"About everything."
"Hm." He looked at me out of the corner of his eye again but didn't say anything else.
"This is kind of a fancy car." I nodded to the leather seats and the computer screen on the dashboard flashing with a dozen different numbers and gauges.
"One of my few vices," he said.
"Is that why your apartment is so normal? You spend all your money on cars and guitars?"
There was a beat of silence.
"Yeah," he said, but didn't elaborate.
I had to wonder if there was something more to it than that. Surely a famous rock star like Nathan could afford anything he wanted.
"So this zorbing thing," I began. "How safe is it?"
"I haven't heard of anyone dying while doing it yet."
I sat straight up. "Yet?"
"It's safe," he assured me. "We're going to a designated zorbing area with instructors who will give us training and watch over the whole thing."
"That makes me feel a little better," I said. "I thought you were just going to buy a blow up bubble, shove me inside and push me down a hill."
"We can do that, too," he grinned. "But let's start off letting the professionals show us how it's done."
We finally reached the place, and, after parking at the base of a not-too-steep hill, we found ourselves walking up a winding trail.
"You didn't tell me hiking was a part of this game," I said, panting.
"Winded already?" he teased. "I thought running after all those kids would keep you in shape." He elbowed me in the side with a friendly jab. "Come on, I'll race you."
"Wait—"
Nathan ignored my protest and sprinted ahead.
"Slow poke," he called back.
With a grin of my own, I hurried to follow him.
It had been a long time since anyone had challenged me to a race. My parents always made sure I stayed back when the other kids took part in physical activities. I liked that Nathan didn't treat me as if I might fall apart at any minute.
When I crested the hill, there was a group of people under a makeshift tent with a handful of human-sized, hollow plastic balls. Nathan went right up to one of the girls wearing a company branded golf shirt. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but he gestured to me with a grin and the girl waved me over.
"So it's your first time?" she asked with an enthusiastic smile as she handed me a pamphlet. "You're going to have a lot of fun."
She walked the two of us through the safety rules and had us sign a waiver form. I gave Nathan the side eye at the wording absolving them of all responsibility in the case of injury, death or dismemberment.
"It's a standard form," the girl reassured me. "We haven't had a single accident since we first opened up."
"I still don't know…" I said, hesitant.
I was sure most of their previous patrons had no trouble, but what about someone like me? This zorbing thing looked pretty intense. Even cushioned inside a bubble, I was still going to be tossing myself down this hill. That was no doubt a heart-pumping, pulse-racing, thrilling experience. Was I up to this?
"Want me to go first?" Nathan asked. "You can see there's nothing to it."
I nodded, relieved.
