ward off the inevitable rage. “You had no right.”
I bow my head in shame and anger, both toward myself. “I know.”
His fist slams against the horn. Then again. I’m not sure which is louder, the obnoxious horn or his fist slamming against the wheel.
A bag is tossed into the backseat. Cookie and Gina hop in at the exact fucking wrong time. “Chill out, dude,” Cookie says. “We’re here.”
Blue doesn’t notice or doesn’t care. He beats the wheel once more before pulling back and rolling his hand into a fist. There’s wrath in his eyes. He’s pissed at me, but the wrath is tangled with sadness. The corner of his eyes water.
“Okay...” Cookie says. “What did I miss?”
Blue wipes his eyes and turns the ignition. “Nothing.”
Then we peel out against the gravel, sending rocks behind us.
* * *
“T urn left,” Gina yells as Blue speeds down a residential neighborhood going at least fifty. He misses the turn and slams the breaks, making a hard left at the next road. I pull my seat belt over my shoulder and shove it into place. There’s nothing I can do to calm him so I cross my fingers and pray we get to our destination safely. Then pray some more that what comes next, goes off without a hitch.
“How close are we?” Blue asks grimly. His palms have turned red from gripping the wheel so tight.
“We’re close.” Gina leans forward from the back seat. “But you need to take it easy on the gas.”
“Do me a favor,” Blue says. “Sit back.”
“I don’t know what’s going on, but you’re going to kill us.”
Blue shakes off a laugh. “We wouldn’t even be in this position if it weren’t for your thieving boyfriend.”
“Me?” Gina shrieks in my ear causing me to flinch. “Don’t put this shit on me. It was your idea to go to that stupid rave. That’s why we were late for work. That’s why we lost out jobs, not because of Shane.”
“You know what, Gina? How about you just sit back there, look pretty, and tell me when to turn?”
“Fine.” She throws herself backward into her seat.
“She’s got a point, Blue.”
He chuckles uncomfortably to himself.
“I’m being serious. Shane’s not the reason we got drunk. He’s not the reason we got high. He’s a whole world of trouble, but all you’re doing is placing blame where it doesn’t belong.”
He bites into his lip harshly. “It doesn’t matter.”
Well, I agree with that. It doesn’t matter how we got here. The point is, we’re here, and I’m terrified what’s at the end of here.
“Right,” Gina calls from the backseat. This time, Blue makes the turn, but we almost flip as we pivot onto Maple Street. “And we’re here.”
Blue slams the breaks and pulls the Jeep up against the curb. When he shifts the gear into park, the entire car jerks. And before I can unbuckle my belt, he’s already popped his door open.
“Everyone, stay here,” he says as he pushes a gun into his waistband. “This won’t take long.”
Someone should probably go with him, but I think everyone’s too afraid. This is a resurgence of the old Blue and only Cookie knows what he’s fully capable of doing.
Ahead of us, the sun begins to lower itself over Maple Street. The end of the road disappears into a blinding bomb of bright light. In that bright light, I find memories of solace. Since the time I’ve met him, I’ve been confronted with trials and tribulations, but there has always been that strong, emotional bond that keeps me by his side. It’s unbreakable, but even bulletproof glass eventually shatters.
* * *
O NE MONTH AGO
Blue stands behind me with his palm cradling my hip. “You need to widen your stance,” he says. His breath against my neck ignites me, putting me in any other mood than a fighting mood.
My fists hover in the air, prepared to strike an imaginary enemy. It’s like I’m a child again, back when imaginary friends were as real as leaves falling in Autumn. Except now, the only thing I see is
I bow my head in shame and anger, both toward myself. “I know.”
His fist slams against the horn. Then again. I’m not sure which is louder, the obnoxious horn or his fist slamming against the wheel.
A bag is tossed into the backseat. Cookie and Gina hop in at the exact fucking wrong time. “Chill out, dude,” Cookie says. “We’re here.”
Blue doesn’t notice or doesn’t care. He beats the wheel once more before pulling back and rolling his hand into a fist. There’s wrath in his eyes. He’s pissed at me, but the wrath is tangled with sadness. The corner of his eyes water.
“Okay...” Cookie says. “What did I miss?”
Blue wipes his eyes and turns the ignition. “Nothing.”
Then we peel out against the gravel, sending rocks behind us.
* * *
“T urn left,” Gina yells as Blue speeds down a residential neighborhood going at least fifty. He misses the turn and slams the breaks, making a hard left at the next road. I pull my seat belt over my shoulder and shove it into place. There’s nothing I can do to calm him so I cross my fingers and pray we get to our destination safely. Then pray some more that what comes next, goes off without a hitch.
“How close are we?” Blue asks grimly. His palms have turned red from gripping the wheel so tight.
“We’re close.” Gina leans forward from the back seat. “But you need to take it easy on the gas.”
“Do me a favor,” Blue says. “Sit back.”
“I don’t know what’s going on, but you’re going to kill us.”
Blue shakes off a laugh. “We wouldn’t even be in this position if it weren’t for your thieving boyfriend.”
“Me?” Gina shrieks in my ear causing me to flinch. “Don’t put this shit on me. It was your idea to go to that stupid rave. That’s why we were late for work. That’s why we lost out jobs, not because of Shane.”
“You know what, Gina? How about you just sit back there, look pretty, and tell me when to turn?”
“Fine.” She throws herself backward into her seat.
“She’s got a point, Blue.”
He chuckles uncomfortably to himself.
“I’m being serious. Shane’s not the reason we got drunk. He’s not the reason we got high. He’s a whole world of trouble, but all you’re doing is placing blame where it doesn’t belong.”
He bites into his lip harshly. “It doesn’t matter.”
Well, I agree with that. It doesn’t matter how we got here. The point is, we’re here, and I’m terrified what’s at the end of here.
“Right,” Gina calls from the backseat. This time, Blue makes the turn, but we almost flip as we pivot onto Maple Street. “And we’re here.”
Blue slams the breaks and pulls the Jeep up against the curb. When he shifts the gear into park, the entire car jerks. And before I can unbuckle my belt, he’s already popped his door open.
“Everyone, stay here,” he says as he pushes a gun into his waistband. “This won’t take long.”
Someone should probably go with him, but I think everyone’s too afraid. This is a resurgence of the old Blue and only Cookie knows what he’s fully capable of doing.
Ahead of us, the sun begins to lower itself over Maple Street. The end of the road disappears into a blinding bomb of bright light. In that bright light, I find memories of solace. Since the time I’ve met him, I’ve been confronted with trials and tribulations, but there has always been that strong, emotional bond that keeps me by his side. It’s unbreakable, but even bulletproof glass eventually shatters.
* * *
O NE MONTH AGO
Blue stands behind me with his palm cradling my hip. “You need to widen your stance,” he says. His breath against my neck ignites me, putting me in any other mood than a fighting mood.
My fists hover in the air, prepared to strike an imaginary enemy. It’s like I’m a child again, back when imaginary friends were as real as leaves falling in Autumn. Except now, the only thing I see is
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