Chapter two.

November 1985.

The rock music drifted out through open doors of the local students hang. Brains, preps, richest, heavy metals, jocks, punk rockers, Goths, geeks.

Mixing without mixing. Most are red-eyed, woozy, wasted. I was the local criminal me and my gang we were the ones that were missing from that crowd, but not for long.

"Where is he? He's supposed to be here." I shouted aggravated.

"I need to whiz." Aiden's skinny, high-energy leg always jiggling.

"Aiden. You're such a hummingbird." I said turning to Kelly when she asked if I wanted to dance. My girlfriend. The rich princess, a bad-girl pretender always wore big shoulder pads, a Jelly bracelet and a Swatch watch I gave her for her birthday last year.

"So go dance."

"With you." She stated. There was no way I was dancing.

"I. Don't. Dance." I walked outside to my car of course Aiden, Kelly and Clay simply followed me there.

I plonked myself down on the front seat motioning for Kelly to sit on my lap.

We chatted, drank and smoked weed when the teachers were busy elsewhere or had just turned their backs but I found myself looking out at out at the night. Then I see her.

"Spencer Carlin"

Everyone looks up. Everyone laughs.

She was a pale, contemplative girl, 17, is heading towards the car, caught in the headlights. Wearing clothes she probably made herself; long blonde hair hiding her face. She lives in her mind, not her body.

"Brain." "Bible freak." "Cherry" The insults came and yet she still approached us.

Hearing the laughter, she gathered herself and came to my window, her sneakers crunching in the gravel. She crossed her brown sweater across her

chest.

"Hey. Hi. Your lights. Any chance you could... turn them off." She asked politely.

"God give you this road?" Kelly asked from beside me.

"No"

"Then we'll be keeping the lights on." I faced Spencer cockily.

"If you want the lights off, I'll turn them off."

And I did. Darkness.

"Thank you. Thank you so very much."

She backed away from the car, grateful.

"Thank you. Thank you so very much." Kelly was imitating Spencer while Aiden and Clay laughed.

But I was looking at Spencer. Almost counting the seconds.

I quickly flicked the high beams. Kelly, Aiden, and Clay snicker and snort as they see Spencer, startled, paused at the top. But instead of looking bullied, her face shows determination, humour even. A moment later, she jumps down on the far side and disappears.

"What's she doing in there?" I asked out loud.

"Nothing I'd be doing." Kelly said suggestively.

Laughter. I kissed her, hard, with tongue.

A blinding white light dances through the car and settles on us.

"Shit!"

I got out of the car and looked up at the fence. Spencer was sitting on top, holding a large mirror, reflecting the headlights back into the car.

My annoyance turns to mild respect.