The Ordinary Haunting II

5. The Unexpected Detour

"You're sure visiting an abandoned train station is something you've 'always wanted to do'?"

"Stop asking me that just because you're too lazy to drive there."

"Good point."

"Oh? What-- Wait, why are you pulling over?"

"You're right. I'm too lazy to drive there. So you drive."

"C'mon, Hin, you know I can't--"

"Ah, so you can't now? You've always said you just don't."

"I meant I can't...can't..."

"Can't...? Undo your seatbelt? Silly guy, I'll help you with that--"

"Of course I can undo my seatbelt. I can undo it so well I could strangle you with it."

"Is that the sum-total of your skills? No wonder Frank wasn't impressed with you."

"Frank is on a whole different level, one I don't want to be on, so I'm not bothered in the slightest by that."

"Is exactly what someone says when they're bothered."

"I'm just bothered because--"

"Because he didn't fall in love with you immediately like everyone else?"

"People don't fall in love with me immediately... Although he did. You saw him smiling."

"I saw him laughing at you."

"Exactly. People love laughing at me."

"You sound proud of that, but you're really bothered, aren't you?"

"I'm so unbothered, I'd drive this car just to shut you up."

"Deal."

"Wait."

It was like I'd zapped there somehow. I had been paying so little attention to our movements as we argued that I didn't even realise he'd air-pushed me into the driver's seat. My hands wrapped around the steering wheel of New's Honda HR-V at a perfect 10 and 2 as he sunk smugly into the passenger role beside me and rubbed his eyes.

"Dammit," I said.

New rummaged in the plastic bag I'd previously been guarding with my feet, quickly claiming a box of Koala's March chocolate biscuits. "I can talk you into anything."

I sniffed, embarrassed. "You did not talk me into this. And if you did, maybe I let you."

"Sure, and you're some kind of prodigy driver who was forced to hide his powers from the world because of the magnitude of the responsibility it would be if you were to unleash them."

"Uncle Pat was no Uncle Ben, but he made sure this Peter Parker never became Spiderman."

"I'm giving you minus 50 points for overdoing that reference."

"You know, I preferred when you used to keep your answers to three words maximum."

"No you didn't."

I adjusted the rear-view mirror and scooted the seat back a smidgen. "Low blow, Techaapaikhun. Good thing we're on a date today, or I might have got a little frustrated just now."

"When are you not frustrated. Foot on the brake, Vihokratana. Turn the engine on."

I twisted the key that was still in the console and the dashboard lit up in blues and reds. "Never. I'm always chill and friendly and kind and--"