Fall Away
Distracted Driving
Soren found me Friday morning to clarify how I was getting to their house.
It was Soren who bought me ice cream and walked around the park with me.
I had to convince Soren that I really did need to go to my apartment and change.
By the time Soren picked me up at six, I was starting to get the feeling his twin was avoiding me.
There wasn’t silence in the car this time – Soren had shown me his CD collection, which had led to a heated debate about music. “All your bands sound the same!”
“Are you criticizing my music?” Soren asked.
“No.”
He raised an eyebrow at me.
“I’m not!” I protested. “I have nothing against classic rock. I happen to like a lot of these bands, actually.”
“Then what’s the issue?” he shrugged.
“You don’t have any diversity.”
“What, you want me to throw in some Taylor Swift? Maybe a little Hannah Montana?”
“No,” I repeated. “But it wouldn’t kill you to listen to, say, something from this decade.”
“Let me see your iPod,” he sighed.
“What?” I asked, surprised at the sudden turn of conversation. “Why?”
“So I can see it,” he repeated with exaggerated patience.
I reached down and pulled it out of my front pocket. “I still don’t see why…”
Soren grabbed the device fro my hand before I could finish my sentence. He kept one hand on the wheel and used the other to scroll through something on my iPod.
“Hey,” I snapped.
“Hmm?” he muttered, still enthralled by the iPod. The car was traveling straight, but I was starting to get a little nervous at his lack of attention.
“Soren!”
“What?” he asked, glancing up at me.
I snatched the music player back. “Keep your eyes on the road,” I ordered “Are you trying to get us killed?”
He let out a snort of laughter. “Don’t be silly. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Don’t be silly? Do you normally drive through town without paying any attention to the world around you?”
“Chill, Ellie,” he said soothingly. “We’re fine. See? We arrived in one piece.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes as I stepped out of the car. “Don’t be silly,” I muttered under my breath. “Yes, cause death is such a joking matter…”
“Hey.”
Soren grabbed my arm, gently pulling me back towards him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been looking at your iPod while I was driving.”
“Hmph,” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Come on, Ellie. It was just for a few seconds. Not even a minute. No one got hurt, did they?”
This time I did roll my eyes. “That’s not the point, Soren..”
“Right.” He cleared his throat and clasped his hands behind his back, although I couldn’t tell you what that was supposed to do. “I promise that every time I drive from here on out, I won’t look at iPods, or even mess with the radio. I will keep my eyes on the road.”
He relaxed a little, looking at me for my reaction. I didn’t say anything, but I could feel my annoyance starting to drain away.
“El-lie,” he moaned. “Please?”
Soren gave me puppy dog eyes, as if he was a little kid who could get away with it. Still, I had to laugh at his expression. “Alright,” I sighed. “I forgive you.”
“Good,” he cheered, spinning me around to give me a hug.
“What was that for?” I asked when he let go of me.
Grinning, he held up my iPod before running into the house.
It was Soren who bought me ice cream and walked around the park with me.
I had to convince Soren that I really did need to go to my apartment and change.
By the time Soren picked me up at six, I was starting to get the feeling his twin was avoiding me.
There wasn’t silence in the car this time – Soren had shown me his CD collection, which had led to a heated debate about music. “All your bands sound the same!”
“Are you criticizing my music?” Soren asked.
“No.”
He raised an eyebrow at me.
“I’m not!” I protested. “I have nothing against classic rock. I happen to like a lot of these bands, actually.”
“Then what’s the issue?” he shrugged.
“You don’t have any diversity.”
“What, you want me to throw in some Taylor Swift? Maybe a little Hannah Montana?”
“No,” I repeated. “But it wouldn’t kill you to listen to, say, something from this decade.”
“Let me see your iPod,” he sighed.
“What?” I asked, surprised at the sudden turn of conversation. “Why?”
“So I can see it,” he repeated with exaggerated patience.
I reached down and pulled it out of my front pocket. “I still don’t see why…”
Soren grabbed the device fro my hand before I could finish my sentence. He kept one hand on the wheel and used the other to scroll through something on my iPod.
“Hey,” I snapped.
“Hmm?” he muttered, still enthralled by the iPod. The car was traveling straight, but I was starting to get a little nervous at his lack of attention.
“Soren!”
“What?” he asked, glancing up at me.
I snatched the music player back. “Keep your eyes on the road,” I ordered “Are you trying to get us killed?”
He let out a snort of laughter. “Don’t be silly. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Don’t be silly? Do you normally drive through town without paying any attention to the world around you?”
“Chill, Ellie,” he said soothingly. “We’re fine. See? We arrived in one piece.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes as I stepped out of the car. “Don’t be silly,” I muttered under my breath. “Yes, cause death is such a joking matter…”
“Hey.”
Soren grabbed my arm, gently pulling me back towards him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been looking at your iPod while I was driving.”
“Hmph,” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Come on, Ellie. It was just for a few seconds. Not even a minute. No one got hurt, did they?”
This time I did roll my eyes. “That’s not the point, Soren..”
“Right.” He cleared his throat and clasped his hands behind his back, although I couldn’t tell you what that was supposed to do. “I promise that every time I drive from here on out, I won’t look at iPods, or even mess with the radio. I will keep my eyes on the road.”
He relaxed a little, looking at me for my reaction. I didn’t say anything, but I could feel my annoyance starting to drain away.
“El-lie,” he moaned. “Please?”
Soren gave me puppy dog eyes, as if he was a little kid who could get away with it. Still, I had to laugh at his expression. “Alright,” I sighed. “I forgive you.”
“Good,” he cheered, spinning me around to give me a hug.
“What was that for?” I asked when he let go of me.
Grinning, he held up my iPod before running into the house.
♠ ♠ ♠
Sorry to be AWOL.Long story short, there was a family emergency and I spent the past weekend at my grandparent's.
The good news is, everything went better than expected - and I had a lot of time to write.
The bad news is, I can't find the flash drive I did all the writing on. I was able to retype this chapter, but the next two are on the missing flash drive.
Needless to say, I've been searching the house for it. Hopefully it'll turn up tonight.
Anyways, I don't really like where this chapter went.... it took a little turn before ending up where it was supposed to. And it made Soren seem like a bit of a douche :\
But that's okay. I can't be thrilled with every chapter xD