Since 2004

four

            By the end of the day on the second day of school, I have been assigned about 3 hours of homework and my car breaks down in the parking lot.

I climb into the front seat and turn it on and it doesn't move forward when I press the gas pedal. I call my mom and she's at work and can't help me. She advises me to call a tow truck and get a ride home with someone else. No point in calling my dad. He won't be home either.

By the time I've called the tow truck and arranged for him to come get my car, almost everyone is gone. I pull out my phone and am about to text Allie, but then I remember she's at gymnastics by now.

I groan loudly and hit my hand against the steering wheel in frustration. Someone's car pulls up next to me and rolls its window down. I look over.

It's Aiden. Of course it is. Of course he has to see me sitting here with a broken down car.

"The gas pedal is the small and skinny one. You press that to go forward," Aiden says with a smirk.

"Oh, really?" I snap back.

"No but seriously why are you still here? Campus security is gonna come and and whoop your ass for loitering."

"My car won't go," I reply. "I'm calling a tow truck." Embarrassing.

"I would try and fix it but like... do I really want to help you?" Aiden replies.

"Okay, fuck you. I don't need your help anyway. You'd probably do something wrong and blow my entire engine up."

"I did do that one time..."

"Not inspiring confidence, buddy," I snap.

Aiden shoots me a look. "Do you need a ride home?"

"I was actually planning on walking home," I reply, sarcasm dripping from my voice.

"Christ-- does everything have to be a snotty remark with you? Get in the fucking car."

My eyes go wide for a second. Old Aiden would have left me in the dust by now. Maybe the wilderness retreat gave him an ounce of compassion he didn't have before. Well, probably not. But one can dream.

I grab my backpack from the passenger seat and climb out of my front seat begrudgingly. After slamming and locking the doors, I climb into Aiden's front seat. His car smells like tree sap.

"What are you supposed to be saying to me right now?" Aiden asks.

Asshole. "Thank you for giving me a ride," I grind out.

He grins at this. "You're welcome, Sophia! Any time!" Then, he steps on the gas pedal and screeches out of the parking lot at 40 miles an hour.

"Jesus Christ!" I shout. "You're going to get the cops called on you."

"Relax, no I won't," Aiden replies calmly. He does slow down a little bit as we head out onto the main road.

The ten minute car ride to our houses is sort of excruciating. Some music that sounds vaguely like Mac Miller is playing softly on the stereo and I'm tempted to lean over and turn it up to drown out the silence.

We finally pull up to my house and Aiden stops in the driveway.

"Thanks again," I say. I grab my backpack and open the door.

"You got it. Let me know if you need one tomorrow too."

Who is this new Aiden and what happened to old Aiden? I'm so used to the Aidan who was more centered on his well being then anyone elses. He wouldn't give a soul a ride home let alone offer to give them one the next day, too.

I climb out of the car and head up to the front door. Aiden's car doesn't pull out until I'm inside the house and the door is closed behind me.

***

The towing company calls me at 8 that night. My accelerator cable is frayed and that's why my gas pedal was unresponsive. It was possible to be fixed, but would take at least a week or two. I want to beat something up.

I wake up for school the next morning in a bad mood because I had been planning to stop by Starbucks before school and now I can't because I need to get a ride with Aiden.

At around 7:10am, Aiden texts me. I'm only just now starting on my mascara.

"Get out here early. I need to get gas."

"Give me two minutes."

It takes me not two minutes, but about ten minutes to finish my mascara, put my shoes on, and spray perfume. I've chosen to wear a white baby tee and jean shorts and immediately regret it when I step out into the crisp morning air. Oh well, I don't have time to go back in and change now.

Aiden is sitting in my driveway and he shoots me a dirty look when I come out the door.

"What does two minutes mean to you?" he ask when I open the car door.

"Sorry," I reply.

He looks a little extra good today. He's wearing black jeans and a light blue T-shirt from some beach in California. I distinctly notice two rings on his right hand. Quickly, I look away and focus my attention on the road.

We pull into the gas station with fifteen minutes until school starts. I hear Aiden mutter a few questionable words under his breath when he reads the time.

Aiden hops out of the car and quickly starts pumping the gas. Once it's done, I expect him to get in the car and start driving but instead he pokes his head through the window and asks me if I want anything from the gas station. He's getting a Red Bull.

"Yeah, but I'll come with you. You don't have to pay for me."

Aiden doesn't object to this and I hop out of the car. We walk side by side into the gas station and split up to go grab our respective items. I grab a Celsius and a protein bar because I didn't get to eat breakfast this morning. Aiden is paying as I walk up and he waits by the door for me until I'm done.

By the time we get to school, the bell has already rung. We're going to be at least 10 minutes late to Mr. Browning's class.

"You're going to need to cover for me because Mr. Browning hates my ass," I grumble as we start the walk up to the school building.

"I don't blame him," Aiden replies, brightly.

I give him the finger and he laughs. "He won't say anything if you're with me."

"Watch him," I reply, sourly.

We walk into class five minutes later and everyone looks our way. Mr. Browning is explaining something on the board and he looks over at us and slowly stops talking.

"Mr. Brooks, nice of you to join us. Go ahead and take a seat," he says. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Aiden shoot me a look. I don't look at him.

"Ms. Santiago, lunch detention today. You need to stop coming late."

Um, what? "I'm sorry sir, how is that fair?"

"You've come late to my class two times in the last three days, Sophia. I can't just let you off without a punishment. I'm sure you're aware of that."

Um, don't get me wrong but I think Aiden has also come late just as many times as I have. Mr. Browning is currently shooting me a death stare. "Yeah, I understand," I reply. I hold my tongue as I head back to Aidan and my table.

Once I sit down, I lean over in Aiden's direction. "What did I tell you?"