Micro Fiction Monday: Truth or Dare

“I’m not doing it.”

“You picked dare.”

“Yeah, because there are only so many things you can do in a car going a hundred miles an hour.”

“And this is one of them!”

“And it’s insane. I’m not doing it.”

“Come oooooooon!”

“No. You can’t make me.”

“I’ll pay for your share of gas money for the rest of the trip.”

“…….I hate you.”

“Is that a yes?”

I sighed and unbuckled my seatbelt. “Just realize that if I die, you’re the one who’s going to be cleaning my dead carcass off the interstate.”

He grinned. “Sounds like a yes to me.”

I rolled my eyes and swung my legs over the console. “I can’t believe you’re making me do this.”

“I’ll let you know if any cops come.”

“I’m more concerned about dying, but thanks, I guess.”

I positioned myself in the back of the car and made eye contact with him in the rearview mirror. He grinned again and reached up to hit a button on the dashboard, opening the sunroof above me.

“Good luck,” he yelled over the wind.

With a pounding heart and sweaty palms, I gripped the edges of the window and pulled myself through the gaping hole in the roof. The wind plugged my ears and dried out my eyes as I squinted into the sun in front of me. I stretched my legs slowly, rising above the car and the blurring landscape around me.

And suddenly, I was flying. The wind pushed my hair out of my face, and the sun shone on me like a spotlight as I flew down the highway. I stretched my arms to the sky and squealed, basking in the warmth of the setting sun, before the car horn sounded, and I dropped back down to safety.

Micro Fiction Monday: Crossing

When I was little, I thought that cars looked like people. Their headlights were eyes, and their bumpers were mouths, forever--in my eyes, at least--resembling a smile. I never put any more time and effort into the thought; whether the cars had thoughts or feelings or things to do for themselves. They were just cars, objects that surrounded us on the streets and the highway.

Now, I can see people inside those cars. I see families and couples and people sitting alone; fingers tapping the steering wheel, turning the radio dial, holding a phone up to their ear as they speak to whoever is on the other end. I see someone shoulder check before turning, as I zoom by at a hundred kilometers an hour, their face flashing in and out of my line of vision instantly. They go about their life and I go about mine, my world as unfamiliar to them as theirs is to me.

I’m not sure which thought astounds me more; the fact that this may be the only time our lives cross paths, or that they may cross again in the future, passing by without a moment’s awareness on either side.

~~

Until later,

- Justyne

Two Adventures with my Driving Buddy (WFMAD Day 19)

So earlier today, I asked my driving buddy (AKA my close friend Allison) what I should blog about. Her suggestions weren't exactly helpful, so instead I'm just going to share stories of a few of my favourite adventures with her.

1. Something you should really know about my driving buddy and I is that we go to Wal-Mart. A lot. Not quite sure why, to be honest; it's just our thing.

Anyway, last month we were on one of our many Wal-Mart adventures. We were sitting in her car, just down the street from the store, and there was this car driving in front of us. The car goes to turn left--a good meter or two before the actual curb. You'd think they'd stop, or swerve to avoid the curb (and the sign sitting on top of it), right?

Nope.

So the two of us watch, rattled, as whoever was driving the car honest-to-God MOWS OVER THE FREAKING CURB, driving over it AND the sign sitting on it like nobody's business, and calmly pulled to a stop in the parking lot across the street. The sign that had been placed legit bounced right back up after they passed over it. 

In retrospect, we probably should have stopped to check if the driver was okay--and God knows they wrecked their car doing that utterly pointless stunt--but we just kinda kept going and pulled into the parking lot, all the while laughing and freaking out over what we had just seen.

2. This next one dates back to our good 'ol middle school days, before we (read: her) could actually drive, therefore before we were actually driving buddies.

We were famous (read: not famous at all) for going on bike-and-scooter combo rides. Basically, she would ride her scooter, and I would ride my bike, because I was lame and didn't have a scooter.

For whatever reason, she had just recently developed an irrational fear of trains. Not exactly sure why, but either way she was terrified that some evil mastermind would drop a penny onto the train tracks and said penny would cause an incoming train to flip out and derail itself. Or something. \

So one day, we just happened to be down by the train tracks near our houses when we hear the whistle of an incoming train. Allison, freaking out, desperately tries to push her scooter away. Unfortunately, we were (for whatever reason) sitting in gravel / rocks, so her scooter would not push through them.

So instead, she lifts her scooter up over her head, and goes running down to the smooth pavement, screaming all the way.

Meanwhile, I am left standing in the dust, unable to get back on my almost-too-big bike and almost peeing myself because I was laughing so hard.

This remains my favourite story, like, in the history of stories.

Well, I hope you enjoyed these random stories of mine.

Until later,

- Justyne