The next day, everyone headed out for school. Even though they
weren't going to class, they were going to meet on the grounds. Everyone
had told their parents some lie or another, and no one was worried that
they had been suspicious.
"My parents were so excited, that like, I was actually building a relationship with someone that they, like, told me to stay all weekend," Brian had laughingly told Rickie.
"I wouldn't go around telling people that," said Syrus coming up behind Brian and smacking him on the back.
The three boys were congregated at the side of the school: waiting for everyone else to arrive.
"Where's Sabine?" asked Brian. When Syrus gave him a look he began to ramble on. "I only wanna know just because, like, you know....she's like your twin, right?"
Syrus laughed.
"Yeah, she's coming with Angela and Rayanne: just to make sure they don't run into any, um, distractions."
"Distractions?" Rickie asked.
"Yeah, like Jordan's stupid friends..."
"Yeah, so they're picking up Jordan too?"
"Uh huh."
That sat there and waited.
Finally, the school bell rang and students ran up the front stairs, hurrying towards their hopeless classrooms: where they would go through the same ritual they did every day.
"Going to their hell," Syrus whispered as he broke out a cigarette and lit it.
"You know those things will give you cancer?" Brian grabbed the cigarette and threw it on the ground, rubbing into the sand with his foot.
"There are worse things that dying," answered Syrus.
"As if that wasn't cliche," laughed Rickie.
Brian and Syrus didn't answer.
Suddenly there was a honk in the distance.
"That would be the rest of them," said Syrus.
Brian and Rickie followed him to where Sabine was sitting behind the wheel: Jordan in the back with Angela and Rayanne at her side. The car was a white convertible: only two more people would fit.
"How are we all supposed to get in there?" asked Brian, as he watched Angela chatting with Jordan.
"Syrus, you're driving this thing," said Sabine, scooting over closer to Rayanne. "There is no way I'm going to be responsible on this trip."
Syrus smiled at his sister and hopped behind the wheel. Rickie joined Angela and Jordan in the back, and all turned to look at Brian.
"Where am I supposed to fit?" he asked.
Sabine and Rayanne exchanged glances and smiled.
"Between us sweetie," teased Rayanne making kissy faces at Brian.
"There's enough room," said Sabine on a more serious note.
And suddenly, there was.
Without any questions Brian joined them.
"Couldn't possibly leave him behind," said Syrus to his sister as he put the car into gear, "He's the worst of them all."
He applied his foot to the accelerator, changed gears, and sped away: Rayanne, Angela, and Sabine whooping for him. They were on an adventure and something in the air had changed. The day was warm and sweet, and Angela could tell that even if her parents did find her now, these first seconds with her old and new friends would be worth the punishment. She leaned into the front seat, putting her mouth to Rayannes ear and yelling over the wind, "How am I doing?"
"Great babe!" Rayanne answered, laughing at her friend.
There had to be roller coasters in this state, thought Angela.
No one would take them on this goose-chase, if there wasn't.
As they drove along, they listened to music: the kind that is way too loud to listen to in a melancholy town. They had all forgotten about school: even Brian, who was beginning to enjoy himself. Things were becoming different as they drove farther away: everyone could feel it. Even Jordan.
This is stupid, he had told himself at first.
But now he was sure it wasn't.
He looked at Angela's smile that was covering her face, the wind blowing her hair, and the way she was: finally happy.
He felt a slight happiness too.
One that refused to go away.
The group continued driving into the night, putting up the top of the car when it started to get cold.
"We'll be there in the morning," said Syrus, who was still driving.
"Want me to take over?" Jordan asked.
Syrus shook his head.
"You wouldn't be able to find the place," said Syrus.
Sabine had fallen asleep, her head on Brian's shoulder.
Angela and Rickie were silent in the back as well, dozing off the humid air.
Rayanne was looking out the window, listening to the music.
Brian stiff and uncomfortable: but afraid to move lest he disrupt Sabine's sleep.
In their drowsy state, they failed to realize headlights that had been following them from the school.
"My parents were so excited, that like, I was actually building a relationship with someone that they, like, told me to stay all weekend," Brian had laughingly told Rickie.
"I wouldn't go around telling people that," said Syrus coming up behind Brian and smacking him on the back.
The three boys were congregated at the side of the school: waiting for everyone else to arrive.
"Where's Sabine?" asked Brian. When Syrus gave him a look he began to ramble on. "I only wanna know just because, like, you know....she's like your twin, right?"
Syrus laughed.
"Yeah, she's coming with Angela and Rayanne: just to make sure they don't run into any, um, distractions."
"Distractions?" Rickie asked.
"Yeah, like Jordan's stupid friends..."
"Yeah, so they're picking up Jordan too?"
"Uh huh."
That sat there and waited.
Finally, the school bell rang and students ran up the front stairs, hurrying towards their hopeless classrooms: where they would go through the same ritual they did every day.
"Going to their hell," Syrus whispered as he broke out a cigarette and lit it.
"You know those things will give you cancer?" Brian grabbed the cigarette and threw it on the ground, rubbing into the sand with his foot.
"There are worse things that dying," answered Syrus.
"As if that wasn't cliche," laughed Rickie.
Brian and Syrus didn't answer.
Suddenly there was a honk in the distance.
"That would be the rest of them," said Syrus.
Brian and Rickie followed him to where Sabine was sitting behind the wheel: Jordan in the back with Angela and Rayanne at her side. The car was a white convertible: only two more people would fit.
"How are we all supposed to get in there?" asked Brian, as he watched Angela chatting with Jordan.
"Syrus, you're driving this thing," said Sabine, scooting over closer to Rayanne. "There is no way I'm going to be responsible on this trip."
Syrus smiled at his sister and hopped behind the wheel. Rickie joined Angela and Jordan in the back, and all turned to look at Brian.
"Where am I supposed to fit?" he asked.
Sabine and Rayanne exchanged glances and smiled.
"Between us sweetie," teased Rayanne making kissy faces at Brian.
"There's enough room," said Sabine on a more serious note.
And suddenly, there was.
Without any questions Brian joined them.
"Couldn't possibly leave him behind," said Syrus to his sister as he put the car into gear, "He's the worst of them all."
He applied his foot to the accelerator, changed gears, and sped away: Rayanne, Angela, and Sabine whooping for him. They were on an adventure and something in the air had changed. The day was warm and sweet, and Angela could tell that even if her parents did find her now, these first seconds with her old and new friends would be worth the punishment. She leaned into the front seat, putting her mouth to Rayannes ear and yelling over the wind, "How am I doing?"
"Great babe!" Rayanne answered, laughing at her friend.
There had to be roller coasters in this state, thought Angela.
No one would take them on this goose-chase, if there wasn't.
As they drove along, they listened to music: the kind that is way too loud to listen to in a melancholy town. They had all forgotten about school: even Brian, who was beginning to enjoy himself. Things were becoming different as they drove farther away: everyone could feel it. Even Jordan.
This is stupid, he had told himself at first.
But now he was sure it wasn't.
He looked at Angela's smile that was covering her face, the wind blowing her hair, and the way she was: finally happy.
He felt a slight happiness too.
One that refused to go away.
The group continued driving into the night, putting up the top of the car when it started to get cold.
"We'll be there in the morning," said Syrus, who was still driving.
"Want me to take over?" Jordan asked.
Syrus shook his head.
"You wouldn't be able to find the place," said Syrus.
Sabine had fallen asleep, her head on Brian's shoulder.
Angela and Rickie were silent in the back as well, dozing off the humid air.
Rayanne was looking out the window, listening to the music.
Brian stiff and uncomfortable: but afraid to move lest he disrupt Sabine's sleep.
In their drowsy state, they failed to realize headlights that had been following them from the school.