own situation.

After that, things got a little awkward. Not because of that question, but because we fell into a sudden, awkward silence. So far, we had mostly talked about her car, which was very deliberate on my part, since talking about it meant I didn’t have to think about…

…

{God, I’ve been going on and on about nothing but my car! What are you doing, Alice!? I bet he’s just asking out of politeness. God, I’m such a boring person. I should ask him something, but what?}

I heard her thoughts clearly, and it was eerie how close they were to thoughts I’d had in the past. That fear of not being interesting to be around, to fear you’re only talking about yourself…

“H-How’s Cake doing?” she suddenly asked.

I laughed. “She was bothering Isabelle just before I left. She was walking on top of her laptop.”

Alice laughed. “So cats really act like that? You always see videos of them being jerks, right?”

“I’ve read that it’s their way of demanding attention. Of course, they always seem to demand it when you’re busy. I was playing guitar the other day and Cake decided she just HAD to sit on my lap.”

“Maybe she likes hearing you play music.”

“Maybe. I sat on the bed and put her next to me as I played. She stayed there the whole time.”

“That’s cute.”

{I’m not being awkward, am I? He sounds so happy when talking about Cake.}

Alice subtly glanced towards me, but when she saw me looking back at her, she quickly turned her eyes back to the road. Her cheeks reddened.

{Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Why’d you girls have to put ideas in my head? This is so awkward! I can’t talk to him normally!}

…It sounded pretty normal to me, actually. And nowhere near as awkward as she seemed to believe it was. I was getting the feeling Alice was the type to be hyper strict on herself.

Maybe she’d relax once we made it to the meet. I’d just be a chaperone, walking with her as she looked at other people’s cars and talked with the owners. At least that was what I pictured this would be like. I had no idea what car meets even looked like.

Regardless, hearing Alice’s thoughts, knowing how uncomfortable she felt, made me uncomfortable as well. So I decided to do something that had proven effective already.

“By the way, I tried reading about Wankel rotary engines after you told me about them, but I didn’t really understand. What is it that makes it so special? Is it the way it handles fuel?”

Alice’s eyes immediately brightened. She started explaining from what an engine was, to how normal piston engines worked and how the rotaries were different, and in her opinion, much, much better.

I didn’t hear any more awkward thoughts, and after 30 minutes, we’d gone up the mountain pass and made it to the meeting spot: A lookout close to the top of the mountain.

Patreon.