Introvert's Mind
huit.
He thought Dakotah drove recklessly but she was nowhere near as bad as Joey, one of Dakotah’s friends who was driving around 140kilometers per hour. Streets, houses and trees passed in a complete blur as they headed out of the city of Toronto. Thomas was squeezed on the truck’s door by Frank, the stoner he had talked to at the party who was seated in the middle and a girl with dreadlocks and a very hippie aura who he seemed to recall was named Jenny. Dakotah was sitting in the front with Joey, her feet on the dashboard, her long slender legs shining in the sunlight. She had put on some rock music that he didn’t recognize, bobbing her head along with the drums. Frank and Jenny had talked incessantly since he had sat in the car, they had tried to bring him into their conversation but he just wasn’t interested in talking at the moment. Sometimes he got in those moods, especially when he was in a car for a long time for some reason, where he started wondering about the people he saw walking down the street or in the cars beside him. It was a weird feeling thinking about how all of them had lives of their own, problems of their own, joys of their own, maybe they were having the most wonderful day of their lives, or maybe they were having their worst, and it was all just so odd to think that he would never know all of these people, never know their lives and what they had gone through.
“What are you thinking?” he heard quietly and he saw that Dakotah had turned so that she was looking at him. All of the others were too busy with their own business to notice them.
“Nothing, nothing important anyways.”
“See, I don’t believe that, not one bit. You’ve got that faraway look in your eyes, like you were a million miles away from this old truck. So, tell me Thomas, what were you thinking about?”
And surprisingly enough, and for the second time with Dakotah Samuels, he told her exactly what he was thinking. It was very odd for him to do this, he was used to just keeping all of his thoughts inside of his mind, he was sure to be safe that way. But actually telling it to someone, well it was scary, of course, but it also felt kind of good, like maybe… someone would understand?
The sun was setting by the time they arrived near the forest in which this supposed camp was, there was a mountain in the backdrop and you could faintly see the stars beginning to appear in the sky. The sky was a blaze of orange and pink, swirling together as if to make a masterpiece. They took a dirt road which lead them into the forest itself, all of the passengers in the car were chatting excitedly as if they were going to Disney World. He had never understood the appeal of camping, why sleep somewhere in the woods, with lots of bugs, probably on uncomfortable mattresses (at best), when you could sleep in your own home?
They turned a corner and he saw the camp, it was actually much better than what he had expected. It was a cozy size, nestled between the trees in a big clearing. There were two cars already there and he could hear the voices of people inside the camp and actually a few of them were getting out of the door, a smoke hanging from their mouths lazily. Joey stopped the car and they all got out, all of them with bags in their hands, probably filled with booze. Thomas felt included in the group, Frank and Jennie chattered with him casually as they walked towards the camp. But then, he looked behind him and his heart seemed to stop for a minute, Joey and Dakotah were walking behind then, but Joey had put his arm around the girl’s waist and she had not pulled herself out or anything, they were talking quite naturally. Of course, he knew, he shouldn’t feel as if the wind had been knocked out of him. Of course, Dakotah, the famous Dakotah, would always have boys around her; it was not a surprise that Joey was interested. He couldn’t exactly blame the girl either; Joey was considered one of the most attractive boys in school by all of the girls. Still, the teenager had felt as if there was something between him and Dakotah, like there was some unspoken connection. He was snapped out of his reverie by Jenny gently tugging at his sleeve and he followed into the camp.
There were around eight people in the cabin, and thankfully it didn’t look as small as if had from the outside, there seemed to be a room or two where people would sleep. Some of them were playing cards, some of them talking while sipping on their drinks and some were playing beer pong. Thomas was almost sure that it was some Rolling Stones that were playing, which he much preferred to the blaring techno that was at the party. This was much more relaxed and he felt more comfortable in this atmosphere. Everyone turned to say hello to them as they came in, already taking the bags Frank and Jenny had in their hands, taking most of the content, which was alcohol and food and put it in the small mini-fridge that seemed already filled to the brim.
“Hey guys!” Dakotah said, as she came in, Joey still latched onto her. “Let’s get the party started, eh?!”
“What are you thinking?” he heard quietly and he saw that Dakotah had turned so that she was looking at him. All of the others were too busy with their own business to notice them.
“Nothing, nothing important anyways.”
“See, I don’t believe that, not one bit. You’ve got that faraway look in your eyes, like you were a million miles away from this old truck. So, tell me Thomas, what were you thinking about?”
And surprisingly enough, and for the second time with Dakotah Samuels, he told her exactly what he was thinking. It was very odd for him to do this, he was used to just keeping all of his thoughts inside of his mind, he was sure to be safe that way. But actually telling it to someone, well it was scary, of course, but it also felt kind of good, like maybe… someone would understand?
The sun was setting by the time they arrived near the forest in which this supposed camp was, there was a mountain in the backdrop and you could faintly see the stars beginning to appear in the sky. The sky was a blaze of orange and pink, swirling together as if to make a masterpiece. They took a dirt road which lead them into the forest itself, all of the passengers in the car were chatting excitedly as if they were going to Disney World. He had never understood the appeal of camping, why sleep somewhere in the woods, with lots of bugs, probably on uncomfortable mattresses (at best), when you could sleep in your own home?
They turned a corner and he saw the camp, it was actually much better than what he had expected. It was a cozy size, nestled between the trees in a big clearing. There were two cars already there and he could hear the voices of people inside the camp and actually a few of them were getting out of the door, a smoke hanging from their mouths lazily. Joey stopped the car and they all got out, all of them with bags in their hands, probably filled with booze. Thomas felt included in the group, Frank and Jennie chattered with him casually as they walked towards the camp. But then, he looked behind him and his heart seemed to stop for a minute, Joey and Dakotah were walking behind then, but Joey had put his arm around the girl’s waist and she had not pulled herself out or anything, they were talking quite naturally. Of course, he knew, he shouldn’t feel as if the wind had been knocked out of him. Of course, Dakotah, the famous Dakotah, would always have boys around her; it was not a surprise that Joey was interested. He couldn’t exactly blame the girl either; Joey was considered one of the most attractive boys in school by all of the girls. Still, the teenager had felt as if there was something between him and Dakotah, like there was some unspoken connection. He was snapped out of his reverie by Jenny gently tugging at his sleeve and he followed into the camp.
There were around eight people in the cabin, and thankfully it didn’t look as small as if had from the outside, there seemed to be a room or two where people would sleep. Some of them were playing cards, some of them talking while sipping on their drinks and some were playing beer pong. Thomas was almost sure that it was some Rolling Stones that were playing, which he much preferred to the blaring techno that was at the party. This was much more relaxed and he felt more comfortable in this atmosphere. Everyone turned to say hello to them as they came in, already taking the bags Frank and Jenny had in their hands, taking most of the content, which was alcohol and food and put it in the small mini-fridge that seemed already filled to the brim.
“Hey guys!” Dakotah said, as she came in, Joey still latched onto her. “Let’s get the party started, eh?!”
♠ ♠ ♠
Changed the setting from Miami to Toronto. Xo