Their Lost Sound

V. Strawberry Milkshake

"She's in my seat." My eyes flicked to the rear-view mirror and I saw Kat's brown eyes staring back.

"So," said Mona after we'd been driving for about an hour. "What's your real name?"

"My real name?"

"Yeah," she said, leaning back in her seat. "Not the one you wrote in the guest book back at the motel."

"Why do you want to know?" I asked, staring at the road.

"I'm just curious," Mona said, and she stretched her legs so they rested on the dashboard. "Who's to say what's real and what's not? For all I know you really could be called Peter."

"My name's Tom," I said, and Mona smiled. "I take it Desdemona's not your real name either?"

"Nope," she laughed.

"Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"Nope," she laughed again.

"I see," I said, still looking forward. There was a moment's silence before she spoke again.

"My friends did call me Mona though," she began, "because I have a weird smile in photographs." I nodded as I put the pieces together.

"Like the Mona Lisa," I said.

"Exactly."

"And your friends," I said. "Do they know where you are?"

"Not exactly," Mona replied, and I raised my eyebrows.

"Not exactly?"

"Well," Mona said, "I just had enough. You know?" I didn't answer and Mona continued. "It all just felt too much, school, and stuff at home, and all the other little things. It was like I was drowning, you know?" Again I said nothing. "I was sitting in the school cafeteria eating my lunch, it was vegetable soup, and I just had enough. So, I stood up and left." She patted the little green bag that lay in the footwell below her. That's why I've got my school bag with me. I didn't even put my lunch tray away because it didn't matter, you know? And I walked out of the cafeteria, out of school, and out of town. I just kept going and eventually ended up at that motel."

"How long have you been away for?"

"Just the last couple of days," she said. "I watched that crime drama, Kalispell, you know, the one with those two girls?" I shook my head.

"I don't know it, sorry."

"It's really good," Mona said, "I think you'd like it. Anyway, one of the girls goes missing but she doesn't get reported as missing until three days have passed. I think there's some law or something that means the police don't get involved until after that time."

"So, you are going back?" I asked.

"Eventually, yeah. I don't want to cause any trouble. I just wanted some space, you know?" I nodded slowly.

"I know."

Neither of us spoke for a while. Instead, we watched the scenery that moved around the car, and listened to the steady hum of the engine. Every now and then I would glance in the rear-view mirror, but no eyes looked back at me. Eventually Mona spoke again.

"What about you?"

"I'm sorry?" I said.

"What's your story?"