Three Idiots and a Ghost

Because you can let yourself be heard (Part 02)

Volume warning for the chapter song!

• • •

"PUPPY DOG HAD AN ACCIDENT! DAMN IT, MAMMAL! KANGAROO CRACKS ITS DICK IN HALF! THE CROWD SPRAYED CRIMSON! SHARK DAD ATE A BABY CALF! YOU STILL LIKE BURGERS! CLIP-CLOP, CLIP-CLIP-CLOP! HORSE COMES OUT AND BEATS YOUR PARENTS UP!"

"What the fuck is this song?" Ever asked with equal doses of confusion and intrigue.

"Jon Mess's poetic genius," Warrick said in the midst of his road trip karaoke time. 

As disorienting as his song choice was, he was a surprisingly good screamer. And his love for heavy rock music was to explain why his voice was noticeably raspier than his twin's. That and the fact he was a smoker just like Ever.

As Warrick went in to scream out the second verse, Ever caught herself slowly banging her head, too. She had no idea she was into music like this. Actually, she never thought about her musical taste in general. It was usually just listening to whatever her friends recommended was good. They all sounded the same to her anyway.

Well, they used to. But this time... this song was something else.

The nonsensical silly lyrics and the ear-piercing loudness felt oddly liberating. It was like letting go of something she didn't even know she was holding so tightly on to. For once, she felt it would be fine to act as stupidly as she wanted without any judgment from her peers or parents. Warrick certainly looked comfortable with himself, and Walt seemed so used to his brother's shenanigans that he simply didn't care anymore.

To that, Ever banged her head just a little bit harder.

Warrick smirked, catching her in the rearview mirror. "You're into this kind of stuff, too?"

Ever shrugged. "I guess so."

"Nice. Then, let's really turn this bad boy up—"

"Don't," Walt said, grabbing his brother's hand before it could reach the volume knob. "You're going to make all of us go deaf before we even get anywhere near Wisconsin."

Warrick groaned at the mention of the northern state. "I still can't believe I have to go back there."

"Why do you hate Wisconsin so much?" Ever asked, realizing a second later that she might have sounded like she was interested in Warrick, which she most certainly was not.

Warrick sighed. "It's not that I hate the state itself..."

Ever was prepared to leave the topic there, not wanting to risk seeming too curious by asking another question. However, Walt was more than eager to fill her in.

"His first girlfriend moved there back in middle school. Warrick cried for weeks."

"Ah..."

"Hey, don't get the wrong idea!" Warrick shouted in defense. "She stole my PlayStation!"

"Yeah, your 'play station' indeed," Walt snickered.

"It was... Ugh..." 

Warrick snapped his head away from his brother and gazed out the window. He knew he never should have gone to get his gaming console back. If he just hadn't gone to see her again, he wouldn't have gotten like this—a changed boy.

The car ride became quiet after that, especially since Warrick turned off the music to try and sleep away his suddenly reopened scars. And with Walt not being much of a small-talker, Ever eventually decided to get some sleep, too.

Shutting her eyes and letting her thoughts drift made her realize just how much had happened in the course of one day. When she woke up this morning, she would've never believed that by sunset she would be off on a trip out of state with two boys from school she barely knew. Had things gone according to plan, she would've never even gotten to see this sunset in the first place.

Ever shuddered as her mind replayed the moment she jumped off that bridge. If she was capable of doing something like that once, who was to say that she wasn't capable of doing it again?

That thought terrified her a lot more than she could have imagined.