Introductions #2

In which I, Raye Ashcroft, do not leave the readers hanging from last week and continue the journey that I have, in no way, not been coerced into writing. Not at all definitely I was told to write this. So, if you didn't click the link a recap would be something like; car, me, other characters, Mia arrives, evil minions chase, I wonder why I bother, her other main character is annoying me. Now we can continue. Ok, Mia? Geez.

 

"To glory!" Mia squeals. Her hair blows in the breeze as I press my foot down as hard as I can against the accelerator. I watch the minions behind us easily keep pace in the mirror. Darn them and their shiny car. When I glance back at Mia, she's stuck her head out of the window.

"Get back in, you idiot," I yell over the roar of the wind.

I try to yank her in but my hand just catches the coarse material of her jacket. She easily shrugs out of my grip and continues grinning at the passing landscape. Normally I wouldn't mind so much but her disregard for safety is making it hard for me to drive. I will not be responsible for another headless injury this week. I drum my fingers on the wheel for a moment before taking action.

"Tyler," I shout. I don't need to shout, he's two feet away and a zombie. He has incredible hearing through that golden mess of hair. "Be a doll and grab the wheel will you?"

I let Tyler frown in the rear-view mirror for only a second before I relinquish control of the car. He's probably more  shocked than I am as I feel him dive over the seat as I slide sideways. I rarely trust anyone with this car. Typical of Mia to force it out of me.

Back to the task at hand, with my arms nicely freed up I easily drag Mia back into the cabin and close the window in one sweep. She looks slightly confused as she settles in her seat, now our seat, but she's not headless so this is a plus.

The only thing wrong now is that I'm stuck sharing a seat with her and my undead boyfriend is driving. As I watch him roll up his sleeves, showing off that weird tan he always, and nonchalantly change gear I begin to wonder whether Mia planned this. She's really good at setting traps when she wants to. I swivel to catch her gaze. I give her my best I-am-not-pleased frown.

"What now?"

"We could head for the cinema?" she says. Her expression is really open, she must genuinely believe that we want to go watch a vampire movie with her. It's such a shame to let her down. "Or that pub near my flat? Oooh, they do really good food on a Friday. Let's do both!"

"I mean the post." I flick away her question with my wrist, hoping that will keep her at bay for now. "What now? Are you actually going to ask us questions or are we going to be eaten by minions?"

"I was sort of hoping you'd introduce yourselves…" She tilts her head, a hand slowly reaching into her jacket pocket. It's a movement I know well. I grimace. Sure enough, out comes the tattered notebook. Unlike other times, though, she shows me a page already written instead of filling blank ones. I lean in, curious.

"See." She points, I follow her finger as I read. It's a list of course; things we might like to say about ourselves like our age and origin and favourite colour. Blah blah blah. I don't have a favourite colour so this is going to be tricky.

"I like number four," I hear the Braelyn kid say behind us. I glance around and see that both Adam and her are straining to read it too. "My favourite meal is soup. My brother used to always make me soup, in the future that is."

"Soup is agreeable." Adam nods. I watch his wig wobble on his head. "I rarely get to dine on it. Mostly I get given goulash."

I study them for a second before turning back to Mia. I nod.

"There you are, lots of stuff about us," I say. She looks unconvinced. "Happy now? Can you stop with the evil minions trying to kills us?"

Mia caps her pen and chews her lip. As if to emphasise my point I watch four arrows ping by the window. Great, the minions have weapons now.

"What about Twilight?" she mumbles. I barely catch the words over the sound of the engine.

"Twilight we can do," I lie quickly, hoping nobody holds me to it. My neck feels hot but I don't think she notices the effect the untruth has on me.

"And then maybe a group reading of Mockingjay?" She blinks, her eyes big brown examples of hope. I watch Adam and Braelyn nod encouragingly.

"That too," I bluff. I cough to clear my guilty throat.

"Also we're doing regular character posts." She studies me, I nod. I might as well go for a full set of lies now. "Well, ok then."

As she pockets her notebook once again I feel the car slow down. I turn to give Tyler a piece of my mind about fleeing from evil minions, and things we don't do, when I notice the car behind us has vanished. I glance back at Mia, she smiles.

"See you in two weeks," she mouths as she slowly begins to disappear.  And that's it. That's all we get for our troubles. In my stunned silence I feel everybody watching me, Tyler especially with his emerald coloured gaze, like I might explode.

"Anyone for pizza?" He asks lightly after a moment of contemplating me. "Anyone? I think we should get pizza. I like pizza. Pizza is good for end of year celebrations."