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Midnight deliveries are the worst.
There’s no one to talk to. The radio doesn’t even play good music at this hour. Amelia is stuck behind the wheel of a truck that is too cold to nap in and too cramped to be comfortable with. There’s nothing to distract her from the mountains of college work to do when she gets home.
Go to med school, she makes a face in her rearview mirror, get an education. It’ll only cost you everything.
Her classes ate up every moment of the day. Getting a job squeezed in those insane hours was too troublesome. The graveyard shift was her only option.
“Mistake.” Amelia resists banging her head on the steering wheel. The last time she did that the horn had broken. “Big mistake. Worst mistake. I’m going to take every tire off this thing and sell it for a passing grade.”
This didn’t even cover the worst part about night deliveries.
Amelia eased her foot on the brakes. Ahead was the parking lot of a gas station. She’s supposed to deliver two packages there. The only problem is the back area is taken up by a motor scooter. A scooter that’s in her way of delivering everything as fast as possible so she can get home earlier to get at least four hours of sleep. Five if she pushed the speed limit.
Amelia kicks it into park and sinks miserably into her seat. She can barely see over the steering wheel. What she can see is the backdoor propped open. The same delivery girl she’s seen every night is there. She’s balancing takeout bags in her arms and handing them over to employees. Amelia huffs impatiently. Who even orders this late at night? Ridiculous. It’s always right before her delivery. Amelia is tempted to form conspiracy theories about the workers there- local truck driver found dead outside convenience store more at 11- but she’s too tired to entertain imaginary stuff.
The delivery girl is still talking.
She’s still holding those packages.
“Just take it from her for crying out loud.” Amelia’s hand twitches for the horn. Would that be rude? It is late at night. She lowers it with a frown. “If you don’t get a move on…”
She was handing over the food. Finally, Amelia blows her bangs out of her face. The girl looked nervous as she waved goodbye. When she turned back to her scooter she stumbled. Amelia wonders if she tripped when she raises her hand. She’s shielding her eyes.
Headlights. Amelia panics. She immediately flips them off. The girl lowers her hand. Amelia can’t parse anything from her expression in the dark. Cautiously, the girl waves to her.
Amelia doesn’t even know if the girl can see her. Shyly, she waves back. In the absence of light, she’s glad no one can see how warm her face is. The girl gets on her scooter and drives off. Amelia, unsure about how she feels about that interaction, sinks into her chair until all she can see is the roof of her truck.
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The next night it happens, it’s raining.
Amelia pulls to a stop and sincerely wishes she could have some luck. She has a test she still needs to study for which means a possible all-nighter and like hell is she gonna just take that. She’s getting one hour in. Maybe two.
At least she’s luckier than the other girl.
Amelia winces as the girl tries to shield her bags with her jacket. Amelia feels the weight of her umbrella against her leg. She purses her lips, stuck with indecision. The delivery is once again being held back by chatty employees who won’t even let the girl in to dry off. Amelia’s eye twitches as the girl doesn’t do anything about it.
“Dunce,” Amelia mutters. She’s half tempted to just let it go. She sees the way the girl holds up her sleeve like it’s doing anything to prevent her from getting soaked. Her resolve crumbles. She grabs the umbrella and kicks open her door.
The rain is unpleasant. Amelia hisses as she accidentally lands in a puddle. Her shoes were icky now, but she was already outside.
“Hey!” She calls. The girl at the door and the employee startled at her call. Amelia is a little satisfied by this, but she marches up with purpose. It’s only when she reaches them does she completely forget the reason she walked out to begin with.
The girl is pretty.
Her eyes are deep blue. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail that loops through her hat. Tako Eats, it says. She’s got a pair of glasses tucked into the collar of her shirt. Right below it is a name tag that says Ina. All of it is dripping wet. Amelia feels pity and a strange companionship as she pops the umbrella open over them. Ina’s eyes go wide.
“You seriously gonna make a girl stand out in the rain?” Amelia asks the worker. She recognizes them of course. They sign off on her packages too. “C’mon, chop chop. We got places to be.”
“Right, sorry.” They say. Ina hands them over. Amelia hovers awkwardly. It doesn’t escape anyone's notice how she’s including the other girl under her umbrella.
“Thanks.” Ina tucks wet hair behind her ear. Her face is pink. “Um, I’ll get my scooter out of your way.”
Amelia frowns, “Here.” She’s handing out the umbrella, “If you’re gonna be driving that thing in this weather, just take it. You’re gonna freeze.”
Her eyes are huge again, “You don’t have to…”
“Just take it.” Amelia turns her head away. She’s glad it’s dark out. “It’ll give me some peace of mind.”
“... thank you.” Ina beams at her as she takes the umbrella, “I’m grateful. Won’t you need it, though?”
“I have a truck.”
Ina giggles sweetly, “Right.”
Amelia tugs on her sleeve awkwardly. She doesn’t know what she had been expecting. Maybe some bossy girl who looks down on charity. She wasn’t ready to be smiled at like that. “...yeah, uh, anyway. Drive safely.”
“You too.”
Amelia climbs back into her truck. When she looks up she’s surprised the girl is looking back at her from her scooter. Ina waves. Amelia watches her drive off, a wistful feeling settling in her chest.
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She hasn't seen her for a week.
It’s actually a pretty okay week. Maybe. Amelia might be failing a class and it’s totally not stressing her out. No amount of distractions are keeping her head clear. She drives and all she thinks is passing grade, passing grade, passing grade-
There’s a scooter on the side of the road.
Amelia is turning the steering wheel well before she can comprehend the sight of it. She can recognize it fairly easily now. Her headlights show Ina leaning against it, her arm flying up to block the light. Amelia turns off her truck. The light cuts out.
She can see Ina waving.
Amelia leans out her window, “You okay?”
“Yeah!” Ina calls back, “Um, actually, do you know a tow service that works this late? I live pretty far.”
The blonde frowns at this. She’s hopping out of her truck. The chilly air immediately sinks into her skin. She pulls her jacket tighter around her and scurries over to the scooter. Ina is there, a phone in hand and looking a little watery-eyed.
“Hi again.” Ina greets. Her smile isn’t genuine.
“Hi.” Amelia echoes. “Engine trouble?”
“Something like that.” Ina crouches down to show her. Amelia winces at the nail lodged into the tire. It was almost completely deflated. “I noticed it before it got too bad. I just… live far away. Walking this would take all night.”
Amelia glances at the bags hanging off the back. “You still have deliveries.”
Ina rubs her forehead, “...yeah. I mean.” She chuckles humorlessly. “It’s not getting done tonight, obviously.”
An insane thought strikes her. Amelia glances over at her truck. She glances back over to Ina. Ina blinks at her.
“What?”
“Do you want a ride?” Amelia scratches the back of her head. She feels like fidgeting. “No pressure, you don’t even know me, I just…don’t wanna leave you here on the side of the road. Peace of mind.”
“Peace of mind,” Ina repeats. There’s a note of wonder in her voice. Her eyes look misty again, “...you don’t mind?”
“I don’t. I’d be happier, honestly.”
“Oh.” Ina hides her face behind her hair. She’s the one fidgeting now, “...I’d like that. Thank you.”
Amelia awkwardly sticks her hand out, “I’m Amelia. Ame, for short.”
“Ina’nis.” Ina mimics her. She includes a wink when she says, “Ina for short.”
Amelia’s heart flutters. She helps Ina into the passenger seat with all her packages. They both comically wave goodbye to the scooter. Ina giggles and Amelia likes it. The drive is calming. Schoolwork is far from her mind.
“It’s lucky.” Ina is saying softly, “I would have been there all night.”
“Will your scooter be okay?”
“Eh.” Ina smiles impishly, “company vehicle.”
Amelia laughs, “I know that feeling. Anytime I hit a bump on this clunker I’m hoping it breaks it.”
“Oh my god.”
Amelia helps her deliver the food. It’s a big setback in her night. She knows she’ll have virtually no sleep at all for classes in the morning. The extra stops are eating up all her sleeping time. She can’t find it in herself to care overly much about it. Not when Ina smiles just as freely beside her.
The truck doesn’t have the best heat. Ina is wearing a jacket too, but each stop takes them out into the cold. Amelia sees her shivering in the corner of her eye. With half her mind on the road, Amelia extends her hand.
“Cuddle for warmth?”
“What?” Ina giggles, “I barely know you.”
“And I can see your goosebumps. I don’t bite, promise.” Amelia pauses and then adds, “I can give you my jacket.”
Ina’s expression goes soft, “No. That’s okay.” She moves over down the seat. Amelia drapes her arm over her shoulder. The chilly touch of her hands brushing along Amelia’s thigh nearly has her jumping out of her skin. She breathes out too fast. Ina retreats, “Sorry. Are my hands cold?”
“Freezing.” Amelia tugs her closer to her side. Ina relaxes, her hands shyly wrapping around her waist. “Do you have gloves?”
Ina shakes her head. Amelia hums, “I have some at home. I’ll bring them, just in case.”
“In case of what?” Ina murmurs. Her voice in Amelia’s ear is doing numbers on her heart. “Not that I don’t appreciate your company, but I don’t want to be stranded again.”
“... How about I give you my number?” Amelia asks. Wait, was that too forward? She flounders, “Unless, um, well. I’ll just sleep easier knowing you aren’t dying in a ditch somewhere.”
Teasingly, Ina pokes her in the ribs, “Peace of mind?”
Amelia nods. She really hopes Ina can’t see how red her face is, “Peace of mind.”
“...Okay.” Ina hides her face in Amelia’s jacket. “I’d like that.”
Okay. Amelia grips the steering wheel tighter. She’s afraid if she lets go of it she'll end up doing something much more stupid than crashing a company vehicle.
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“You’re going to be a doctor?”
Amelia hums. It’s a drowsy day for her. No sleep and constant school projects have left her brain fried to pieces. Ina is leaning on her shoulder. She’s got a pillow with her this time. It’s better than the cold seat.
“Trying to be one.” Amelia mumbles. She muffles a yawn into her sleeve, “Give me one day without professors barking up in my business and I’ll be happy.”
Ina laughs quietly. She’s passing her phone between her hands when she says, “You know when you texted me a picture of a crying possum last night…”
“That was me. I'm suffering.”
“I figured.” Ina turns her head. Blue eyes reflect off of streetlights and passing cars. Amelia tries not to get too distracted. She’s already pretty tired. “You haven’t been looking so good.”
“Recently?” Amelia pretends to look scared, “Am I losing my touch?”
“I’m just worried,” Ina says. It dispels the playful air. Amelia runs her thumb over the steering wheel, unsure of what to say to that. Ina’s voice is gentle when she says, “You’ve done a lot for me. I want to help too, but I don’t know how I can.”
Amelia wilts, “...Ina…”
The girl pats her shoulder, “Sorry. I’m being a burden.”
“You’re not a burden.” Amelia slows to a stop. It’s the dumb gas station again. At least it kicks off both their orders in one go. “It’s, um, sweet.”
They sit quietly. The truck hums beneath her fingers. She can see the backdoor of the building. The buzzer to ring the employees. She knows she has one package. She knows Ina has several boxes to deliver. She also knows her heart is doing spirals in her chest.
“Ame,” Ina whispers, “Why did you pull over for me?”
“I couldn’t just leave you like-”
Ina tilts her head. Her hair drops along her arm like a curtain. It walls off a portion of the world, seals them together inside this truck with no worries but themselves. Amelia’s throat goes dry.
“...I thought you were really pretty,” Amelia mutters, looking down towards the gear shift. “Also, like, we both got the short end of the stick here. It’s not fun.”
Ina’s brow furrows, “...It’s not?”
Amelia pauses at that. Ina looks vulnerable. “Well, um, I don’t know? It’s pretty hard on my sleep schedule, I don’t mind it. I just… I guess I just…”
Ina is leaning closer. Amelia’s brain is flatlining and she can’t pick up where one thought left and another starts. Ina’s breath is a tickle on her lips, “Just?”
“I just really want to kiss you.”
Ina smiles. It steals Amelia and drags her down. She can’t see headlights or doors or any roads. She sees deep, endless blue. Willowy arms wind around her shoulders and draw her in. She can taste honey and lemon. She’s reaching for it, pushing forward, and they both fall back onto the seat.
Ina looks up at her with sparkling eyes, “Is this still for peace of mind?”
Amelia smirks, “Do you want to find out?”
Ina laughs and drags her down for more.
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END