Chapter 2

Coincidental Meeting

…next day

Drake thought the whole world was out to get him when he was awoken at six in the morning by

a loud thunderstorm. 'Great. Mom and Dad are going to be on my case all day.' It didn't look

like the rain was going to ease up by the time the beach opened at 10 a.m.

Josh was sound asleep in his bed. He looked so content that Drake wanted to throw his pillow

at him to wake him up. He'd probably be served a homemade breakfast of eggs, bacon, and

pancakes after being Belleview High's Valedictorian and general good son.

He didn't know if he should hop off his bed and stretch out on the comfortable sofa to watch

some forgettable early morning movie. He was never one to get up at six in the morning on

purpose, so why not go back to sleep until noon? Then Drake Parker realized that he had

something—Freedom!

Josh's life was going to be predictable, Drake did not like predictability. Josh was going to

continue with the tradition of studying and getting good grades. Why not just give him his degree

already?

Drake was hungry. He had a car (okay, it was his Mom's old brown VW Jetta) and money in

his wallet. Now, he just had to decide if he wanted a breakfast sandwich and coffee from the

McDonald's drive thru or if he wanted to have a sit down breakfast at IHOP. He might get a hot

girl server. He always got the hot girl.

It didn't take long to get dressed and make sure his hair was perfect. Yet, when it was a school

day, it took him forever to get a move on.

Drake ran down the stairs and had his hand on the front door knob when Audrey came up from

behind him, "Drake, where are you going at this time of morning?"

He spun around, he didn't want to be rude or purposely defiant, he just wanted to be treated

like an adult.

"Out for breakfast."

It wasn't like she could forbid him to do so.

"Fine. Your father and I were serious about looking for a job. Don't think you are going to put

it off."

"Mom, get off my back!" Drake replied as he closed the door.

Audrey sighed as she walked in the kitchen. She knew she was going to have this argument with

Drake as soon as he graduated high school.

If it made her temporarily a bitch in her son's eyes, too bad, he needed to be steered in the right

direction. She wasn't going to have a freeloader son who still lived at home with his parents

when he was 40.

Someday he would thank both her and Walter for their stance. You needed to be tough with

your teenagers if you wanted them to grow up to be responsible adults. She went to the

cupboard to grab the yellow and blue box of powdered pancake mix. Nothing was too good for

Belleview High's Class of 2006 Valedictorian.

After Drake had a leisurely breakfast at IHOP he sat in his car not knowing where he should go

next. He didn't want to go home because his mother wanted him to be home. It was seven

forty-five. Where could he go?

He couldn't stay in the IHOP parking lot forever. He knew what he could do. His friend Trevor

(who got held back) would be up and they could play video games together for awhile. He was

still a little hungry. Eggs and pancakes weren't that filling. He was sure Trevor's Mom would

offer him something. Anything was an option except going home and giving in to his mother's

demands.

It was eleven a.m. when Drake found himself at the Premiere. Trevor was ordered to help out

his father in the garage. They were on level 25 of the video game version of Ghostmonsters.

The day did get better when Helen offered him a smile and a free latte.

He did read a newspaper, but he purposely put the classified ad section on another table. If he

wasn't going to do this at home, he certainly wasn't going to do it someplace else.

"May I borrow your sugar?" asked a man's voice

Drake didn't even look up for the newspaper. He was reading the comics section. "Uh, sure."

Cameron DePalma grabbed the sugar and made sure to knock it against the latte cup to make

sure the contents spilled everywhere.

"I'm so sorry,"

"Don't worry about it, man." Drake grabbed the napkins to wipe his shirt and jeans.

"I'll buy you another—what were you drinking?"

"A latte."

Drake move to another clean table and was reading the sales flyer from Spinner's Records. No

one noticed the vile on Cameron's keychain and the contents of such that were dropped into

Drake's coffee cup.

He had no idea Drake was going to be here today.

It was God's will.

"I hope you'll accept this with my apologies." Cameron put his latte on the table.

"Thanks. That wasn't necessary."

"I see you eyeing the Zero Gravity box set."

"Yeah."

"Do you mind if I sit here?"

"No. I hope I don't sound rude when I ask—aren't you a little old to be liking Zero Gravity?"

Drake took the top off and took a sip of the latte it was still hot, but soothing.

"There's no age limit on music. When I come here for my daily cup of cappuccino I hear you

kid's playing my generation's music on the jukebox." He stirred his cappuccino cup with the

red mixing straw before taking a drink.

"Fair enough. I'm Drake Parker."

"Cameron DePalma. I think I smell blueberry muffins would you like one?"

"No, thanks."

"Save that flyer for me. I want to check the coupons out on the back."

"No problem." Drake was too busy looking at the spokes model KDJY hired for its KrazyKash

license plate bingo promotional contest. Too bad the advertisement wasn't in color.

It was five minutes later when Cameron returned with two blueberry muffins. Drake put his hand

across his stomach.

"What's the matter, Drake?"

"I think I'm going to be sick."

"I kind of feel lousy myself. Let me take you home."

Drake mumbled his address, but Cameron didn't need the information that he already knew.

By the time they got inside Cameron's four-door Lakeshore slate blue gray Infiniti sedan Drake

passed out in the passenger seat.

Cameron put his right palm on top of Drake's head and spoke

"You are a few steps away from eternal salvation, my child."