Dali

I spend a lot of time working on my car for various reasons. Whether I’m adding new rims, giving it an oil change, or checking the hidden gun compartments to make sure everything has ammo, it always seems to need something done. Beth thinks I love that car more than anything, which isn’t too far from the truth. This car had protected me from all sorts of stuff: car accidents, falling hail, bombs. I always felt this car was looking out for me in some way, so I made sure to look after it. Beth sat in a folding chair next to the car, Felicia in her lap. I lay underneath the black Toyota.
“So,” Beth started, “how are things on your side of the world?” she asked. I rolled from up under the car.
“What do you mean?” I asked her. She laughed at my paranoid expression.
“I mean, how are you? How are things in your life?” she asked. I gave a weak smile. Beth smiled and shook her head. I rolled back under the car.
“Things are fine,” I said. Beth nodded. She probably expected that answer. Beth stroked Felicia gently.
“Seriously,” she said. I wasn’t quite sure what she meant by that, or why she was asking these questions. I rolled out from under the car.
“Seriously, I’m fine,” I said. We looked at each other for what felt like forever. She caved first.
“Jakob,” she whined. I rolled my eyes.
“What?” I asked.
“I don’t get you,” she started, “you always seem to be distant, cold, and robotic. I can’t tell the difference between you and a toaster,” she said. My expression didn’t change.
“I’m better looking than a toaster,” I said. Beth smiled, trying to hold back a light laugh. I smiled.
“Oh, a smile for a change,” she said. I got up from the floor. A car passed by us in the car garage. Felicia curled up in Beth’s lap. Beth stroked her again and looked back at me. I wiped my hands of the oil. I decided that she was right. She was a bit in the dark of my life. Opening up to her couldn’t hurt me too much. I sighed.
“What do you want to know?” I asked. Beth’s eyes grew wide, but decided to take advantage of this while she could.
“Um, let see, what do you do for fun?” She asked. The question was unexpectedly simple. I was sure she’d ask something more serious, like why I acted so paranoid.
“I,” I said, searching for an answer. I didn’t have any fun, but I didn’t want to tell her that. “I…visit grandma,” I said. Beth raised an eyebrow.
“That’s it?” She asked. I nodded.
“That’s it,” I said. She sighed. I shrugged. “Ask me another,” I said. Her eyes grew wide again.
“Really? Oh, how about, girlfriends?” She asked. I just stared at her. Is this really what she was concerned about? Fun and girlfriends? I sighed.
“I had a girlfriend,” I started, “her name was Abigail,” I said. Beth must have seen it in my eyes. She looked away.
“I’m sorry,” she said. I nodded.
“So am I,” I said.