Behind the Mask - Book One [Editing/Re-writing]

(10) Drive Man, Drive

Chapter Ten

That van, it most definitely belongs to Kris and Neffe and oh god, if they catch up? What will happen to Shay? What will happen to me? I gulp and turn around in my seat so that I'm looking behind me at Stayton who has started conversing Shay on how awesome he thinks her car is and Shay? Well, she’s beaming. I feel bad for having to interrupt them . . . wait, no I don’t.

"Stayton." I say sharply and he glances at me, the smile he had on his face towards Shay dropping the instant he looks at me, "yes?"

I fight the urge to yell, "Uhm does that van behind us look familiar at all?"

Stayton’s a smart guy; I know that he knows its Neffe and Kris before he even turns around. He turns around and when he looks back at me his face is revealing nothing. "Shay, I think we have a follower." He says in all seriousness, while leaning forwards a little.

Shay looks in the mirror and shrugs. "It’s just a van. Just because a car is behind us on the road doesn’t mean they are following us."

I cast a nervous glance at Stayton and he leans forwards. "Shay, can I drive?"

What is he up to? I look at Shay, if she lets him drive I'm going to be shocked, this car is her baby. She won’t even let me drive it, but I guess that when a guy is hot no is out of the equation. "Sure." She says happily and starts to stop the car but Stayton shakes his head.

"Don’t stop it. I’m just gonna come to the front, keep your foot on the gas pedal and sit with Bethany." He instructs while leaning forwards even more and this time Shay gives him a nervous look.

"But—"

"Just do it!" I yell and they both look at me, Shay wide eyed and Stayton smirking a bit and I glower at him. Sure, he takes joy in watching me be rude to my best friend. Without another word Shay unbuckles and moves over and sits on my lap, all the while keeping her foot on the gas and her hands on the wheel.

Stayton quickly manoeuvres his body to the front and takes the wheel from Shay and the gas. He gives her a reassuring look and buckles up. "Don’t worry. I won’t wreck your car."

Her eyes go wide and she looks over her shoulder at me and I give her a comforting smile. "You can believe him, Shay. He won’t wreck it." But maybe they will.

She smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes and I know she’s worried about her car. She grips the side of her car until her knuckles turn white when Stayton makes the car go a little faster and I watch as his eyes dart to the review mirror and mine do the same and I bite my lip as I watch the van get closer to us. We’re doing 120 and the van is still going faster than us. Jeez, what are they doing? 150?

I grit my teeth as Shay’s hand somehow finds my arm and she digs her claws—also known as her nails that she never cuts—into my arm as Stayton changes gears and brings her car up to 140 and I watch as his hair flies around his head from the wind and temporarily forget about Kris and Neffe. How can someone so angelic looking be so devilish inside?

What happened in the forest? It was like a whole new side to him that I doubt anyone has ever seen before. A side only I can bring out? I smile at that thought, if I can bring out happy Stayton what else can I bring out of him? Romance? Gentleness? Niceness? Sweetness?

God, if I can bring that out of him I’ll be the happiest girl in the world but that playfulness only lasted until we found a road, does that mean to make Stayton playful I have to get him into a forest? No, I think I just have to get him alone.

The kiss. How do I make him have those feelings again? How do I make him kiss me again? I want to kiss him again. I need to; I need to figure out my feelings for him. Why does he have to mess wi—?