[ WP ] Hitchhiker

I rolled my window down despite the wall of water descending from the heavens. Wearing a jacket pulled close, the stranger loped to the car door, spraying water with each step. Not sure if I could be heard above the storm, I motioned for my new travelling companion to jump in with me. Before I could even say a word, the hitchhiker's arms were around my neck. My entire body tensed with anticipation for my impending doom until I realized....it was a hug! Why was this soaking stranger from the side of the street embracing me in the front seat of my car? 
 
 `` I'm confused,'' I finally admitted. 
 
 `` I'm sorry!'' You need to understand that at this point, I had n't seen more than the eyes and general shape of this person. So you can imagine my surprise when a woman's voice escaped from underneath the layers of clothing. 
 
 `` You're a woman!'' 
 
 `` You mean I've been perfecting my urinal skills for nothing?!'' 
 
 `` I did n't....You... but.....ugh. I'm Sloan. You?'' 
 
 `` Tabitha.'' 
 
 We sat in silence for a few moments as the awkwardness left over from the previous exchange sunk in. Apparently my brain found the situation quite humorous, as it attempted to make things worse as `` Why did you hug me?'' spilled out shakily. 
 
 Her hands brushed through her hair and her nose sniffled as she tightened up and murmured, `` No reason.'' In the few years I've been dealing with women, this response has never been further from the truth. Time to pry. 
 
 `` Why were you on the side of the road?'' 
 
 `` Er....a walk.'' 
 
 `` At 2am on a Wednesday morning?!'' 
 
 `` Huh, weird. I did n't realize they put time constraints on walking. They should really publicize that sort of thing.'' 
 
 `` Why the highway in the middle of the forest, then?'' 
 
 `` I got lost on the way to grandma's. The big bad wolf is one crafty bastard.'' 
 
 We both laughed at that one. `` Your hood's the wrong color, Red.'' 
 
 `` No, it's Ta-Bih-Thuh.'' 
 
 `` How does it feel to be such a smartass?'' 
 
 `` Probably the exact opposite of how it feels to be a dumbass.'' 
 
 `` Well then, how does it feel to be a dumbass?'' 
 
 `` I was just about to ask you the same thing.'' 
 
 `` I feel that now is the time to tell you that you're sitting in an ejector seat.'' 
 
 `` Then eject me.'' 
 
 `` For some reason, I do n't want to.'' 
 
 She removed her hood, and then she kissed me. Though I'm not really sure I knew what a kiss was at that point. Every emotion, every thought, and every bone in my body was replaced with a sensation I can only describe as a tickle. I felt so light that I had to pull her closer for ballast. 
 
 The girl with the black, dripping ringlets had me. I had the girl with the black, dripping ringlets. And we never let each other go.
