Battery returned to the living room where Mara and Dru were chatting. Mara said that they had decided to go to the seashore. She was very curious if it looked and smelled the same. Battery smiled a sad smile and said it was a great idea but that she had some things to do in town. Dru looked at her, kindly and thankfully. Her violet eyes glared back at him. She suggested that they drop her at Dr. Akub's house and that she would walk back later.
Pixie materialised from somewhere and jumped into Battery's arms. She was about the size of a cat, but Mara thought she looked like a weasel. Her fur was completely white, and she had a round, pink nose like a gum ball.
Mara looked innocently between Dru and Battery, uncertain as to what message was being passed. She was delighted to be alone with him but a little scared also. She moved cautiously away from Pixie's tail.
The three got ready and called out to Blaze that they were leaving. Battery closed the door and whispered to Dru, “Do not hurt her.”
Dru looked down in an uncharacteristic moment of bashfulness.
Dru ran ahead and opened the car door for Mara. Mara thought the car looked very old-fashioned, like something from the 1930s or 1940s. It was glamourous and rounded, not like the angular-looking vehicles from her world. She jumped in the backseat, as younger people automatically do. Dru smiled.
They dropped Battery and Pixie at the doorway to Dr. Akub's cottage. Dru told Mara that if she didn't come up front he would feel like a chauffeur.
“Thanks,” she obliged, moving up to the front.
“What for?”
“For taking me around,” she replied, looking directly at him for a second.
“No problem, little girl.” He playfully tugged on one of her braids. She reached up to touch her hair, and their fingers touched briefly.
They drove out to the seashore. Mara took in the scenery as they travelled. Trees, mountains, streams—all seemed so familiar but not exactly as at home. Mara peered sideways to observe the young man behind the wheel.
His wire-rimmed glasses gave him a sophisticated look. His grey eyes were wide and innocent. His hair was a messy light brown. She could just spy the tips of his pointed ears poking out through the shaggy hair. Today he wore a long black and grey tweed overcoat and the same silk scarf as before. He looked like a complete gentleman.
Dru caught Mara looking at him and gave her an open, honest smile. Although her heart was pounding so loud that she was certain he could hear it, she felt at ease.
They arrived at the ocean. Dru parked the car on the gravel, soft shoulder of the road near a thicket of cedar trees. They got out, and he took a backpack out of the trunk. He slung it over his shoulder and reached for Mara's hand.
“C'mon!” he said.
Mara gave her hand and was pulled down a rocky, sandy path.
“What's in the packsack?” she called after him as she half tripped. He turned over his shoulder and replied enigmatically, “Mysteries, little girl.”
They scuffed down the bank, and Mara finally tripped completely. Just as Dru stopped, she flew into him as if in a football tackle. She lay on top of him, utterly horrified. She blushed terribly and scrambled to get up. Like a spider, he wrapped his legs around her and refused to let her go. They burst out laughing for a second and then stopped abruptly. Dru's glasses were crooked on his face. There was an awkward pause. Mara thought she might die. Dru reached up and grabbed her braids. He pulled her head to his face and gave her a kiss on the nose. As he was releasing his captive, he laughed and said, “You, my little girl, are a tad clumsy.”
They rose and dusted themselves off. Dru left the packsack on the ground when they reached the beach. He explained that he liked this particular spot because it was not as windy as around the shore. Other areas had more exciting waves, but he preferred a gentle lapping.
He asked her many questions about herself: what was home like; who were her friends; what were her interests; and what was her family like. He asked her what she thought of his world and what had she seen so far. Mara recounted the experience of lichen tea and how she and Battery had spoken to the wind.
Dru was silent. He spoke after a while, “I don't want you to think badly of me. I know you are very close to Battery.” He paused.
Mara blurted, “I only just met her yesterday.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she was ashamed. Dru was slightly taken aback but continued.
“She and I have not, um, always seen eye to eye.”
“Listen,” piped up Mara quite assertively, “Battery has been a good friend to me. You, too, are becoming a good friend. I don't know what happened in the past—she hasn't told me. But whatever it is, if you are so concerned that you feel you have to tell me, then I take that to mean that you are obviously a respectful person.”
Although Mara was itching to know the story, she let Dru off the hook. She desperately wanted intimate details of his life. She knew that once he told his secret, he would be indebted to her. But she also knew the magnitude of the gesture she was making. By giving him permission to not be honest with her (at least for today), she was winning his trust.
“Don't tell me today. Tell me another day. I'll come back and visit you and ask you about it. Today let's not talk about sad things.”
“You, little girl, are incredible.” He gave her a warm embrace that lingered just a moment longer than innocence. Her head was buried in his chest. She felt his heart beating just as fast as hers. Mara heard a whisper drift above her,
“May I kiss you now?” She was nervous but pulled her head away from his shoulder slightly. Dru reached down with his head and nudged her face up to his. He pulled her up to stand on her toes. Still holding her tight, he gave her the softest, gentlest kiss on the lips. She did nothing. Then very cautiously, Mara kissed him back. He looked deep into her brown eyes with his bespectacled gaze.
“Now you're mine,” he said.
She whispered back, “And now you're mine.”
They turned and walked back to where Dru's pack was. Mara shivered a bit, and Dru huddled her inside his big tweed overcoat. They found a washed-up log to rest upon and gathered some dry driftwood. In no time, they had a warm fire burning.
Dru opened his bag and lay down a blanket. He pulled out some sandwiches and two bottles of beer.
“Oh, I can't drink that. I'm fourteen.” As the words came out of her mouth, Mara's thoughts flashed back to her last conversation with Christi. Christi's new friends would never have refused a beer.
“I know,” laughed Dru. “Go on. Have a sip. I won't tell your parents.”
Mara felt uncomfortable and wished that Battery was there. She held the bottle and took a small sip. She had tried beer before and not liked it. It was bitter and foul. But as it reached her stomach, she felt a warm, tingly feeling. She took another sip and grimaced. Dru chuckled.
“Okay, that's enough, little girl. You're too young. I'm sorry. I should not be a bad influence on you.”
He grabbed her bottle and took a big chug. She could hear it going down his throat. Then he took one more sip. He didn't swallow. He tugged her towards him in a kiss. Dru forced Mara's mouth open with his tongue and passed the warm, flat beer into her mouth. She choked for a split second and then swallowed. She jumped up.
“You jerk! What are you doing? That was gross.”
Dru had been smiling but stopped immediately upon realising that he had gone much too far.
“I'm sorry Mara. I was just kidding around. I didn't mean to scare you.”
“How could you? You know how old I am. And I said no. Are you trying to get me drunk?” She was almost in tears now, not from fear but from hurt.
“It was a bad move. I'm sorry. I am not trying to get you drunk. We can go back now, if you'd like.” Dru swore at himself privately, knowing that he had behaved badly. Frustrated, he kicked sand over the fire to extinguish it.
“No,” said Mara, almost whining. “I don't want to remember this day because of that.”
“All right then, let me make it up to you.” He dumped the rest of the beer in the sand.
“See?” he asked, looking at her for approval.
Mara felt the ground sway. She tottered and then hit the sand. Dru rushed to her.
“Oh, little girl, I am so sorry. I shouldn't have given you beer. Stay here, please!”
Dru had seen Mara start to fall. Then she disappeared and reappeared on the ground. She had flashed back into her own world.
“I'm okay,” she called groggily. He helped her up and held her close inside his jacket as before. She asked to walk a bit, and he let her go.
This time, they went up the beach in the other direction. Dru did not reach for Mara's hand. An awkward distance had sunk between them. He pointed out an occasional seabird or shell but finally fell into silence. Just when Mara had begun to feel depressed by the situation, they reached a rocky slope leading up to a cliff.
“This is my second-favourite place, but it takes some getting to. The view is amazing. You climb first. I'll go behind you in case you slip.”
Dru put his hands ever so gently around Mara's waist. She felt electricity course through her. He's not so bad, she thought to herself. He's just a boy like any other who's an idiot once in a while.
They clambered up the slope. Mara never ventured away from the security of Dru's hand on her back. They reached the top. Dru feigned exhaustion and collapsed to the ground. Mara laughed, and he pulled her down as well. They looked into each others’ eyes. At the same time, they both said, “I'm sorry.”
“No, Mara, really. I was trying to be cool but just came across as an idiot. I don't deny it. I promise just to be myself and to treat you with respect.”
Mara had never before received such a sincere apology and was unsure as to how to react. In her heart, she did not feel upset anymore, and so, very matter-of-factly she said, “Okay. Apology accepted. Next topic?” She jumped up to look at the sea view. Dru, too, brushed himself off and rose. He joined her as she approached the cliff's edge. The coastal islands were dusted with pink and gold as the sun began to set on the horizon.
“Could I please kiss you again, little girl?” Dru edged closer. Mara beamed up at him and rested her head against his shoulder. She spun quickly onto her toes to face him. She caught a glimpse of the sky, the ocean, and the rocky breakwater below.
It was only a quarter turn that Mara had to make to face Dru for a kiss, but it was long enough for her to lose her bearings. She felt dizzy, and her knees gave way. Dru saw her flicker in and out of this dimension and that one. He grabbed her under the arms as her knees collapsed.
“So … dizzy,” was all Mara managed.
Dru picked her up in his arms and started walking down the other side of the slope, which was much less steep but considerably longer.
“Okay, little girl, let's get you home. I seem to have a bad effect on you.” Mara just closed her eyes and buried her head into his chest so that the sky and ground passing would not disorient her. Halfway back along the beach, she said that she thought she could walk. Dru placed her down gently but maintained a firm hold around her waist.
“Every time I kiss you, something goes wrong.”
“Not every time, Dru. The first kiss was perfect.”
He grabbed his backpack and blanket.
“I can't explain it,” started Mara. “It's as if I am almost being pulled back into my world. I feel I have to struggle to remain conscious and stay here. My body wants to slip back. I get dizzy so easily.”
“Maybe you should take a nap on the way back. I don't want you to feel dizzy while I am driving because I won't be able to reach over and grab you,” Dru suggested. Mara thought this was a good idea since she tended to get motion sickness at the best of times.
When they reached the car, Mara did not want to lie down in the backseat. She preferred instead to recline her seat and to be up front with Dru. He tucked her into the blanket and kissed her forehead. They drove home.
Dru stopped the car two blocks away from Battery's house.
“Little girl, wake up.” He shook her gently, and her eyes fluttered open. She gave a big yawn and smiled at the recognition of his face.
“I thought you might want a minute or two before I dropped you back.” Dru took the blanket from her and threw it into the back. Mara pulled her seat up and replaited one of her braids. They smiled at each other and he drove on.