Finding Paris

Pink Elephants and Pixie Cakes

Finding Paris

Chapter Seven: Pink Elephants and Pixie Cakes

"Jared, it's almost evening," I complained for the millionth time, dragging my feet along, "I think we should find something to eat for dinner and find someplace to spend the night."

Jared, of course was up front, walking ahead of me. There was quite a distance between us now, since I had fallen behind but he did not seem to be the least bit tired. I started to wonder if Jared had ever run cross-country before.

"Spend the night," he repeated, then laughed as though it was a joke he shared with himself and did not intend on sharing with anyone else.

I didn't get it.

"It's no wonder, you're looking a little round there," he said teasingly without looking back, "You're always thinking about food."

"You're not hungry? Or tired? It's okay to rest, you know, we both know how truly lost we are. Unless you still think you know where we're going?" I asked, incredulous, letting his comment about my size slip. I was just used to it, I guess.

Yep, we were lost again and there was no denying it. We were now walking alongside some overgrown weeds that grew up to my shoulders. The occasional houses we used to past every now and then were long gone. The last one we came across was a few hours back. I'm not sure if we were unlucky or truly just cursed. I mean, who gets lost on a straight path? We were only looking for the highway!

"No," he answered, "On all accounts."

"Why are you in such a hurry to get to Paris, anyway?" I asked curiously, "I mean, of course, you're tired and you want to get rid of me as much as I want to be rid of you, but I'm the one chasing after a deadline here. The first day of the Summer Dance is on Wednesday. They assign the roles in the ballet on Friday."

"I have a family thing on Wednesday," he said vaguely, "It's already Monday evening."

I wanted to question him further or allow him to elaborate about this family thing of his, but something bright like a light caught my eye. There was a blinding light somewhere in the distance from the direction we had come.

Headlights! 

"Look!" I screamed excitedly, "A car! You said we can ride if I see a car!"

Jared looked at me like I was a lunatic, the corners of his mouth turned up in a quirky smile. He really didn't smile all that often; his cheek muscles feel weird doing it. He only smirks and grins playfully, no genuine smile.

I stood up straight and stuck my thumb out in the traditional hitchhiker's gesture with my other hand on my hip.

"What are you doing?" Jared asked me, laughing a little.

"Getting us a ride," I said confidently.

"What's with the cowgirl pose?"

"It's a hitchhiker thing. People will get it!" I snapped at him.

The light got closer and closer and brighter and brighter. Finally, we were going to get some rest from this tiresome journey! But when it got close enough for me to decipher what specific type of vehicle it was, my heart sank.

"On a bike?" he asked me in a patronizing tone.

"Oh, shut up," I muttered.

The biker was actually an old man who seemed to have felt sorry for us and stopped pedalling right in front of us. He put his foot down to steady himself and looked at the two of us with an open expression on his face.