Fallin' From The Tree (StemxStud)

33

[ Valentine ]

Anaela had wiggled her way to the passenger seat to offer me better directions out of Houston, but now she was fast asleep against me as I struggled to move my arms to drive.

Dom was asleep too, snoring loudly against the cool window. I sighed. I can't believe I'm going to take everything from Anaela, it just isn't right. There's something that I see in Anaela that's just so much like me. She's just a sister to me, like Dom is. But there's something special about her that intrigues me, that pulls me in. Both her and Dom have been through so much, and here I am being so misleading.

Guilt was pressing in and I pulled over on the side of the freeway. The road was nearly desert at this time of day. I shook Anaela awake gently, and she lazily looked up at me rubbing her eyes. "What's wrong?"

I stayed silent and woke Dom up too. Maybe the look in my eyes told her what I was about to do, but she quickly became alert. I saw her fingers playing with the handle of her gun underneath her shirt mindlessly. She meant no harm though.

"Anaela, I think I need to be more truthful with you," I breathed out.

Anaela looked down at her lap. "If it's..."

"No, lemme talk. I've been untruthful. I've wanted to take everything away from you," I admitted. "I'm really sorry for lying all of this time." Tears began to well up in my eyes. "Anaela, it's not right for me to do all of this. I can't co lead with these intentions," I told her.

"I figured that," Anaela said calmly after I was done babbling. "Dom did you know too?" she asked carefully, not looking back to see her friend's reaction. Dom looked up to meet my eyes in the mirror but I looked away. She needs to make her own decisions, what I've been doing isn't right.

"Yes," she said softly, her voice almost drowned out by the air conditioner.

"I don't want to have to lead anything illegal," Anaela admitted slowly. "And I don't care for my mother. If this is what you want-

"I just want to make something for Teece and I. And to help Dom," I told her slowly. "I don't want to mess up anybody else's life."

"You've helped me so much though, Tino. You're not a bad person," Dom touched my shoulder, squeezing it for a second. "Well, now that the truth is all aired out, what are we going to do to move on from here?" Anaela asked, reaching forward to turn down the air.

"I want to be more truthful with you," I finally met her eyes. "I want to do something good. And to help the people I care about it."

"Everybody says that, Valentine. But will you actually do that?" she asked me, looking away from my eyes.

I started the car and made my way back onto the freeway, thinking about my answer. It was a little more traffic than before now. A lot of people are starting to head off for their early jobs. "The cops are probably going to be looking for me but they didn't tell me to stay so..." Anaela said after awhile.

"Your mom will probably clear everything up," I assured her. "Do you still have to go down to Meyerland?" I asked her. "Yeah," she sighed. "But we all need to get where we're going to go first."

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere on the outskirts up until I have to go to Meyerland. After that, somewhere further," she said. "Further..like how far?" Dom asked. "Delaware? Wisconsin? Maryland? Places nobody thinks about," she laughed without humor. "That's a far drive," I commented, patting my steering wheel.

"I'll call my mother to work everything out," she told me boredly. "It's the least she can do for me."

"I guess I'll be ditching this car," I mumbled, rubbing the breaking leather affectionately. "Yes you will, and I'll be glad because white cars are ugly," Anaela laughed. "They're cheaper too. Cause of the paint color," I added.

"Mhm," Anaela agreed, falling back to sleep against her window.

"I'll wake y'all up when we get somewhere far away."

"Mm," Dom said then went back to sleep too.

I felt relieved with this weight off of my chest. Now I just have to inform Teece that there's been a change of plans. Hopefully she doesn't take it to heart.