I pause and consider it. Lola pouts, putting her hands under her chin as if she’s praying.
Chuckling, I shake my head. “Sure. Why not?” I toss her the keys and move to the passenger side.
Lola lets out a massive squeal and jumps into the driver's seat. Her friend hesitantly climbs in the back. I catch her mumbling, “This is a bad idea.”
I find out why five minutes into the drive.
“Do you think if that semi-truck suddenly put its brakes on and I didn’t, we’d get decapitated when we hit it?”
My head snaps to Lola, “What?”
"Never mind," she says as she absentmindedly rubs her neck, likey an involuntary motion from the thought of being beheaded.
We drive in silence for a couple of minutes. Lola glances over at me quickly before looking back at the road. I watch her hands tighten on the steering wheel and brace myself for whatever’s about to come out of her mouth next.
“Do you think if I hit that divider at this speed, it would split the car in half? Or just crush it?”
“What the fuck, Lola?” I growl, seriously regretting my decision to let her drive.
“What? It was just a question.”
“Why are you even thinking shit like that?” I snap.
“I don’t know!” she exclaims. “It just pops into my head.”
“This is why they keep failing you in driving. You need to keep that shit in your head,” Amara says from the backseat.
“I have things I need to ask. You know, like when you’re standing on a cliff and you have the sudden urge to jump . . . ”
“Nope,” Amara replies calmly, as if she is completely used to this shit coming out of Lola’s mouth.
Lola huffs and looks back at her friend before returning her eyes to the road. “Well, I do. I have questions . . . ”
“Like that random question about your tongue?” Amara says. I can sense the girl’s exasperation.
“It was a legitimate question,” Lola argues.
“Really?” Amara says, and I can hear the incredulity in her voice.
“Yes.”
“What was the question?” I ask, curiosity getting the better of me.
Lola's cheeks turn a deep shade of pink as she glances over at me.
“What do you do with your tongue when you're not using it?” she asks.
I frown in confusion, my brows drawing in. “What do you mean?”
“Like, where do you put your tongue? On the roof of your mouth? Pressed against your teeth? Down? I don’t know. My tongue felt too big for my mouth, and it was annoying me. I didn’t know what to do with it. So, I asked what people did with their tongues.” Her words come out in a rush.
I stare at Lola for a long moment, feeling my mouth tug into a smile despite my best efforts. I shake my head in bewilderment. This girl’s head must be noisy as fuck.
“Don’t ever change, Lola.” I smile.
Amara finally speaks from the backseat. “What’s the quickest way to a man’s heart?” she asks, sounding sad. Ah, so the issue is with a boy, then. I give Lola a quick look and she shrugs sympathetically. I twist in my seat and peer back at Amara. Her hazel eyes look tired, and her face is pale.
“In all seriousness, through the fourth and fifth ribs,” I say with a wink.
