What Lies Beyond the Eyes

sleep, but just being in the dark, under convers, alone with my thoughts, is comforting. The more and more I think about it, the more I begin to wonder why Im here. Memories of when I left functions only to return to everyones surprise that I was even gone popped into my mind. Ill just bring everyone down obviously if Im already wanting to go back to my room. I looked over at Sandy rocking out in the drivers seat, and a memory appeared in my mind.

”Okay bud, ” she said. ”I gotta tell my friends abou— ”

Before she could finish whispering her poison in my head, Sandy grabbed my hand excitedly and made it bob to the beat of the music as she exclaimed, ”Come on! You can listen to AC/DC in silence idiot hahaha! ”

I couldn help but smile at the jubilant energy emanating from her, and now that I looked around, everybody was having a great time singing and playing along to the songs. Maybe I won bring everyone down this time? Feeling the energy in the car, for once it was contagious to me. I forgot about my doubts and fears, and I enjoyed the moment. I started to sing along with them as we drove down the highway. I ignored my common sense saying I was a god-awful singer, and I just went with the flow. A feeling of gratitude filled my body as I started to sing along.

I couldn help but smile when no one even batted an eye when I started, and Sandys contagious grin eventually made me smile. ”I can believe Im enjoying this hahaha! ” I thought to myself.

Sandys energy somehow picked up even more when she looked over at me and saw that I was singing along with everyone else. So much so that I had to remind her, ”Hey you
e still driving! ” after we almost rear ended someone at a red light.

The kids didn notice aside from the sudden jerk from the stop. ”Shit! ” I exclaimed in my head. ”This is what I was worried about bringing the energy dow— ”

”Pffffttt! ” Sandy let out after calming down after the near crash. She looked at me with an air of knowing pleasantness that calmed down my worries before saying something that made me annoyed again. ”You
e such a mom, hahaha! ”

”Shut up! ” I told her. I don care if she thinks acting like a mom is a good thing, its still annoying for a guy to hear! She continued to look at me with sweet eyes for whatever reason, and I had to tell her, ”The lights green… ”

”Ah! ” She exclaimed. ”Yes maam! ”

”Motherfu— ” Before I could finish, she slammed on the accelerator to catch up to the traffic and slammed me and the kids back into our seats again.

This time the kids didn just ignore it, and of course it was Gia to say something, ”Hey! Can you drive without giving us whiplash Miss Perfect?! ”

I didn even give Sandy the chance to respond to see her eyes get sunken once more, and I snapped back at Gia while turning around to face her, ”Can you say something without everyone else being better if they hadn have heard your grating voice and statement Miss Prissy? ”

”Mark, you stupid, gloomy— ”

I turned back around and ignored her before she could finish. I saw Danny hold her back in the sunglasss holder mirror, and I smiled at the chaos caused by my statement. I turned to look at Sandy, and she just had a painful smile on her face.

”Dammit! ” I lamented to myself, but I didn want to admit defeat. Now it was my turn.

I grabbed Sandys right hand since she wasn using it to drive, and I put her hand in the air, and I started bobbing it to the music. I exclaimed to her, ”You can listen to AC/DC with that sad expression, right? ”

She stared at me in shock for a second, and I thought, ”Shit! I did something really cringey! ”

But before I could wallow in regret for too long Sandy burst out in laughter, ”What was that? ” She asked between giggles.

She punched me in the shoulder, ”You
e not supposed to act cool! ”

And so, she turned back to rocking out to the music, but the kids in the back instead started talking to themselves. Not wanting Sandy to feel left out, I started rocking out with her. There was no other reason for me doing that aside from not wanting Sandy to be the only one rocking around and singing along!

But suddenly, the normal thirty-minute drive that would seem to last forever, seemed to go by in an instant today.