It was one of those morning where the birds were singing so loudly that you wake up and realize that other creatures live in this world besides yourself.
I snapped out of my trance to the buzzing of my phone and I grabbed it from the floor and silenced it quickly. I really wanted to just sneak out of that house and disappear. My host(ess) would think I was just a dream except for the solid proof of her clean house. I immediately thought about Jake, remembering last night with a wave of dismay. Well, I mused, there was nothing that could be done about that now so there was no point in wasting a good day by worrying about it.
I clicked the door shut as quietly as I could behind me and hurried to the van. I stood and looked at it. This cute, old blue thing was so loud, there was no way that starting it wouldn’t wake up Zombie Girl. She was so lovely, why did Jake call her that? I hopped in and slammed the clunky old door. I started up the engine and it immediately misfired with a terrible bang. “Stupid car” I muttered as I heaved it into first gear, revved it up and puttered out of there, careful not to look over at the house incase she was peering out of a window or a door. I probably woke up the whole street. I looked only at the road in front of me and smiled that I had managed to escape from that whole business with little damage.
I was suddenly completely famished and when I remembered I was going to see Kat in just a few minutes and probably get some breakfast too, I suddenly felt completely rejuvenated. The excitement that I had taken this trip in hope of finding, was finally filling me up. I grinned and popped in the next secret cassette, hoping this one wouldn’t be eaten too. Bob was going to kill me when I brought his VW back with all his beloved music in a pile of old black tape. “Happy Together” came on and I sang it as loudly as I could until I got the coffee shop. There was a spot right in front of the window so I pulled up right there, not quite finding the break right away but then stomping on it just in time as I hit the wheel-stop, which lifted and scraped up the bottom of the van. “Shit” I whispered. I backed up and it ground with an agonizing creek and squeak then the van thudded back down to the ground. “Shit” I whispered again.
I hopped out and slammed the door then lay on the ground to check if I had ruined the underside of Bob’s van. It all looked a mess under there. There was no way of telling that I had contributed to any of that. I got back up, brushed off my dirty clothes and pulled a leaf out of my hair, and saw Kat grinning at me through the window and people sitting down slowly, almost gingerly at the tables in front of the window. Had I scared them off with the van? Surely not. Gosh it was amazing to see Kat’s face. I hurried inside and hugged her. “Please tell me they serve eggs at this place…and hopefully bacon and home fries!!”
“We are at a coffee shop, Odette.” Kat said. “They sell COFFEE here. You could probably get a stale muffin or something if you are starving.”
“I am starving. Let’s go to Waffle House!!” I said. “I seriously need some cheese-grits like, right now.”
“OK, come on then.” She grabbed her bag, waved to her friend behind the coffee bar, “But they are not going to be organic or local at Waffle House, you do realize that, right?”
I laughed and we headed happily together out into the sunshine and the clunker, arm in arm.
Ungrateful Bliss 
I clicked and sang the song.
I love that!!!