Unedited chapter
Recap:
"We're going to Hell."
__
Isaac's eyes popped. "But I didn't do anything bad!" Not acknowledging the heavy sigh I projected, he swept his bottom lip between his teeth and added, "I'm a good boy!"
"Okay, Isaac," I said, ripping through the green foliage. The honey ball of sunrise poured across the horizon, outlining the distant trees. Rocking up a hill, the jeep bounced onto the road and I checked for any signs of life. None. Only the face of Elvis Presley that bobbed on the front dashboard. We drove along the abandoned highway, Grim already out cold and snoring in the back while Isaac involuntarily accompanied me in the front.
"I'm always on Santa's Nice list!"
"Okay, Isaac."
"Not once did I find coal under my tree."
"Okay, Isaac."
"I always have a belt with my pants!"
"Okay, Isaac."
"I never wore my underwear twice!"
"Okay, Isaac."
He prolonged his voice into a childish whine. "I don't want to go to Hellllllll!"
My discreet tension suddenly snapped and I cut the engine and the car jerked. Grim's body fell off the seat with a thud. I targeted Isaac with a murderous glare. "Then leave." My forefinger unlocked his door. "Go."
There wasn't even a pause. He locked his door and shook his head, settling with his own silence. "I have nowhere to go," he whispered.
I turned the keys and the metal below us grinded, sparking back into the main priority. "That's what I thought."
Blond popped into my rearview mirror and I saw Grim rubs his eyes, registering the surroundings. "But he doesn't have to come. I mean, why is he here again?"
I threw the Elvis bobblehead at him. "Because he's evidence of my past, you dipshit."
"Ow!"
"You should go back to sleep," I called over my shoulder. He flicked me the finger, but it didn't take long until we heard his heavy breathing.
Isaac brought his knees to his chest, hugging them. He spoke in a small voice. "I-I-I don't think I was meant to go to Hell. I'm a symbol kind of person, Hatter. I need to see a sign in order for me to convinced and honestly, the cosmic forces have said nothing. Therefore, I shouldn't be going to Hell. If the universe doesn't want me, then I shouldn't."
I flipped on the radio and the voice of ACDC projected, "Highwaaaayyyyy to Hell."
Isaac's face twisted, mortified, and clicked to the next station. "If your world is all screwed up, then rearrange it." He grinned and leaned back. "Raise a little Hell, raise a little Hell, raise a little Hell!" He bolted forward and flipped to another station.
"Nobody's puttin' up a fight." He slowly smiled. "I got my bell I'm gonna take you to Hell." His smile fell. He pressed the arrow button but it was jammed. "I'm gonna get ya Satan get ya...Hells bells!" He let out a high pitch scream and kept pressing the button. "Hells bells you got me ringing." Isaac paled and his finger stabbed the button, finally unjamming it as the next song played. "Hey, hey, you, you, I want to be your girlfriend!"
Isaac's face softened and he sighed in relief. I deadpanned. "Really. Avril Lavigne?"
"Sshhhhh," he hushed, leaning back on the headrest.
The song continued, "No way! No way! I think you need a new one! Hey, hey, you, you, I could be your girlfriend!"
I lifted a thumb of the wheel as if to say 'Alright, whatever you want.' He started swaying his head to the pop sensation. "Hey, hey, you, you, I want to be your girlfriend!"
My brow lifted at him. "Is this the cosmis force's casual way of saying you're secretly a woman?"
He hushed me again and started humming to the lyrics as the song went into the final verse. "In a second you'll be wrapped around my finger, 'cause I can, 'cause I can do it better!" Isaac shimmied and wiggled in his seat. "There's no other, so when's it gonna sink in? She's so stupid, what the hell were you thinking?!" He froze, and Avril repeated the same verse, causing Isaac to shout a long, "Why?!" and have him change the song.
"I was wondering how long you'd last," I told him. "I was afriad if you kept listening to that song, the universe would surely have you grow long blonde hair and plaster heavy eyeliner on you and have you start wearing pink."
"But I like pink."
"And I like it when your balls are stapled to your ears!"
"Burn baby burn, disco inferno! Burn baby burn, burn that mother down!"
Redness rushed up his neck and he missed the next button, and tried again, going to the next song. "I hate it when you do that," I grumbled. "I say something mean, and you aren't even insulted!"
"Isn't-isn't that a good thing?" he shyly asked.
"No!"
"Are you mad?" His voice was quiet as a mouse.
"No!" I angrily shouted. "You just-just cope with my personality and attitude! It's -It's"-my palm hit the wheel-"infuriating!"
He frowned and leaned in close. I gave him a scared look, quickly glancing at the road and then his approaching body and him. "What are you doing?"
"Shhhhh..." he whispered, inching closer.
"Seriously. Isaac." My hands wouldn't leave the wheel. "Isaac. What-"
He rested his chin on my neck and awkwardly wrapped his arms around me. "Mhm... Doesn't that feel better?"
"What are you doing?" I blankly stared down at him.
He clutched my body as I drove, muffling in my neck. "Squeezing out your anger."
"That's...that's..." I swallowed hard, warmth sweeping over my body.
I drove in silence, a sense of comfort growing. His breathes were soft against me, my hand naturally sliding through his dark plush hair. "Your heart is beating really fast," he whispered.
The words were leaving faster than my brain process, ears becoming hot. "Isaac, this is extremly awkward and I'm driving and what if a moose walks across the road and I can't turn and your head will be in the way and there will be lots of blood and I have no idea why I'm rambling and oh my god, my cheeks are warm and holy." Tingles spread across my chest as I stared down at him, feeling gittery and weird and gross but happy and all the things I was sure I wasn't supposed to feel.
Then my brain rewinded and my foot smashed onto the breaks. Isaac's head slid off, hitting the wheel and Grim's body falling again made the car shake.
"Again?!" my ex cried.
Not checking either of their conditions, I shoved my hand up my shirt and pressed it against the left side of my torso. A strong pulse throbbed under my hand. All the blood must've rushed to my toes because I felt light-headed. The coldness of the window banging on my forehead was no relief and my hand collapsed on the door handle. My lips didn't even understand what I was saying, but I was sure everyone heard it. "My heart's...beating. My heart..." I shut my eyes, wishing this was a nightmare but it was far worse. "Oh god, my heart is beating!"
"Boom, clap, the sound of my heart! The beat goes on and on and..." Isaac's voice died with the radio as I glared at him.
Grim punched him in the arm and scooted forward, concern spread across his features. "Hat...you know what this means." Grim put his hand to my chest, his eyes big saucers. Panic was shared between us.
"I'm turning."
***
Mad as a Hatter is a featured Wattpad book as of December 16th to January 2nd! Ahh! Thank you guys! A dream come true!
As a celebration, I posted a new story called
Chubby Love
'We sure are cute for two ugly people'
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