Breathe Again

02: Answers That Never Arrive

Unsurprisingly the roads are dark as Isaac drives Liam home, street lights flickering above their heads. There's something Isaac loves about driving at night, something about how you can go for miles without seeing a single car, something about how time doesn't even seem to exist.

Liam is sat in the passenger seat, head pressed against the window. Isaac keeps on shooting him worried glances, cautious that he's going to fall asleep, Liam is meant to be giving him directions.

They're been friends for around a year now and still Isaac hasn't been to Liam's house. He's been invited before, several times, but there's always been a shift at the shop to work or the twins to take care of. Liam keeps on saying he'll have to come over every day this summer to make up for all the lost opportunities.

The car is mostly silent, occasionally Liam will give directions. Lefts and rights and second exits. Isaac wants to say something, fill the car with noise, at least turn the radio on but Liam seems to be intent on the silence, seems to be avoiding conversation. It's so unlike Liam that it's a serious cause for concern, Isaac hopes to god Liam's not coming down with something just as the summer starts.

The roads are unfamiliar as it is, but in the dark Isaac has absolutely no idea where he is. He feels like he's been driving for seconds and hours simultaneously. A quick glance at the car clock says it's been fifteen minutes though so that's reassuring.

"Left," Liam says quietly.

Isaac follows his instructions and finds himself greeted by a large green sign with directions to the motorway.

This is not good.

"Liam are you sure this is the right way?"

Isaac figures Liam must have forgotten where he lives, or got the directions completely mixed up in his drunken brain. Because not only are they about to get on the motorway, they're also headed in the completely wrong direction, sure Isaac might never have been but he at least knows the vague location.

"Yeah this is the right way."

"Really? Cause your house is like in the other direction."

"I know."

Liam's voice is calm but there's a slight edge to it that Isaac can't place. A kind of catch of the breath that suggests Liam is on the verge of breaking.

"Liam," Isaac tries to keep his tone level, tries not to shout when Liam is clearly going through... something, "where the hell are you taking us."

Liam doesn't say anything, simply presses his lips together and turns to look out of the window. They're stopped at a junction, the light turned to green a few seconds ago but there's no one behind them so Isaac takes this opportunity to turn and look at Liam.

He's got his lip between his teeth, his hands clasped so tight his knuckles are turning white. He tries to send Isaac a reassuring smile, but it's more like a grimace and in that moment Isaac finds that he's actually scared.

Isaac knows Liam, his smile and his laugh and his ridiculous sense of humour. And this is not him. Liam is never hunched over in the passenger seat, sending them off on some ridiculous journey with vague directions. This is not the Liam Isaac knows and so he's not quite sure what to do with him.

"Liam," he says cautiously.

"Please Isaac," Liam replies, eyes flickering up to where the lights have returned to green once again, "just drive."

Isaac knows he should just turn the car around, that Liam is drunk and destined to make poor decisions. Isaac knows that if anything happens to them he's going to be responsible.