Free Arianna Rose: The Awakening (Part 2) by Christopher Martucci, Jennifer Martucci Page B

sadness.
    “You didn’t,” she replied.  “I was just thinking about her.  She wasn’t like that.  She wasn’t the kind of person who would do that, I think.  And if I’m wrong, I’m wrong.  I’ve just been worried about her and wanted to see her with my own eyes.  At this point, I’d be happy to get there and find out she’s blown me off.  At least I’d know she was okay.”
    Luke directed the truck down the drive of their school and searched for a parking spot.  The lot was emptier than normal, their arrival earlier than most.  Arianna was grateful for the extra time they would have now, without Stephanie, and hopefully on their trip to Rockdale.
    “Rockdale, huh?” he said.  “That’s what, five , six hours away?”
    “I’ll give you money for gas and pay for our motel room,” she offered.
    “Motel room?  Wh y didn’t you lead off with that? ” he joked and was back on his game. 
    “We’d have to stay in a motel room,” she flirted.  “We’d be leaving after school, today i f you want, and we’d need to rest, naturally.”
    “Naturally,” he agreed and his cheeks flushed.
    “Why Luke, I do believe you’re blushing,” she said leaning across the console and touching the tip of her finger to his chin.  “Aren’t you ready to be rewarded for all your wooing?”
    She did not give him time to respond.  And judging from the expression on his face, she doubted he had a response.  She climbed out of his truck and slung her backpack over her shoulder, satisfied she’d intrigued him by turning his tactic on him.  She had bluntly offered him exactly what he claimed he’d been wanting.  Whether either of them would go through with it remained to be seen.  She glanced over her shoulder at him and saw that he smiled his broad, mischievous smile at her from behind the windshield.
    “Come on,” she called to him and gestured for him to follow.
    He rolled his window down and called back, “Just give me a sec ond okay.  I just need a sec ond .”
    She laughed and leaned against the passenger side door, waiting for whatever physiologic response he’d been beset by to pass.
    After a few minutes had passed, Luke jumped out.  “I’m in,” he announced.  “Let’s take a road trip.”
    “Yay!” Arianna cheered.  “When do you want to leave?”
    “Let’s go today, after school.”
    “Really?  Are you serious?”
    “Yep.  We can miss school tomorrow.  There’s a stupid assembly that’s gonna eat up half the day anyway.  Let’s do it.”
    “All right.  Sounds like a plan!”
    “We can meet here after school, go back to our houses and grab a few things then leave.  Will your mom be okay with you and me going away overnight together?”
    “You’re joking, right?” Arianna asked sarcastically.  “I ’m eighteen, and even if I wasn ’t, my mom doesn’t say a word about where I go and who I go with.  I’ve been coming and going as I please for as long as I can remember.”
    “Sounds like my mom,” he said tightly.
    “So it’s settled.  I’ll see you here in a few hours,” she said and rose on to her tiptoes.  She wrapped both arms around his neck tightly, her body pressing to his and kissed his lips.
    She kissed him for several seconds then released him and dashed off.
    “Oh , that’s just wrong!” he called after her.  She turned to look at him and saw that he held his books low over his waist.
    “See you soon,” she called back and smiled.
     
    ***
     
    The more than six hours of her school day had seemed like an interminable stretch of time.  She’d glimpsed the clock on many occasions throughout the day certain hours had passed only to find that mere minutes had passed.  When the last bell of the day finally rang, Arianna felt as though she’d survived a marathon, tired and worn.  But once she stepped outside and the cool fall air greeted her, she felt invigorated.  As she approached Luke’s truck and saw that he waited for her,