Chapter I- The Parking Lot

A/N: I got the idea for writing this story after watching the September 28, 2000 entry in the video diaries that comprise 90% of 'Zero Day'. That entry ends abruptly, with the camera going off just as Andre and Cal start driving somewhere out of the studio parking lot. This story is entirely based off the question I asked after watching that scene again recently. What happened after the video entry ended on September 28th?

Andre was livid, barely keeping himself from simply screaming at Cal in the parking lot. As he strode to the car in quick, jerky steps, Andre kept turning to his friend and gesturing angrily. "How many times do I have to tell you before you fucking understand?" he demanded.

Cal's reply came back sarcastic as he crossed around to the passenger side of Andre's car, still holding the camera. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant!" He opened the door and joined Andre inside the Pontiac.

Andre was only half-listening. "And quit rolling the C4 when you get out of the fuckin' car!" he barked.

Cal closed the door and aimed the camera at his friend, his humorous sarcasm still present. "Forgive me for speaking so bluntly, sir", he said into the uneasy quiet.

"And stop talking like you're in the fucking military!" Andre snapped, finally noticing Cal's mocking address of him as a superior officer.

Throwing his hands up in exasperation, Andre leaned back in the driver's seat. "What happens, if they go home and they tell their parents 'Oh, there was some kid in an Army shirt!" Now imitating the hypothetical kid's parents, Andre asked, "Well, do they go to your school?" "Why, yes they do!" "Well, I'm gonna call the principal and get on the phone with him right away!"

Andre picked up speed, gesturing furiously with his hands as he talked. "They call the principal, you get sent down to the office; you get sent to counseling or something… your parents tighten down on you, they call my parents, my parents tighten down on me…" Andre threw his hands up in the air and pounded them on the steering wheel. "FUCK!"

There was another pause, and this time neither of them said anything. Cal seemed to sense, perhaps, that the time for humour had passed. In any case, he kept the camera steadily aimed at Andre, who had suddenly fallen silent. After another moment, he suddenly changed his approach, appearing to want to let the issue drop and move on rather than continue to argue about it. Andre looked over at Cal, still visibly irritated, but also expectantly. "Now what? Where do you wanna go; what do you wanna do?"

Cal spoke quietly, but the camera had no trouble hearing him in the closed space. "We're done."

Andre shrugged his shoulders, confused, as his hands clutched the steering wheel. "So we're done here, or we're done, we're done?"

Cal replied right away, getting an idea. "Here. Come on, start- start the car…"

Andre did so, the V6 turning over easily. Cal went on, "Pull up to the exit…" Andre shifted his car into reverse and backed out of the parking space. "Okay, I want you to close your eyes…" Cal said.

Andre closed his eyes, laughing a little. "Okay."

"And drive. Go."

The dark-haired teenager laughed again, now attempting to steer the car with his eyes shut. "You're just gonna tell me where to go?"

"Yeah, go on, do it, go. Close your eyes." Cal said in agreement.

"Uh, turn right, right, right… keep 'em closed… okay, straight… Straight, straight, straight. Are they really closed? Come on, close 'em. Close 'em." Cal instructed as Andre went.

Andre reached the parking lot exit and clicked on his left turn signal. "Okay, sharp left." Cal instructed, and Andre pulled out onto the street, crossing to the other side of the road. "Straight…" Cal continued." Andre laughed, amazed at how well he was doing, driving with his eyes shut. "So fuckin' crazy!' he exclaimed, much of his good humor returning again.

As they approached another intersection, this one with other cars at it, Cal remarked, "You probably shouldn't drive with your eyes closed, Andre. There's other cars on the road."

Andre abruptly opened his eyes and braked sharper than he needed too, throwing them both forward a bit as he stopped. But this time, when he threw his hands up in exasperation, Andre was laughing. "You fuckin' told me to! It was your fuckin' idea!"

Cal's voice took on a note of mock innocence. "Me? Come on, Andre. I'd never do a thing like that. It's unsafe."

"Which is why a guy called Calvin Gabriel just told me to drive onto a fuckin' public street- with cars on it- with my fuckin' eyes closed!"

Cal paused. "Uh… yeah. That's exactly why. I mean, I was just saying things; I didn't think that you'd actually do it…"

Andre shook his head, starting to drive straight through the intersection as the light turned green. As he crossed under the traffic lights, Cal suddenly spoke. "Turn right!"

"Motherfucker!" Taken by surprise, Andre turned so fast the Pontiac's tires screeched in protest.
"Okay, keep driving straight from here." Cal said, as if nothing unusual had happened.

"Man, fuck you…" Andre said, trying to sound angry. Then he thought of something. "What- why do you wanna follow this road? This way goes way out into fuckin' Galton County- there's nothing out there but farms and shit!"

Cal seemed quite sure of himself though, and just repeated himself. "Just keep driving straight. I know where we're going."

Andre coughed, as if to cover his next word. "Bullshit."

The blonde laughed. "Drive straight. You'll see when we get there."

Finally Andre seemed to resign himself to following Cal's instructions, because he quit protesting and simply drove straight for over fifteen minutes, just as he was told. Occasionally, the rush of wind on the car and the sound of the engine would be punctuated by Andre reaching an intersection and asking, "Do I turn here?" to which Cal would always reply, "No, keep going straight."

Eventually, they reached Emerson Hill, an old farm about two miles across the border into Galton County, outside the suburbs but not beyond reach for suburban teenagers. The farm, owned by a local family for generations, had finally lost the interest of the latest generation of the family- or rather, those most recent descendants had found the gleam of silver, the look of the developer's paycheck, more appealing. Negotiations were underway to sell the massive farm, a property said by those in the know to be worth millions, but these talks had stalled as of late. So for the time being, Emerson Hill sat tonight much as it always had, vacant and silent.

As it came into view on the left, Andre laughed, shaking his head again. "Oh, my God… is this what the secret mission was tonight? Drive out to a field at Emerson Hill- and do what?" Not waiting for a reply, Andre went on sarcastically, "Oh, I got it! Instead of writing that dumbass poem, you actually came out here and hid some beers yesterday. So now, we're gonna meet Rachel out here, get her drunk, and fuck her silly!" Andre looked at his friend for confirmation. "Right?"

Cal's voice came back, somewhat displeased. "Come on; don't talk about Rachel like that."

Andre only got more sarcastic. "Oh, I'm sorry; I fuckin' hate the bitch, but forgive me for speaking disrespectfully of her!"

"You know what I mean…" Cal said.

Andre just shrugged. "You know what I mean? Hell, I'd do her. I can't stand to hear her talk, but she's got a nice ass. I'd do her." Andre looked over at his friend suddenly. "What? Why; wouldn't you?"

Cal seemed uneasy at the topic. "I… well, no…"

Andre looked incredulous. "No?"

"No, it's not that- well, I just don't think about her like that."

The black-haired teenager shrugged again, finally letting the subject drop. "Fine, what the fuck ever. Wouldn't say no to a goddamn beer, though." After a pause, he pulled off onto a dirt road leading away onto the vast property of Emerson Hill- though officially off-limits, the owners of the property seemed to forget this side entrance was even here. Set back from the road amidst encroaching plants and foliage, the old gates had stood open for some time, and had long since become the 'secret' entrance of choice for teenagers from nearby high schools looking for a party- or just some private time- out in the country. As he started down the dirt road, Andre dimmed the lights to the parking-light setting. "Okay, am I going the right way? What the fuck are we out here for?"

Finally Cal answered him. "You're going the right way. We're going to the Field."