Free Once Upon a Road Trip by Angela N. Blount Page B

and even less willing to try to understand where you’re coming from. You need to be more careful. Establish a rapport with people first, you know?”
    Mark considered this for a moment, his bright gaze bouncing over directional signs and passersby without any clear focus. “I thought I was being sociable.” His insistence began to sound wounded.
    “I know.” She smiled in sympathy. “But being sociable includes showing that you’re interested in other people, not just inviting yourself in on a topic you think you have in common. What you have to say doesn’t tend to mean a lot to people, unless -you- mean something to them.”
    Mark frowned slightly. “That sounds…reasonable.”
    Though Angie wasn’t certain that he’d understood what she was getting at, she decided not to press the issue. It didn’t seem likely a single conversation would be enough to temper how he related to others. At least a potential conflict had been averted. “Come on, ” she said. “I want to stop by the big cats again before we go. Maybe a few of them are done napping.”
    Mark’s amiable expression returned. “I’d say the chances are good. Cats are most active at dawn and dusk, and the sun should be setting soon.” He nodded to the west where the glowing orb was about to sink beyond the horizon. Taking long strides on short legs, he set the pace for them down the cement walkway in the direction of the feline exhibit.
    Angie smirked to herself and shook her head, launching into a sprint to catch up to him.
    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
    Angie waited until after dinner to call Zak. She knew his high school classes wouldn’t be over with for several more days, and she wanted the best chance of catching him at home. The phone rang several times before a woman picked up on the other end. Angie infused cheerfulness into her voice as she asked for Zak, hunching herself forward in the computer chair as she waited.
    “Hello?” A mellow baritone voice came on the line.
    She swallowed back her surprise. With the cost of long distance phone calls to Canada being twice that of calls in the US, she’d never actually spoken to him outside of a somewhat garbled computer chat function. “Zak? This is Angeli.” She waited, allowing the information to sink in.
    On the other end there came a sigh. “Look. Don’t be mad. I didn’t think you’d actually come. Lots of people make plans and talk big, you know? I just figured—”
    “That I’d chicken out?” Angie said, blandly.
    “Well, sorta.” Zak confessed, tone filling with regret. “I’m really sorry. I’m going to break it to my mom tonight and see what I can do. I can’t make any promises though. I mean, I can at least show you around when you get up here. I just don’t know if I can convince her to let you stay at the house.”
    “I’d settle for a safe place to park my car, if you know of any parks or camping spots.” She found herself sounding more dismayed than upset with him.
    Zak seemed to hesitate. “I don’t know that I’d feel great about that, but I’ll look into it.”
    “If it helps at all, your mom can call and talk to my mom. And the family I’m staying with now can vouch for me not being psychotic. I’ll send you an email tonight with the phone numbers.”
    “That couldn’t hurt,” he said. “Just give me a day or two and I’ll get back to you, eh?”
    “Okay. I’ll be here a few more days. Let me know what’s up as soon as you can,” she said, trying not to sound pleading.
    As Angie hung up the phone, she felt somewhat better. There was nothing to do now but wait for the verdict. She could at least try to enjoy herself in the meantime. Hearing Mark and his mother laughing in the dining room, she got up to join them. Cutting through the entertainment room, she was given only a slight start at finding Mark’s father slumped over asleep on the nearest side of the sofa. She was beginning to regard him as a sort of randomly relocating effigy. 
    Sandra