Jason chuckled after Ava rejected his offer, her words enough to wipe away his Cheshire-like grin. "Suit yourself. I'm sure Hannah will appreciate the company." He looked to Lydia, Ava's witty refusal annoying him more than he cared to let on. 
	"Well, you heard the lady,” he leaned forward again, peeking underneath the bill of her baseball hat. “How about it, Lidy? Want to go for a little spin?"  
	Stiffening, Lydia fumbled to catch the bright red helmet, her heart working overtime to catch up with her brain. A leisurely drive on a motorcycle with one's crush may have been a dream for some, but for Lydia Prescott, it was a nightmare.
	Holding the helmet chest-level, she chewed her bottom lip, preparing to decline. "Thank you, but…I had plans today,” she glanced sideways at her best friend, clearly conflicted. Abandoning Ava didn’t feel right, but she also didn’t want to hurt Jason’s feelings. It was a no-win situation.
	“But…I guess we could go,” Lydia offered, seeing what she perceived as disappointment in Jason’s face. “If it’s just around the block,” she added hastily, shifting her weight to her other foot. “And if it doesn’t go too fast.”
	As if by magic, the answer brought Jason’s grin back. “Sweet! You won’t regret this.” He retrieved the black helmet from the shelving unit, tucking it underneath his arm. “And don’t you worry,” he snatched his keys from a hook on the wall, his expression suddenly serious. “I’d never put you in danger. That’s a promise.”
	Throwing one leg over the body of the motorcycle, the burly boy got seated. He gripped one of the handlebars as he adjusted his helmet, leaving enough room for Lydia to board on the back.
	Blushing furiously, Lydia pulled the helmet over her head, secretly grateful for something to obscure her reddened face. Any excitement she should have felt was overshadowed by the guilt she harbored. She wanted to apologize to Ava, or offer to make it up somehow, but she didn’t want to apologize for Jason being Jason when Jason was right there. 
	Sighing through her nose, Lydia drug her feet toward the motorcycle, trying to ignore the fact that her crush looked really cool in his helmet. His visor was still up, offering a nice, framed view of his perfectly blue eyes.
	[i]Stop that![/i] Lydia kicked herself mentally, quick to avert her gaze. She began to board the VMAX, but a small thud at her hip reminded her that she was still carrying her bag.
	“Hey, Ava?” Lydia slipped her arm out of the shoulder strap to her bag, extending her arm to the girl. “I’m entrusting my worldly possessions to you. If I don’t make it back, you’re welcome to everything in there,” she tried to joke, careful to keep the comment between them. “After this, we can go malling. Or anywhere you decide.”
	Seated and situated, Lydia cleared her throat, her way of announcing she was ready.
	"You good back there?" Jason turned his head to look in her direction, his voice muffled through his helmet. "I'm going to start her up now, so hang on."
	[i]Hang on? To what?[/i] Lydia’s eyes grew wide as the realization hit her. The only thing to hold onto was Jason himself. She eyed the back of his leather jacket as if it would magically supply some sort of solution, unsure of the least-embarrassing way to 'hang on'. 
	Before she could form the beginnings of a plan, the rev of the engine started. Yelling out in surprise, Lydia threw her arms around Jason's midsection and held on for dear life. The motorcycle was so loud, it was almost enough to drown out her embarrassment. Almost.
	Jason didn't seem to mind, though. He laughed and said something she couldn’t hear over the too-loud machine. He saluted and winked in Ava’s direction before flipping his visor down. “Good luck with the mailbox, Red!”
	With another roar of the engine, he took off, leaving the cluttered garage and Ava behind.