Imperfect Desires

After a moment of talking about anything and everything, Xiu finally agreed to get inside the car. Dylan was at his wits ends since she even criticized his clothes in her drunk stupor saying, "You look like a clown in a suit. And it's not even funny. I find it rather sad." 

At this point, he didn't know whether she was really drunk or taking advantage of this moment to insult him. Because the possibility was high as long as the other person was Xiu.

As they both settled in, Xiu turned on the radio. Xiu plastered her face to the windowpane as she looked out and suddenly said, "Oi, I'm bored."

Dylan looked at her incredulously. He was wondering where was she getting all this energy from? Didn't she say she was feeling too tired in the middle of the week? But now that alcohol was in her system, she was like a kid on sugar roll! 

Through the radio, she suddenly heard the RJ saying, "The next song is dedicated to Xu Mey from her sweetest husband Zhu Jie. Let's hear 'Lovers' by Taylor Swift."

Xiu listened to the acoustic guitar playing along with the piano and seemed like she was giving to the lyrics. But suddenly, she turned the volume down and said, "Didi, if you are asked to dedicate a song to me, which one would be?"

"The first question should be, why on Earth would I dedicate a song to you?" retorted Dylan in his sharp tone making Xiu narrow her eyes at him. He wasn't wrong though. With the way their relationship was, it'd be a miracle if he'd dedicate a song to her. However, realizing that she was drunk and sensitive, he said, "Let me think... Hmm... Maybe, 'I'm a Mess' by Bebe Rexha. It goes with you very well."

"Hey!" Xiu hit Dylan who was driving and suddenly being attacked wasn't very helpful to him as he almost lost control over the car. "How can you call me a mess? If anything, at least, dedicate 'Sweet but psycho' to me. I think that suits me better."

Dylan rolled his eyes not knowing why they were having this conversation in the first place. All of a sudden, he felt a hand grabbing his arm as Xiu exclaimed, "Stop the car!"

"Why?" he asked instinctively.

"Because I said so, duh!" came the dumbest reply from Xiu. But what else could he expect from the drunk version of Xiu?

"Not happening," he refused straightforwardly. He could tell she was just messing around and he really didn't have any more patience to deal with her. She had already wasted enough time at the bar and then at the parking lot. Now, he had to deliver this psycho to her baby. Because he wasn't the one who could deal with her.

"If you didn't I'll start crying here," threatened Xiu. Protruding cords were visible in his neck while he stopped the car at the roadside. As she said, the song, 'Sweet but psycho' really suited her well. Because she was sweets for Darren but she was a psycho for him. And the last sentence really proved it. She was only sweet to Darren, with him her psycho meter was too high.

"I'll only stop the car when I drop you off to your baby. Don't you wanna hug your baby?" Dylan tried to speak the way she'd understand. Yes, he was talking like a very patient adult who had to placate a kid. Good thing, he had experience with kids because of his niece.

"Fine!" grumbled Xiu and sat back with her arms crossed over her chest. But just as she saw all the other cars overtaking them, her face twitched, "Wow! I can't believe you're such a bad driver. Even worse then me, can you go any slower?"

"Yes, I can. Do you want me to?" came Dylan's equally sarcastic reply. It wasn't his fault that he was driving slow. He was just being cautious. Even though he hadn't drunk as much as Xiu did but taking chances was not a good idea when his best friend's girlfriend was sitting beside him.

Xiu harrumphed as she said, "No wonder I think you're a slowpoke." Dylan clenched his fists with a tight jaw showing his aggression and frustration. "If you kept moving in life at the same speed, trust me you'll stay single forever and then you'll be left singing...

♪I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her, oh oh oh

I'm right over here, why can't you see me, oh oh oh

And I'm giving it my all, but I'm not the guy you're taking home, ooh

I keep dancing on my own♪" (Side-note: The song is 'Dancing on my own' by Calum Scott.)

Dylan turned a blind eye to what she was doing and now, planned on turning a deaf ear as well. It was really pointless. If he kept listening and arguing, sooner rather than later, he'd end up smashing her head with something. Why did she talk so much? Didn't she despise talking to him? Then why was she so eager to talk to him now?

When Dylan didn't reply, she said in a surprised tone, "Don't tell me you really plan on staying single for the rest of your life!"

"What's so wrong with that? Why everyone have a problem with this?" retorted Dylan not being able to hold back from answering since she touched a very sensitive topic. 

"There is no problem," Xiu shrugged her shoulders casually before saying, "Why would I have a problem. Eventually, you'll turn into a lost boy and then you'll go around saying...

♪I am a lost boy from Neverland

Usually hanging out with Peter Pan

And when we're bored we play in the woods

Always on the run from Captain Hook

'Run, run, lost boy,' they say to me

Away from all of reality♪" (Side-note: Song: 'Lost Boy' Singer: Ruth B)

Dylan's lips lifted up in a smile instinctively. He didn't know why but he was really enjoying her using those songs lyrics since she even sang it herself in her soft voice. But she suddenly looked sober as she said, "On a serious note, living alone is a challenging thing. You have to fight with your sanity every single day. And a person like you can't do that."

Dylan knew what she meant. Even Darren had said something similar to him. Darren had told him that Dylan was scared of being alone and that was true. Dylan was so used to the attention he had from his childhood that he couldn't possibly survive a day alone. But he had to distract Xiu because he didn't want to continue this topic.

"Why do I feel like you really love singing? You even know all the lyrics," said Dylan the most obvious thing at this point.

"Duh!" replied Xiu and went on, "I love music. Since it was the only thing to get me through my lonely nights. So, slowly I got obsessed with learning lyrics and even the chords." She took a pause before questioning, "What about you? Do you like music?"

"I do, but I can't sing. I'm tone-deaf."

Xiu scoffed, "That's just an excuse. Chen Xiu was a tone-deaf and yet she trained her voice to sound like a professional. Couldn't she even inspire you enough to challenge yourself? I guess she couldn't. So, she isn't as important as you said she is."

Dylan turned his head to glare at Xiu, "You!"

Xiu's eyes were looking at the front and suddenly, her eyes went wide as she yelled, "Look at the front!"