"Yeah, it's a Cruiser. Nice guess." Jason scoffed, his tone peppered with sarcasm. He readjusted one of his fingerless gloves, the Velcro crackling as the strap was tightened. "Just got her last week."
	Hannah mewed somewhere from behind the convertible. Lydia stared between her best friend and her crush, half wishing she could join the traumatized cat in hiding. There was a hint of tension in the air, making the unintentional social call all the more unnerving. 
	Brushing her bangs to the side, Lydia stayed silent as Jason went on about tires and how the Cruiser was a Yahama VMAX. Lydia nodded at the right times and offered a 'wow', but wasn't sure what else to add after that. Thankfully, Jason was doing most of the talking, so contributing to the conversation wasn't entirely necessary.
	While Jason went over some of the VMAX's features, Lydia found herself studying their surroundings. No matter where she looked, there was always something to look at. Scattered tools, a computer monitor with a crack in it, weights with rust on them. In the farthest right-hand corner, she noticed a Rubbermaid with the lid ajar. Flowers bleached by the sun poked out, faded colors of pink and red intermingling to create various shapes and shades. 
	Lydia's heart sank. They were artificial flowers, the ones typically left on the gravestone of a loved one. She remembered hearing about Jason's mother dying in an accident two years before she and her parents moved into Lion's Ridge.
	Suddenly, Lydia was aware that Jason stopped talking. He was looking directly at her, one arched eyebrow raised. The boy had asked her a question, but she hadn't heard it. 
	"Uh, yes! I mean...no?" Lydia quickly tore her eyes away from the flowers, her cheeks hot with embarrassment. Judging by the look on Jason's face, neither answer fit with whatever it was he asked. "What was the question again?"
	Jason chuckled lightly. He shook his head, whistling once. "Whoa. And I thought Gennings was in another world. You alright there, Lidy?"
	Lydia's mouth dropped. Aside from Ava, no one [i]ever[/i] called her Lidy. She glanced to friend for her reaction, silently praying the tension wouldn't manifest into an argument.
	Jason smirked smugly. "You know, I wouldn't mind giving you ladies a ride around the block sometime." The invitation was plural, but he was looking directly at Lydia as he said it. "If that's cool with your parents, of course," he added, gesturing back to a metal shelving unit with his shoulder. Two helmets rested in the center, one black and one red. 
	The helmet wasn't the only thing red. Lydia's face was on fire. "They wouldn't care," she answered quietly, an pang of regret piercing her chest. She couldn't seem to think before she spoke around him, something that both frustrated and scared her. 
	Jason's eyes seemed to light up with amusement, his smirk widening. He leaned against the worktable, his scarred, muscular arms still folded. "Well? How about you, Gennings?"