Robert pulled into the rest area. Surprising to everyone, it was modern and well-maintained, compared to the others they'd seen on their trip. Joel opened the door and the hot, sticky air hit him like a wet blanket. He took a deep, thick breath, the smell of scorched asphalt burned his nostrils. He adjusted the hood of his pastel pink hoodie emblazoned with large rhinestone letters spelling out SWIFTY, across the chest, to cover more of his face before jumping down from his seat.
Joel checked his watch. Fifteen minutes.
Turning around, he coaxed Lulu to jump down too, as she whimpered. "Come on Lulu, let’s go baby girl." She had to jump, there was no way he could lift Lulu’s thirty-five pounds of pure-bred muscle, but she did as he wanted, and they urgently made their way across the sun-baked black-top, seeking the safety of the shade under a large Oak tree in the dog-run area.
His heart still raced from the argument with his father. The deep sense of rejection he felt that day, was as fresh and hurtful as it was the first time. With his emotions still raw and the overwhelming scent of dry grass washing over him, the thick air felt even heavier, causing his pulse and anxiety to spike.
Once under the relative cool of the tree—while Lulu’s half-black, half-white face rummaged deep in the grass—he paced in small circles while shaking his hands, but the attempt to bring calm failed to achieve its desired effect.
Dragging the soupy, humid air into his lungs had proved too laborious, rendering his breathing techniques useless. He was left to rely on sheer willpower to keep his panic at bay, anchored only by the serenade of the cicada-song. The high-pitched, electric buzz sounded just as hot as the air felt, but its steady, mindless rhythm had an odd calming effect.
A motion in the distance caught his eye, distracting him from his frustrations. He noticed a beat-up, old mini-van parked near his parent’s SUV. Leaning against the scorching-hot metal hood of the minivan—a spot that would have blistered Joel's skin in seconds—was a young girl, not much older than he, with fiery red hair that seemed to shimmer in the sun. Damn, it’s like she’s surrounded by the glitter they put in snow globes. He mused. She was dressed for the heat in a cutoff black band t-shirt and torn jeans, earbuds in, rocking her head back and forth to a rhythm only known to her. Hmm, air drums. Must be some pretty good music.
Joel, already feeling a prickle of sweat gather under the fleece of his hoodie in the shade, checked his watch. Twelve minutes.
He marveled at her, feeling a tinge of jealousy over her bold, rebellious, appearance. I wish I didn’t have to care about the heat or the stares… she’s just... standing in it. In the full, skin-frying sun. Like it was nothing. I can feel her confidence from here.
She was nothing like his high maintenance image.
Oh, my God, here she comes!
The girl sashayed as if on a RuPaul’s runway. Her steps were confident, powerful and carefree. As she came fully into focus, he realized that he liked her look, and feared it, in equal measure.
As she closed the distance between them, Joel trembled with fear. But, Lulu, ever the protector, stiffened at the sight of the approaching girl, her hackles rising. Lulu took a step toward the girl, her jowls slightly raised, she growled a warning to stay back. Joel stood frozen, safe, in position behind Lulu.
Stopping just on the edge of the shade line, a safe and non-threatening distance, she pulled off her sun glasses and a big smile beamed across her face. "Hey, I like your dog.”
Joel didn’t respond.
“She got a name?" The girl asked, her voice a mix of sweetness and the roughness of a girl who's seen too much.
His jaw clenched, Joel tightened his grip on Lulu's leash and backed away, noticeably unnerved by her advance.
The pale-faced girl with fiery-red hair, seeing his apprehension, raised her hands in a non-threatening manner. "It's okay, don't be afraid," she gently assured him, "I promise I don't bite. I just love dogs, is all." looking down at Lulu then back up at Joel. "Aww, and she looks like she could use a friend."
Thinking to himself, Okay? Rude! Lulu moved toward the girl, pulling her leash taught, bared her teeth with a low growl. "Her name's Lulu!" He snapped, replying for her. Annoyed by her assumption that he wasn't enough for Lulu, he jabbed at the girl, "And she has a friend. Me!" Defending himself as well as Lulu. "Besides, she bites everyone who's not me,” That was a lie, Lulu had never bitten either of his parents. “So, if you're smart, you'll stay back."
Joel's hand tightened on the leash, the skin pulling taut over his knuckles. Lulu, sensing the spike of fear in him, instantly stepped forward and barked a sharp warning. "See," Joel said. "I don't even have to command her, she knows I don't like people."
The girl took a step back; her eyes glanced at Lulu but returned to Joel. "Wow, she really is protective, that's pretty awesome!" she said, her voice filled with genuine curiosity. Joel felt a twinge of pride in his dog's fierce loyalty, but his wariness of this strangely intriguing girl, remained. "Would it be okay if I pet her? I promise, I’m not a danger."
"I'd rather you didn't. Besides, she won't let you anyway." He snidely responded, "She won't let you get close enough for that."
"I respect that, for sure." She was not deterred. "But, I'm not sure that she wouldn't let me give her a little scratch behind the ears, dogs love that, you know." She looked at Joel, paused for a beat, tilting her head. "Uhm, you want to make a deal with me?" The girl tempting Joel.
He stood quietly, examining her from head to toe. A smirk crinkled his light pink lips as he suspiciously replied, "A deal?” His brow deeply furrowed. “What sort of deal?"
Now she had Joel on the hook. "I understand that you don't like people, believe me, I get that, and that's cool. Buuut, at the same time, I kind of feel like you're judging me without knowing me?" The girl paused.
Joel didn't respond.
"Okaaay… so, here's my offer.” She continued. “If I can get Lulu to trust me, then you have to trust me too. But, if I can't get her to trust me, I'll go away and you'll never see me again. How does that sound? Do we have a deal?"
"Oh, so you’re some sort of dog whisperer? Is that what you’re telling me?” He scoffed at the offer, “That'll take all day,” He glanced down at his watch, “And I only have eight and a half minutes."
"I'll do it in under a minute." She countered.
Joel cocked his hip and looked over his sun glasses with disbelief that she could do as she said. "Under a minute? Right!" Scoffing again at the seemingly over-confident girl standing before him. He stared at her, searching her eyes, looking for any sign of deception. Finding none, he begrudgingly took the deal. "Okay, fine. If it’ll get you to go away quicker, I’ll take the deal." Under a minute! Hah! Not my Lulu. Never in a million years. "You got ONE minute!" Reminding the girl of the deal she offered. He pulled his phone from his pocket. "I'm setting a timer, so when the time's up, you go away."
"You have my word. A deal's a deal!" She happily agreed. The girl took a step closer and crouched down, looking at Lulu. "Hello there beautiful." She spoke softly.
"Your minute starts now." Joel tapped his phone screen.
Lulu didn't move, still poised between Joel and the girl. She bared her teeth, growling again.
The girl held out a hand, her eyes focused on Lulu's. "It's okay, Lulu," she whispered softly, "I'm a friend, I promise I won't hurt daddy."
Lulu made a throaty rumble, but allowed the girl to lean in closer. Lulu stuck her neck out to smell the girl’s hand, then jumped back quickly and stared at the girl, still unsure of her threat level, she growled again.
"Aww, you don’t mean that Lulu, do you?” The girl’s voice became soft, and warm. “You know you can trust me, don't yah, Lulu?" Lulu's eyes still locked on the girl, hesitantly stepped toward her. Her throat groaned. "Aw, come on now, there's no need for that Lulu. Come here pretty girl, I just want to give you a scratch. You want a scratch behind the ears? I know you do."
The stare down continued. Lulu cocked her head to one side as one ear perked up before tilting her head to the other side, as if considering a deal.
Joel stood watching the exchange in astonishment. His belief in her failure was fading fast.
The girl scooched forward again slowly, holding out her hand, palm up. Lulu matched her advancement, sat down and placed her chin in the girl’s palm. "That's it, sweet baby." She softly stroked the top of Lulu's head, her voice soft and reassuring. "I knew you were a softy inside. You're such a good baby protecting daddy the way you do! Yes, you're a good girl, Lulu."
Lulu quickly scooched forward again, fervently lavishing doggo kisses all over the girls face as she whimpered. Lulu behaved as if she had known the girl as long as she'd known Joel.
Joel's eyes nearly popped out of his head at the sight.
*Beep Beep Beep* The timer ended.
Then without notice, Lulu hopped up on her hind legs putting her fore legs on the girl’s shoulders and continued whining and kissing her.
The girl laughed, almost falling over under Lulu’s kiss attack. She scratched Lulu gently behind her ears and looking her in the eyes, "Okay! Okay! I love you too Lulu! Yes, you're a good girl, you sure are!" Then she looked up at Joel with the 'I told you so' eyes.
"Hoooly shit!" Joel breathed, the words barely audible. Then speaking aloud to the girl. "I don't believe it! How the hell did you do that? Did you drug her?!" he demanded. “You had something on your hand!”
"Dogs just love me is all." she confidently replied. "It's not hard when you know how to talk to them."
Joel smirked, still in disbelief.
"Okay okay," she relented. "It's sort of a gift I have. When I talk to a dog and look them in the eye, they just trust me. They can sense that I'm not a danger.” She paused, “I'm not actually sure how it works, I just know it works." She continued massaging Lulu’s ears.
"That's bullshit if I ever heard it. You must have drugged her!" Joel demanded, still not believing her.
She laughed at Joel’s insistence of a trick. "I swear! You saw me! I didn't touch her. She came to me. And you heard me, all I did was tell her how beautiful she is."
Joel stood with his arms crossed and brow furled in disbelief.
"You know what this means, right?" The girl reminded Joel of their deal.
Lulu looked at Joel panting heavily, he met her gaze as the girl rubbed Lulu’s head. Are you smiling at me? He thought, I swear, that looks like a smile! He looked at Lulu in disgust. "Traitor!" His tone turned to disappointment. "I can't believe you; we are gonna talk about this later."
Lulu saw his displeasure. She crawled over to him, whimpering at his feet, pawing his leg.
"Aww, come on, that's not fair, she didn't do anything wrong! Don't blame her." The girl defended Lulu. "It's like I said, it's just a gift I have. Dogs trust me. I promise you it's not a trick."
Joel sighed, his arms still crossed over his chest. "Fine, you win." He begrudgingly allowed the girl to pet Lulu a little more. "But just because she likes you, doesn't mean I have to."
The girl looked up at him, her emerald-green eyes sparkling with amusement. "That’s fair I guess, liking me wasn’t part of our deal," she said. "But it'd be a shame if you didn't at least give me a chance. That's what we all want, isn't it? For people to give us a chance, before judging us?"
Joel felt a pang of guilt, using his own desires against him. This girl, whoever she was, had managed to do what no one else had ever been able to: she'd gained Lulu's trust. That in itself was some sort of miracle.
He took a deep, labored breath before he crouched down beside her. He folded his legs, and peered over his sunglasses again. "Fine. You got me to trust you... for the moment!" Putting a condition on their deal. "I only took the deal” Turning to Lulu, “Because I didn't believe Lulu would ever betray me." He glared at her. "She doesn't even like my parents; she only tolerates them." Lulu whimpered in agreement as she wedged her face into his lap. Joel stroked her neck. "She's been my baby since she was a pup, born only a few days before my birthday."
The girl, with the emerald eyes, and an oddly comforting smile, followed Joel's conversational lead, keeping the subject to something he was willing to talk about. "Wow, she's an amazing gift. It's like she was born special, just for you. How old is she, I'm guessing, five, maybe six? I'm leaning toward six."
"Not a bad guess, she's seven years old. I got her on my 7th birthday." He said proudly as he rubbed Lulu's head. Lulu raised her head, licking at Joel’s face. He smiled, but the sad tone in his voice betrayed his boast.
"Aw, that's lovely, so that makes you fourteen then, huh?" She paused "But, uhm, I sensed a touch of sadness when you said that. Am I right?" She paused, her face softening. "But, uhm, I could be wrong; I get those things wrong sometimes. I'm probably wrong."
Joel looked at the ground. "No. You’re not wrong." Offering no more information.
There was no need for further explanation. She felt his pain.
"Oh. I'm sorry,” Her voice went soft and low, “I didn't mean to open an old wound." Trying to recover her fumble.
Joel shrugged. "It's fine. Really. It's just... complicated." He pulled a few blades of grass up by the roots. He watched as Lulu frolicked around, smelling the new girl, seemingly oblivious to his internal conflict, before casting the grass to the side.
The girl nodded, "Yeah, I get it,” She didn’t dig for more information. She offered understanding. “Some things are hard to talk about. I got those too. We get dealt shitty hands, then we're stuck having to play those cards the best we can. Sometimes, just to survive."
Her words dropped like stones. Joel was comforted by her apparent, genuine, understanding.
Taking his gaze off the grass, Joel turned to the girl's face, removing his sunglasses. He squinted as he looked deep in her eyes, as if trying to see some minute detail he couldn't otherwise see. She didn't move; she just let him look in her eyes until he spoke. "Who... are... you?” The astonishment in Joel’s voice was thicker than the oppressive humidity. “Do you have another superpower I don’t know about? I mean…” His eyes began to hurt from the bright sunlight. His eyes never left hers as he put his sunglasses back on and pulled his hood forward again. “I know we just met, but, it's like... It’s like you already know me or something."
The girl smiled a sad smile. "Maybe it's because we're both outsiders? Each in our own way." She said with a hint of reality that she understood. "You know, the kids with the weird hair, and the love for dogs? When you first told me to go away, you reminded me of myself a few years ago, when I was going through a rough patch. I didn’t want to be around people either. So, in a way, I do know you."
Joel, still feeling the sadness. "Yeah?"
“Yeah.” She stood up and brushed grass off her torn jeans and offered Joel a hand up. "So, fashionista. Now what? Where do we go from here?"
Joel took her hand, feeling a strange comfort in her touch. He chuckled softly as she helped him up. "I'm not sure... Dog Whisperer... and thanks for noticing,” Pinching his hoodie as if showing it off. “It's lost on most people."
They both laughed out loud, then smiled at each other.
"I'm really glad I met you today." She spoke with genuine gratification interlaced in her tone.
"Me too, I was having a shitty day, but you made it a lot better." Joel returned her compliment.