Where The Dandelions Grow

08 - Icy Echo

Echo's POV

Brandon grinned ear to ear when he saw me get into his car and close the door. I can't say I haven't had a smile on my face as well for the few minutes he's been driving, but I can't hide it.

And I don't think I want to.

I stare out the window at the view of New York for a while, my hair blowing in the warm wind, curls going askew across my face. It's always a nice sight to see how things change when the seasons go from winter to spring. It's the prettiest of the seasons in my opinion. Though this would be an even more beautiful city if it weren't for the crimes, crazy people, and traffic that clog the streets.

I turn to look at Brandon, his finger tapping on the wheel as he drives steadily.

Without looking at me his mouth opens to speak, "I don't expect a thing from you, you know that right, Echo?" I stay quiet, keeping my eyes on the sight of the city. "I don't want anything from you either. I don't know how to explain it, but when we first talked... and then when I met you at Happies, I always felt the need to talk to you more afterward."

He glances at me once and throws in another comment, "Besides, I can't give up trying to get to know a pretty girl so easily. So, if you think being mean is gonna make me run, it won't so I advise that you give that act up now."

I scoff and roll my eyes. Pretty? Yeah okay, the ruler-lengthed bags under my eyes are very attractive I'm sure... "Please shut up," I mutter, crossing my arms.

He chuckles, "So, so, cold."

"Icy," I correct him, and he smirks.

"You know what?"

"What."

"I think I like Icy Echo. She's unpredictable. You don't know if she's gonna throw a drink in your face or throw you a gorgeous smile," he jokes and I send him a glare.

But that glare doesn't stop the shooting feeling of butterflies swarming my stomach and eating me alive.

His eyes widen and he grins, looking back and forth between me and the road. "Let's fucking go! I got the smile, WOOO!" He fists pumps and grabs hold of his fist begging him to stop before we crash. I can't help the giggle that escapes my lips.

***

The drive with Brandon was nearly an hour and a half long before he parked off a back road just outside the city and asked me to follow him down a dirt pathway.

Yeah, no. Can it get any more creepier than that?

I hesitate, "You know, I would follow you but I'm not a blonde chick in a poorly-plotted horror film." I look down the pathway, the sun shining through it as it starts to set, it's pretty, but it's a bit of a shady place to bring someone you barely know.

He stops and looks at me like he's thinking. He sums, tapping his thighs with his fingers. "How about you hold on to this?" He hands me his car keys. "You don't have to worry about your safety with me, Echo, I promise. It's the last thing you'll need to worry about when I'm at your side. Take these if you want; if it keeps you at ease. I don't have a weapon to give you, unfortunately."

I stare at the keys. Then shake my head. "I'm good. If your plan happened to be to kill me..." I walk down the path and turn to look at him, shrugging, "be my guess."

I hear him release a deep sigh. "Jesus, Echo." He falls into step with me and guides me down the path. "The house shouldn't be too far."

"House?"

"Yeah, my parents own a cabin down here just outside of the city where I used to hang out when I was a kid. It's not far from my mom's house, so we use to come here often."