Seventy-One

         Valerie walked her fingers along the seam of Wiley’s neck in a slow creeping motion. He didn’t flinch. Instead, a sly smile enveloped his lips, and his eyelids fell low over his pupils, the way their Polaroid would always catch someone blinking.
         It was a wasteful occurrence. When the floppy white paper ejected from its slot, they would slap it around for a while. And then the picture would appear, usually followed by pointing and laughter at the blinkernless, of course, it was the last Polaroid. Then they would erupt in a reckless banter, pouncing on the blinker, tussling his fluffy hair, shoving him back and forth.
         But now they were alone, tearing up the open road and spitting it through the tailpipe behind them. Great green plains flew by a mile a minute. It was the ones they left behind that would be astonished. It was the ones they would encounter that would wish they hadn’t.
         Wiley sunk into the flannel that was draped over the long front seat while Valerie scooted closer to the middle. His knuckles bulged as he squeezed the wheel tighter. Valerie giggled, leaning into him more, her eyes following the circles she was making around the nape of his hairline.
         “Careful Sugar Bullet,” he melted. “I’ll pull this wagon over, you watch.”
         “Shut up. Drive.” She whispered.
         He tilted his head back, his mouth wide with laughter. Then he turned to her as she was moving in for the kill. Their lips met in a wet montage, moving in circles until the tip of his tongue penetrated to the roof of her mouth. Her jaws were sucked in like massive dimples, and then they retracted as she bit down hard. He winced, backing away.
         “Why do you bite me, Baby?” He sighed, shifting to let his arm hang out of his rolled down window.
         “Watch the road, Killer Bean, I don’t want to die just yet.” She gave him a devilish grin, one that told him she hadn’t had enough.
         “Bullet, you see all this nothing around us?”
         “I know, wish we had company.”
         “Be careful what you wish for now. Roll me another joint would you?”
         Valerie un-wrapped the baggie full of green bud. She sat cross legged, crushing the dried herb between her fingers. Wiley sat back, wafting in the pungent odor. It was soothing for his throbbing temples. Inside his mind moved erratic waves, violent and grotesque. On the outside he was cool. His brown hair waved in the wind, bell bottoms hung loosely around his waist.
         “I could go for a line right now,” Valerie swooned, tilting her face toward the roof until her head was hanging in the back seat. She popped back up sleepily.
         “We’ll do one when we stop. Don’t you worry.”
         Valerie was quiet for a while, her concentration growing thick as she used her fingers to roll the white paper into a smooth tube.
         “You know, I always thought we should drive a hearse instead of this old wagon.” She said, licking the side of the joint to seal it.
         “Why do you say that?” Wiley chuckled.
         “It would be just righteous! Imagine it.” She panned her hands wide in front of her, the joint tucked between her fingers.
         “It would make us obvious.” He sneered.
         Valerie pouted a little and shrugged. She was sticking her hand in crevices in the seat and underneath her bottom, feeling for the lighter. When she found it, she wagged her finger at it and eyed it lustfully.
         “You think we’ll go down in history?” Valerie was sitting straight now. Her dirty blonde hair blew wildly over her head, the long strands stretched almost out the window.
         “You want to?”
         Valerie nodded vigorously, her brown eyes gleaming. “I want to break some type of world record.”
         Wiley chuckled, knowing her mind was just as contorted as his. If it wasn’t for the reefer he would have cleared half a town. He wondered if the herb was some form of sweet mercy. He wondered if his ruthlessness was seeping through the puffy blockade.
         Valerie flicked her fingers against the trigger of the lighter. She breathed in, puffing as the thick haze billowed in front of her. She closed her eyes as she took a deep drag, held it in while she cranked her arm to roll up her window.
         Wiley used his knee to balance the wheel, using one hand to crank up his window and the other to take the joint in his hand. Placing it between his lips he breathed in, drawing a thick cloud into his lungs. Somehow he felt as if none of it was enough. Stars, high mountains, beams of light—he was crushing them.
         Valerie’s smile was so big her teeth stuck to the insides of her lips. Cotton mouth was blooming. They laughed until static made waves on the radio that had been silent up until that moment.
         “Woah, listen to it.” He leaned forward, twisting the knobs back and forth.
         “It must be destiny trying to talk to us,” Valerie exclaimed.
         “No, stupid, we’re approaching a town.”
         Sunrise doesn’t…all morning
         …cloudburst…last all day
         “Oh, The Beatles! This is my favorite song, don’t change it.” She whined.
         Wiley sunk deeper in the flannel as she swayed back and forth, craning her neck so her voice could catch awkwardly sharp notes. Smoke poured from her nostrils like an old fighting bull. He couldn’t help but smile, letting his foot off the gas a little. The sluggish rhythm filled out, sounding clearer.
         All things must pass
         none of life's strings can last
         “Why’s this one your favorite? It’s sad as shit. And it’s only George singing.”
         But she didn’t answer him, just kept crooning to him, poking out her lips. As the song began to fade in and out, she stopped singing.
         “Killer Bean,” she cooed, stroking the smooth pistol handle that was tucked against the door.
         “Yes Sugar Bullet?
         “I want to do one as soon as we reach town.”