Stranded

Once church was over, and Sara invited Mike over for dinner, we headed back, one more person in our car.

“How was Japan? You know I’m so jealous that you went, right?” Sara talked with Mike in the front. Alex, Makahla, and I were banished to the back seat. Mike started rattling something off in Japanese, and Sara answered back. In Japanese. I looked at Makahla in alarm.

“When she says she loves Japan…she loves Japan. Well, at least their anime…” Makahla shrugged, playing with my fingers. I smiled and focused my short attention span on her. I kissed her cheek and looked over at Alex beside her.

“He’s full on glaring now.” I whispered to her. She discreetly looked over and began to smile. I could hear her brain working some mysterious plan that I couldn’t hear, and she hadn’t told me.

Once we were back at Sara’s mom’s house, I took Makahla out into the spacious field behind her house. It was grassy, with little dirt patches. We sat down, staring at the pretty and cloudless Utah Sunday sky.

“Why aren’t there any clouds?” I asked, wanting to make pictures in them.

“Utah is considered a desert, hon…there are never any clouds.” Makahla told me. I love it when she used pet names like that.

“So you’re saying I can’t make pictures in the cloud and say they remind me of you?”

“Why would they remind you of me?” She asked, picking at the grass.

“Everything reminds me of you.” I told her, knowing I’d get a blush out of this. And I did. She slapped me lightly on the arm and I captured her hand, pulling her closer.

Just as our lips were about to touch, Sara yelled out, quite unromantically indeed, “Watch out for deer poop!” Makahla sighed and pulled back.

“She was waiting for that.” Makahla smiled, and waved to her best friend, who was sitting on the jungle gym with Mike. “Love you, babe.” She yelled.

Makahla stood up and I repeated her actions. “Want to go on a drive?” I asked, holding out my hand for her to take.

She grabbed it, and nodded. “It’d be a pleasure.” She said. I couple things flashed through my mind, but I thought it wise not to say them. But I smirked down at her nonetheless.

“Don’t say anything.” She scolded, reading my mind. That made me laugh at her and kiss her hands.

“Sorry Kay-Kay.” I pouted, trying not to laugh. We got in the car and I started to drive, not before I told Sara I was borrowing Alley’s car. There was a park just a short distance away with a swing and merry-go-round. Makahla picked the swing first.

“Jack?” Makahla asked. After I started pushing her.

“Yes, dear?” I replied.

“Why…me?” She asked self consciously.

I chuckled again, “I already told you!” I pointed out.

“But, you see….I don’t really remember anything from that night from after I passed out.”

“Fine, but I’m only going to say this once….today…you’re an amazing girl. You stick up for your friends with a force that can only be compared to a hurricane and…you’re just like me!”

Makahla looked at me questioningly. “I can think of a few significant differences.” She nodded, smiling cutely.

“You know what I mean! You’re the most random person I know, and it’s amazing. You could steal my spot as Captain ADD.” I told her, slinging an arm around her shoulder as she got off and moved towards the merry-go-round.

“Well, we’re a couple of random kids.” She shrugged, leaning in close to me. I smiled slowly…and Sara’s ringtone blared from Makahla’s pocket. “She has incredible timing.” Makahla muttered.

I, however, was dancing to the Pokémon theme song.

“Oh, steak?” Makahla asked.

“Steak?” I asked, I loved steak…and real food!

“We’re having steak for dinner!” Makahla cheered when she hung up the phone. We got in the car and went back to Sara’s house.

Sara was standing at a grill with an apron that, ironically enough, said ‘kiss the cook’. Funny, I thought those kinds of aprons were only in movies. Alex was standing beside her in some kind of mental stare down with Mike, who sat at the patio table. Once Sara saw Makahla, her eyes widened and she looked positively grateful.

She ran over to us and whispered to Makahla, completely ignoring me. “Thank goodness you’re here. There’s a whole lot of tension over that way. So much so that Rian and Zack went inside to play videogames with Alley!” Sara rushed out.

“What game?” I asked.

“I think it was Halo…” Sara answered. I kissed Makahla on the cheek and pulled away from her.

“Sorry, my dear….Halo awaits me.” I bowed before going back inside.

While on my way, I grabbed Alex by the front of his T-shirt and drug him inside. “Dude, get over it.” I told him as we sat and waited for our turn on the game system.

“Over what?” Alex asked innocently.

“Dude, I’m seriously going to punch you.” I told him, putting my feet on the coffee table. “If you like her that much, dump Lisa and go out with Sara…see? Simple solution.”

“Uh, not.” Alex told me. “I love Lisa…”

“But you love Sara more.” I raised my eyebrows.

“Guys, you’re like chicks over there, we’re trying to get our man on.” Alley replied.

Both Alex and I looked over at her with a weird expression. She was definitely Sara’s sister.

“By the way, Sara said nothing’s hotter than a return missionary…so Alex, your chances are now…pretty much shot.” Alley was bolder than Sara….more straight to the point. I chuckled. “But, she’s had a crush on you ever since she got your CD…I guess, maybe your chances aren’t so bad after al—YOU STUPID IDIOT!” She yelled at Zack, who had caused her to get shot.

I ran and snatched the controller away from her as she held it out for me. The previous conversation was over for now.