"So..." I try to start a conversation.
The road we are driving on is dark and narrow. There are some cars that drive with us for half a kilometer then turn onto a larger street. We keep driving on the same straight road. It doesn't turn at all.
"Yes." Eldon smiles, not taking his eyes off the dimly lit road.
"Why the Ride & Roll?" I ask trying not to be offensive.
"The answer will be clear once we get there." Eldon sighs.
"Huh." I say mostly to myself then watch the llong stretch of road ahead of me.
"So, you looking foward to tonight?"
"Very much." I stare straight ahead.
After ten more minutes if silence, I completely lose it.
"I've spent the entire day in silence while my brain knawed at me trying to figure out your anagram. Please say something. Anything. I don't really- wait a minute. You're doing this on purpose aren't you? Ugh! I knew it. You've never had problems starting conversations have you? I feel so stupid. You know it doesn't have to be this awkward. Feel free to stop me whenever you want..." My voice trails off after I realize how much I'm babbling.
"Don't worry." Eldon laughs.
"Please say something." I beg.
"Are you sure? This might not be the kind of first date you wanted." Eldon teases.
"I take that back. I want to talk to you." I look at him. The darkness draws an outline on him, his hair glimmers and his eyes sparkly. The rest of his face glows in the headlights of the car that is driving behind us. I am able to look at him forever.
"What do you want me to say?"
"Tell me something I don't know."
"The only two metals that are not silver coloured are gold and copper." Eldon says with a teasing smile.
"I knew that." I copy his smirk.
"Oh yeah?" Eldon challenges.
"Yeah. The electron figuration for gold is (Xe) 4f14 5d10 6s1."
"Is this how you prepare for a date or do you just do this for fun?"
"I can also tell you the one for copper."
"Go ahead." Eldon dares.
"Why don't you tell me?"
"Are you backing out?"
"No."
"I'm calling your bluff." Eldon is right.
"This isn't poker." I say, trying to keep my cover.
"But if it were, would I be correct?"
"Yes." I admit.
"(Ar) 3d10 4s1." Eldon says.
"Pardon?"
"Your not the only one that took advanced chemistry."
I roll my eyes and laugh.
I see the road becoming a bit brighter. There is a parking lot. Eldon pulls into it and parks right at the front of the building the parking lot is built for.
"We're here." Eldon annonces as he takes off his seatbelt.
"Okay." I say and start to unbuckle mine as well.
I walk out into the cold air that feels much cooler than usual. Probably because it's so empty out here. The small resturant that Eldon has taken me to looks like a diner from the late sixties or early seventies. It's worn down so the colours of it are all a pastel - pastel blues and pinks and greens. One part of the roof is jutting out higher than the other half and the rim of it has a thin layer of rust. It looks like one of those old movies where people have people on roller skates serving you milkshakes. There is a sign on it that says open although it is flickering giving it a very sketchy feel. I don't know if it's the resturant or fall night that is making me shiver.
"Come on. Let's go in. It's not as eerie on the inside." Eldon promises then puts his hand on my waist and leads me in.
The door is made out of glass with a metal board in which you have to push to open. It jingles as I enter. Right beside the door is a line of four bar stools that looks out into the dark and empty parking lot. On the north wall, there is a counter with old ripped up seats that look just like the ones at the bar - although these are in much worse condition. The counter has a thick metal rim. Over top is a menu that has very uncreative names for foods that seem to be a copy of one from the actual seventies. Opposite to that, are booths. They look the same as the bar and counter but with booths. Same tables and same wrecked feel. There are metal napkin holders and cute mustard and ketchup bottles. On all of the tables, there are four sets of headphones that are connected to the wall. There are green, pink and blue tiles on the floor - all pastel and matching the outside of the building - that don't go in any specific pattern.
On the west wall, there isn't anything there, not booths, no windows, it's just on big wall. It is taller than all the others so I assume it is the part of the roof that is jutting out from what I saw outside. On the wall is a movie playing without any sound. I can tell from the costumes that this is definitely an early 60's movie. Also, by the actors - mostly Aubrey Hepburn - I can tell it is Breakfast At Tiffany's. I remember watching the movie with my mom and not understanding - or wanting to understand - it when I was in the fifth grade.
"So. This is-" I search for the right word.
"It's something isn't it?" Eldon leads me to a booth without moving his hand from my waist.
He points to one side of the booth and I sit down, he goes onto the other side.
"I like it." I say.
"I hoped you would."
"So, um. Does that thing just not have sound or...?" I tip my chin at the movie on the wall behind Eldon.
"Oh." Eldon turns his head around to look at the movie, "That? Oh yeah, it has sound."
"How do you listen?" I ask.
"Like this." He says, picking up a pair of headphones that are on the table and putting them on.
"Um?" I hesitate as I take a pair of headphones and place them on my head as well.
I can hear the dialogue loud and clear now.
""Poor cat! Poor slob! Poor slob without a name! The way I see it I haven't got the right to give him name. We don't belong to each other. We just took up one day by the river. I don't want to own anything until I find a place where me and things go together."" Holly says as she walks around with a srambling cat.
"This is cool." I say to Eldon across the table. I don't know if he can hear me because he isn't looking at me - he is as focused at the screen as I am.
"'You know those say when you get the red hots?'" Holly says to Paul while holding a glass of milk in her hand.
""The reds, you mean like the blues?"" Paul asks as Holly crouches down to start a record player or something.
""No. The blues are because you're getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long, you're just sad that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling?""
"'Sure.'" Paul says as Holly gets up from her dramatic crouch and walks over to the couch.
Red hots. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of. I've had the red hots before, I have them now. What am I afraid of? It's not the fear of dying or getting murdered by Amanda. It's not getting caught and being sent to a mental facility. What is it? I'm not too sure.
"You having fun?" Eldon tap my elbow to get my attention.
I nod and take off my headphones.
"Let's order." He passes me a menu and keeps one for himself.
The menu is just a replicate of the one above the counter on the left of me. It's just smaller with much less dead flies in it.
"So, what do you think you'll get?"
"I'll have a milkshake." I say.
I'm not in the mood to eat; I want to watch the rest of this movie, and maybe I can appreciate it this time.
I put my headphones back on once Eldon finishes ordering. He sits down beside me on my side of the booth and puts an arm aroud me. I lay a hand on his shoulder - realizing I can't rest my head on him or else the headphones will be pressing up against my ear.
A waitress dressed in a short pencil skirt and tight top comes up to us in roller skates to serve us. Once our food is served and the waitress has rolled back into the kitchen, Eldon and I continue watching the movie.
"That was good." Eldon says once the movie is finished.
"It really was." I sigh as I take off my headphones and reluctantly place them on the table.
"So. Was this a good first date?" Eldon asks. I look into his shiny eyes that speak their own words and I can almost assume they are trying to say 'I love you.'
"Best one I've ever had." I answer with complete honesty.
"Alright then, unless you want to watch credits, lets go." Eldon start to get up and takes his empty coffee mug with him.
I follow his steps and take my milkshake glass in my hand. Eldon walks over to the counter and sets it down nicely, then he slips two ten dollar bills on the counter and drops a few coins in a jar labelled 'tips.' I slide my tall glass beside his and start to get my wallet.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you doing?" Eldon puts his hands on my wrists.
"Um. Paying?" I honestly don't know what to do.
"Don't worry about it. I already did. It's my date, you don't have to pay." Eldon drops my right wrist and holds my left hand in his. He starts to pull me outside but before he gets the chance to drag me away, I find five dollars in change in my bag and drop them into the tips jar.
"I'm glad you had fun." Eldon says as we enter his car.
"You still haven't told me why you like this place so much?" I gesture at the lonely diner.
I hear the doors unlock and I get in. Once my seatbelt is on and doors are closed, Eldon answers my question.
"Can't you tell? The place is a mad house. It's the one place where I can be with people crazier than me." Eldon says.
"It's not crazy, it's cute." I argue but to be honest, I didn't pay much attention to anything but the makeshift movie screen.
"Everything is sane when you first see it because you don't look deep enough. You just try to soak in everything but you come back with a whole bunch of surface junk. Once you go there enough times you know every rip in the chairs and every crack in the lights. You know every waitress by name and you understand the reason behind serving you with roller skates is much more than just a theme. Everything starts to get tired and boring once you're with it too long. Then once you stay a little longer, it becomes insane." Eldon says.
"I've never thought of it that way." I say softly.
"No one ever does."
"So, this is your place of sanity?"
"Yeah. That's why I like it. I like to be able to feel sane sometimes."
"Have you ever thought that being crazy isn't such a bad thing?"
"Many times, but I'm just not made to like being insane."
"No one likes who they are."
"Do you like who you are?"
"I don't know, do you?"
"Honestly, I have never met anyone that is so perfect and beautiful and sane in the craziest and most fantastic way."
I laugh.
"I find you mysterious and dark but I don't see you like everyone else does." I start.
"How does everyone else see me?"
"They don't know you."
"And do you know me?"
"Why don't you tell me that?" I say in a flirty voice.
I start to lean in. Not enough to make it look like I'm about to kiss him, but enough so that all I can see is him. One second, Eldon's face is mysterious and cute, the next, all the blood is drained from his face and he stares out the my window petrified.
"Eldon?" I stretch out his name, hoping he will stop looking outside my window, "Eldon?"
I turn around to look out my window in the direction Eldon is staring off in.
"What's wrong?" I can't see anything but darkness.
"Someone is out there?"
What? I can't talk. I'm scared.
"I saw it. It was her."