The Goner

Chapter Two

June 7, 2023

12:21 AM

Helena, Montana

His right hand lay on the steering wheel, as James watched the raindrops race down from the sky, pelting against the windshield like small, little rocks. His car was located on the wet, concrete driveway that James would surely skid on at least a small amount while venturing out of entrance. The car was on, the engines running, smoke and fumes filling the air behind him, which would surely look like a suicide attempt if he was stationed inside of a garage. He had the radio kept off, which led to an eerie atmosphere, one that left James alone with his thoughts, a dangerous assailant when they are dreadful, more dangerous than any. And it took just a flash of a dead woman to change his mind and turn it right on.

James placed his cold, seemingly numb hand on the radio dial, slipping it to the right and getting the volume up to a non-exact number, specifically 15. The radio was a station that was known around the town to play 60-80's rock/pop music. It was called 108.6, also known as Heaven or Hellena FM. At the moment, as James switched it on, it played a song, Paint It, Black as James looked at the center of the radio's screen. James jerked his head rhythmically to the song, seemingly forgetting about the deceased woman he saw for the moment, as he grabbed the gear stick, yanking it to reverse, as he started to accelerate rearward, out of the driveway and onto the pavement behind it. He twisted the wheel to the left aggressively and proceeded to drive through his neighborhood. He saw multiple houses fly past as music filled up and drowned out the silence and all other noise around James.

His mind was being cleared, as driving was, for him, a task that required a negligible chunk of his brain, yet he still attempted to pay his utmost attention to the road in order to prevent an accident. But a thought for James took away his attention, it arbitrarily came over him. It finally dawned on him that he couldn't stay in his own house for a while.

* * *

Zack saw the silhouette of James through the door frame, as he walked through it, into the spacious living room that sat behind it. James gripped his own neck as he angrily walked over to the couch sitting against the wall, the same wall the door frame stood on. He sat down.

"So... what the fuck happened?" Zack asked.

"Christine was cheating on me," James said promptly.

"Oh, you're fucking joking."

"No, I'm not. She was fucking someone on my bed."

"Motherfucker... that bi-- how long are you gonna stay here?"

"I'll come back to my house in a few days."

"So, why did you leave? It's your house! Kick her out!"

"I can't do that to her, I don't want to leave her deserted."

"Do you think she'd give a fuck if you were deserted? Who cares if she's deserted at this fucking point, Jesus... kick that bitch out of your house, she would do the same to you, and I know that for a fact. I knew she was sketchy."

"I don't want to go as low as her either. Just... fucking..."

"No, no," Zack walked up to him, pointing his index finger at James.

"Fuck your morals. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. If she cheats on you, kick her the fuck out, I don't see the problem. Why should you maintain your morals if she won't maintain her's, huh? You tell me."

James tilted his head up toward Zack, James had his arms resting on his knees, as he overheard the rain on the outside of the house get even more intense, to where it more or less sounded like hail.

"I don't know! I did it in the heat of the moment! Well, it's too late now, she probably invited him back and is fucking him as we speak! What do you want me to do now!?" James screamed back at him.

"I want you to recognize that there were way better possibilities than coming to my house at 12:30 in the fucking morning, to where I didn't even get to dress decently, cause I was laying down when you called me! You should appreciate--"

"Shut up!" James's scream silenced the house, "I... I'm sorry, I'm just overwhelmed, I don't even feel like I'm speaking coherently... we need to discuss this tomorrow."

"I'm going to bed. I'm... holy shit," Zack cursed as he walked off, into the distant hallway.

James had his head planted into his left, non-dominant hand. He started to softly sob once more. But, as he swore, he would deal with it tomorrow. Remembering this, he started to doze off, as he finally fell asleep.