So after this there will probably be one or two more chapters, I'm getting quite bored with this actually because to be honest I don't like it /
But I'll finish it
xx

Don't get caught

If your gonna make me cry, at least be there to wipe away the tears.

His phone vibrates against his leg dragging him out of his half-sleeping state; he shakes his head slightly and rubs his eyes while fumbling about for his mobile. He pulls it out and sighs reading the name on the display, he answers quietly almost in a guilty and apologetic tone.

"Hi Howard."

"Vince, have you seen my keys? I can't find them anywhere." Vince bites his lip in thought then casually glances down to the metal keys and keyrings in his hand; he clasps them in his fist and shakes his head while answering.

"No, have you tried your coat pocket?"

"Yeah, I can't find them. I've looked everywhere."

"Where did you last have them?" Vince asks trying to disguise the fact he had stolen them, he couldn't help but smile a little as he was actually having a normal conversation with Howard for once, something they hadn't had in a long time.

"I can't remember, the kitchen counter I think."

"Why do you need them?"
"I just fancied going out for a drive. I was going to see if you wanted to come along but when I went to check on you, you'd disappeared."

"Yeah, sorry about not leaving a message or anything." He mutters while stroking one of the photo-frame keyrings in his hand with his thumb.

"Well at least you had your phone this time. Where are you anyway?" Vince wanted to tell the truth but knew Howard would freak out about the van but the more he thought about it the more he realised he didn't actually know where he was. He looks around desperately for a sign telling him his location but saw nothing, he was surrounded by fields and a forest in the distance and the city was behind him. He hadn't realised he had driven so far away from home. Panic starts to set in as he desperately swings his head from side to side trying to recognise the location "Vince, are you still there?"

"I don't know where I am." He blurts out without thinking about it, he hears silence on the other end followed by a confused and dazed reply from Howard.

"You what? You aren't drunk again are you?"

"No! Stone sober." He protests feeling a little insulted "I don't know where I am, Howard!"

"Well...How the hell did you get wherever you are?"

"Uhm..." Vince bites his lip hard not wanting to reveal that he had stolen Howard's van but he saw no other way of getting out of his predicament "You see...Uhm..."

"Spit it out!"

"But you'll freak out at me!"

"What did you do?" Howard's voice sounds strongly concerned and rather strict; the silence almost kills Vince as he tries to tell the truth. In the end he mutters a curse word and a quick prayer then blurts it out.

"I took your van."

"How the hell did you drive it? You can't drive!" Howard's voice doesn't rise in volume but does sound more angry and frustrated than before.

"I figured it out in the end." Vince half shrugs even though his friend can't see, he drops the keys into his lap and sub-consciously fiddles with a lock of his hair.

"Turn around and go back the way you came. Make sure the lights are on, lock the doors and for god sake don't get caught, Vince!"

"Is that it?" Vince asks sounding completely shocked; he had expected more of an outburst from Howard than advice on how to get home.

"I'll see you when you get back. Don't get caught." He warns then hangs up leaving Vince with several beeps, he slides his phone back into his pocket and slips off the bonnet giving the stars one last look. Shakily he gets back into the van, locks the doors and fastens his seatbelt. His palms feel hot and sweaty against the ice cold steering wheel, he turns the ignition again and fires up the engine then turns the wheel all the way to the right, slowly he presses his foot onto the accelerator sending the van to the right in the middle of the dead road. He had seen Howard turn the van around plenty of times but didn't realise it was a tricky thing to do, not realising he had to stop and reverse, the whole left side of the van is attacked by the hedge lining the road. He curses while straightening up the wheels then carries on down the road taking a deep breath, if the road had been any smaller he knew he would have driven straight through the hedge and into the neighbouring field.

The drive home is an unnerving one; Vince winds the window down a little to let in some fresh air even though it ruffles his hair a tiny bit. He taps the wheel along with the music drifting from the speakers and keeps his bottom lip clamped between his top and bottom teeth. Potholes in the road shake the car causing him to panic a little but as soon as the road straightens out he takes a deep breath and relaxes again.

Finally he pulls up to the flat and switches off the ignition pulling up the handbrake, he slips off his seatbelt then just sits in his seat and stays completely still not wanting to get out and face Howard but his flatmate had already seen him through the window and soon appears by the van. He taps on the glass making Vince jump slightly uttering a curse word; he could see fear swimming in those blue eyes.

"Unlock the door then." He taps again making the younger man jump into action, they both sit in silence in the car. A terrible and awkward silence that feels slightly embarrassing to Vince "Why did you take it?" he asks shattering the unpleasant tranquillity in the vehicle but Vince simply shrugs back running a finger along the steering wheel in a circular motion "You can't even drive!" again he shrugs "You could have been caught and pulled over, could have been fined, arrested, taken to court...You could have been killed!" Howard carries on ignoring the shrugs from Vince trying not to raise his voice too much "How did you even figure out how to drive it?"

"I'm not completely stupid you know!" Vince snaps his head in Howard's direction spitting out the words "It's not exactly hard. I've watched you do it a thousand times! My brain isn't mush, Howard. There is actually something going on in there even though you may not believe it!"

"I was only asking."

"Well...I watched you din't I?" Vince carries on moving his finger around the wheel "Always used to watch you drive secretly hoping you'd teach me. No chance of that though is there?" He pulls on the door handle and slides out of the van leaving the keys behind on the chair; he retreats to the flat expecting Howard to follow. Instead he hears the van roar into life and drive off down the street, he shakes his head and enters the empty flat wishing Naboo and Bollo were back from their 'Shaman Business'.