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Clayton
I had Wayde drop me off at my place at the ass crack of dawn since I know the old man will be passed out and I can get a change of clothes together before the bus shows up. I peg it just right. He’s on the couch snoring like a bear with an empty bottle right next to him on the floor.
My mom still isn’t home yet; she’ll pull in just as I’m heading to the stop. So long as I’m upright and walking, she never needs to know what happened. Lord knows he won’t be telling her. If she finds out she’ll leave this time, but that would put her in more of a predicament, the house is in her name and we can’t afford it without his pension and other benefits. Fuck, I need to get my shit together so I can help more. Get my education in check and work so I can get her away from this man or convince him to get help. Something’s gotta give here because I’m about to give out.
Showered, taped up, and dressed, I head out the door to find Adam and Wayde waiting on me. I smile as they lean against Wayde’s bright white Jeep Wrangler.
“Thought you’d prefer the less bumpy approach to school.” Adam opens the door for me. “Your chariot awaits!”
“Oh, Lordy...” I chuckle as they hoist me up into this thing. With my ribs, I have a bit of a rough go of it, but I get in it just the same. Adam climbs into the back and off we go.
We pull up to the school and I see, to my amazement, a rebuild of the General Lee, right down to the Union Jacks! Sitting in the front seat is Abigail, looking awfully absorbed as I step out of the Jeep. She’s staring off into space with her fingers at her mouth and her other hand on the neck of her guitar.
“Hi?” I smile and she jumps, looking at me squarely.
“Hi. What do you want?”
“Nothing major, just wanted to complement the car. It’s an awesome ride.”
She grasps the window frame and shimmies out from the opening. “Yeah, well, I made a few adjustments.” She grabs her bags and guitar before hitting a button that rolls up the window and locks the car down.
“Pretty nifty.”
“Thanks.”
She seems different today—distant, somehow. “Anyways...” I run my hands through my hair with a wince.
She looks me over. “You, okay?”
“Nothing a long hot bath with some Epsom salts can’t fix, but as I was trying to say, about yesterday, I’m really sorry, we got off on the wrong foot completely.”
“Hey, it happens. You’re the new guy. You don’t know me. Don’t touch unless you’ve asked.”
I can’t help but smirk. She’s got a glow about her today and I really want to put my hands on her.
“So, I was wondering, maybe, since my car’s still in your shop, if you wouldn’t mind showing me around some night? Like you said, I’m the new guy in town. There’s gotta be more to this joint than the stoplight and the High School.”
“You’re right, there is more than the High School and the stop light. There’s the garage I work at, the diner, and Mac’s, where I play Saturday nights. The rest is farmland.” She smiles wide at me as she flips her hair and walks away.
“Hey, can I come watch you play?”
“Everyone does...”
