Absconding ✔️

9. Interesting

Jasmine Knight

I felt a couple of fingers on my face. A few strands of my hair, which fell out of my scrunchy, were gently tucked behind my ear.

Next thing, I felt a hand shake my shoulder.

"Jasmine, wake up." I heard Arden voice and I opened my eyes. I must have fallen asleep in my seat. No surprise since I was awake since 4 this morning. The sunglasses that I wore earlier were still on me.

I felt Arden carefully take them off me, in order to not pull my hair or anything.

I rubbed myself eyes, getting rid of the extra sleep and sat straight.

I noticed my seat was reclined back and I clearly remember not being the one doing it.

"Thanks." I said as i adjusted the seat to a comfortable but upright position.

"No problem. I thought you'd be hungry considering it's 1 p.m. already." Arden said.

"It's 1 already?" I asked as my eyes widened.

"Evidently." He gestured to the sharp sunlight falling on the car. I see he has closed the hood of the car. He had turned on the air conditioner and hence the car was cool and comfortable.

This is why I slept so soundlessly.

I kinda feel bad since I slept for straight 4 hours and he had to drive continuously for that time duration.

I smiled at him and he returned one.

"Here." He handed me a McDonald's meal in a paper bag from the back seat.

"How did you get these? We aren't suppose to be seen." I said as I looked through the bag's contents.

It was an American Cheese Supreme - Chicken Meal.

"I hope you're okay with this." He said as he started the car and continued driving.

"Yes sure. Thank you for this." I said.

"Of course." He said.

"Arden?" I called him and he spared me a glance before concentrating on the road again.

"How did you get this? And what about you? Aren't you gonna have lunch?"

"One question at a time, Trouble." He said and I smiled at the nickname he has effortlessly given me.

"I bought this through a drive-through. I wore a cap and a pair of sunglasses so the person handing me the bag couldn't see me properly." Arden informed and it was then that I noticed the pair of sunglasses he still has on.

He looks kinda hot with it.

"I got my bag of meal in the back. I'm gonna pull up to sort of isolated area and we can eat in car." Arden further explained.

"Okay, cool." I said as I pulled the packet of french fries out of my meal bag and put one in my mouth.

"May I have one? I got the chicken nugget meal." Arden said as he looked at my french fries.

"Only if you give me some of your chicken nuggets." I said.

"Of course." He said and I put a single fry in his mouth.

"That's so good." Arden said.

"We're just so hungry that anything will taste good right now." I said as I put another fry in my mouth.

"Touché." He said.

After another 20 minutes, Arden pulled into an empty parking lot of an abandoned buildings.

There were hardly any cars in here and no CCTV cameras whatever. We opened the hood of the car and finally opened our meals.

My fries were pretty much over so I took some of Arden's chicken nuggets. He ordered an American Cheese Supreme Chicken and an extra Chicken Nugget.

We made small talks while we enjoyed our food. Hungry or not, the food was absolutely delicious.

"I can drive after lunch." I said.

"No, it's fine. I'll drive." He said.

"No no. You sleep now. I'll drive. You've been up since 4 this morning too." I said.

"I'm good, Trouble. I'll drive. You may sleep if you want to. Now that I've had my food, I'm feeling energised and I can drive." He said.

"You know, I read this quote somewhere, 'a moderately sleep-deprived body acts similar to an intoxicated one'." I said.

"Your point being?" Arden nonchalantly said.

"Sleep, God damn it!" I said and he chuckled.

"I'm serious." I said.

"Hi, I'm Arden." He said.

"Arden!" I said and he burst out laughing.

"Arden, quit joking. You need sleep. You're cracking jokes which aren't even funny to the 2nd graders." I said and he made an offended face.

"Okay, okay, fine. I'll sleep." Arden said.

"Good boy." I said.

"Ma'am, would you like me to fetch a bone or perhaps play with a ball?" Arden sarcastically asked.

"You're aren't even cute."

Clear lie.

"You're right. I'm hot." He said and smirked.

Now, that's true.

"You shouldn't talk while you eat." I deadpanned.

"Geez, stop it. It's not like you're my mom." Arden said and I rolled my eyes.

"If you behave like a child, I'll behave like a mom." I said and he nodded with a small smile plastered on his face.

This getaway is going to be interesting.

QOTD: Do you like McDonald's? If yes, what's your favourite item on the menu?