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Hastily rushing past a wildly irritated Jack, who had refused to shift from the corridor, Lola and Alex made their way outside to the latter's car. As Lola buckled herself into the passenger seat, Alex took the driver's seat. The red digital clock flickered on, reading 10pm.
"Normally, on a date, I'd ask which restaurant you're taking me to, but I have a feeling we won't be eating in a restaurant at all."
Alex clicked his tongue cockily. "Clever girl. A restaurant would be way too nice. I promise I'll try to not give you food poisoning though."
Lola hummed sarcastically. "I really am the luckiest girl in the world."
Looking out the window, she realised that they were heading into Sheffield city centre. The sky outside looked beautiful, night time against the backdrop of the city skyline. Allowing her eyes to follow every single block of flats, every shop, every house, Lola realised just how insignificant she and Alex were in the grand scale of things. All these people with their hopes, their fears, their dreams. In the middle of all this, she was nobody. Another city girl choked and hidden by the daily grind of urban life. She wanted to get out of this city. She wanted Alex to take her away.
Turning her eyes back to her date for the evening and noting the slow, creaking nature of their drive, Lola quipped, "Knowing you, Turner, I thought your car would be old, but I didn't know it'd be this bad. Where did you find it? A scrap heap?"
The window was rolled down, due to Alex smoking, as he drove with one hand. He removed his cigarette from his lips and blew a billow of smoke out the car, before turning to Lola.
"Woah, watch it." He jokingly patted the dashboard. "You'll hurt her feelings."
"She's a Ford Cortina. I think her feelings need to be hurt. How old even is this car?"
"I got her when I was 17 from my mum, when I passed my driving test. She's been loyal to me ever since. Never rusted, not once."
This took Lola by surprise. "I don't believe that for one second. If any car's prone to rust, it's one of these old bangers."
She looked out the window in an attempt to see the paint job. It was shockingly immaculate.
Seeing her point had been proven wrong, Alex smirked, taking pride in his victory. "A wise man once said 'I wanna be your Ford Cortina. I will never rust' and so far, mine has lived up to those standards."
With a quirk of her lip, Lola smiled in pleasant surprise. "You like John Cooper Clarke?"
"Do you?"
"Of course, I do!" Lola remarked with a matter-of-fact laugh. "I remember studying that poem for my GCSEs. I hated poetry. We always read Shakespeare and the Romantics and it was all a bunch of soppy nonsense. Then, I remember the first time I ever read I Wanna Be Yours. I loved it instantly. I never thought some old white guy could ever say something about love that would actually relate to me in my life, but there Clarke was, knowing my own feelings better than I did. It was the first poem to ever really say something to me the way music did. I always felt it should be a song not a poem. That way more people could enjoy it."
