If Tomorrow Never Comes

10 - Ez

As dark clouds rolled over the city, Adrian continued to march forward, Esme still asleep on his back. Adrian felt weaker and tireder but he didn't want to stop. He was going to do whatever it took to get Esme out of the city. He walked and walked and walked until his knees began to feel they might snap. He looked frantically around at his glossy surroundings before his eyes landed on a jeep. He smiled painfully before hobbling over to the vehicle, hoisting Esme back up on his back. Her grip was loosening as she leaned backwards making the man panic. "Shit shit shit." The man muttered, practically running to the car. He fell up against it and opened the door without struggle. He turned around so his back was inside the car, brushing the girl from his broad back and settled her in the passenger side of the car. He sat her up so she was sat up straight. He slammed the door with ease and the girl's head slowly began to slip and lean against the window. He sighed to himself, walking around the jeep and jumping into drivers seat and closing the door. He locked the door before looking around for the keys. He looked in compartments, under papers and around the seat ... the keys were already in the slot. He smiled and twisted them, making the engine roar to life. He began to move the car from its place in the middle of the road. Buildings began flying past the windows as the car increased in speed. The teen stirred in her sleep but nothing more. Adrian was just waiting for her to wake up screaming like usual so he could swerve the jeep out of control and crash the car. He told himself he was ready for something like that to happen but deep down he wasn't. He had never had to look after a kid before, let alone one with a mental disorder, not that he knew she had one. He honestly felt sorry for her, he couldn't bare waking up screaming all the time. He took his eyes off the road for a few seconds to watch the girl, but when he went to take his eyes off her ... he couldn't. He kept staring, feeling like a child with a crush. She was beautiful and he couldn't get over it. He smirked, licking his lips and sighing. The moment his eyes fell onto the road he swerved the car from smashing into a car and continued on out of the city.

Hours went by. Esme was still fast asleep and Adrian was still completely exhausted, trying as hard as he could not to just slam his head down on the steering wheel and sleeping. Esme's life and his own were in his hands. Adrian looked straight ahead and saw a sand dune coming into view. He didn't panic, he knew the car he was driving could take the ramp, so he sped up.  The car leapt like a ballerina once it accidentally went over a bump, making Esme fly from the chair and land back in it. She sniffled before completely opening her eyes and staring out of the car window. She looked around in confusion but made no attempt to ask any questions. Adrian took note of the girl's consciousness and smiled to himself. "Hey, you okay?" He asked warmly, looking between the dune and the sleepy teen.
"Mhm." She sighed, rubbing her eyes and looking up at the man.
"You still tired?" He asked again, staring out into the desert.
"A little but," the girl huffed, "I feel a lot safer awake, especially when I'm with you."  Esme frowned, knowing the man was still one hundred per cent unaware of the girl's night terrors. " ... was that an insult orrr-" Adrian chuckled, running a hand through his hair. Esme chuckled to herself, unsure. She shrugged as the car tilted upwards as they got up on top of the dune. They smoothly drove on top and turned so the car was running along the top of it. "I don't know. Take it how you want." She smiled, putting her feet up on the dashboard. After their laughs died down, the pair looked towards the radio and shared a glare before they both reached for the controls. Their hands met awkwardly, both keeping their hands in place, glancing at one another before Esme went and pressed the button. A horrific, static noise filled the car making the duo cringe. "Maybe there's some CD's?" Adrian pointed towards the compartment below Esme's feet. She nodded and opened it. Different genres of CD's were scattered in heaps in the compartment. She reached in and pulled out the first one. "Whatever." She muttered to herself, not looking at the cover. She put it in and it only took the riff of the first song to realise what was playing. "I love this guy ..." Esme muttered with a gasp before starting to mutter the lyrics to herself. "Who is it?" Adrian asked before Esme gave him a death glare for talking to her while she was singing. "Jaymes Young." She replied rapidly before going back to the lyrics. Adrian nodded before slowly beginning to tap to the rhythm on the steering wheel. "Ohhhhh!" Esme caught Adrian off guard as she burst into the lyrics a lot louder than she had been before. "Don't you know that I, don't you know I want you so ba-ad?" She sang at the top of her lungs, hand gestures and all. Adrian smirked as he drove smoothly across the delicate sand.

Hours went by, the same album on repeat, "'cause I love you for infinit-ee," Esme pointed to Adrian to sing the next part, "oh oh oooh,"
"Love you for infinit-ee-ee,"
"Oh oh ooh ooh." The pair looked to one another as the songs instrumental came on. Esme's lips curved into a large grin as she realised at how close the duo was growing. Adrian quickly tore his eyes away from Esme's to look at the sand. "Are, uh, there any other CD's?" Esme tutted to herself as she flicked through tens of CDs. "Michael Jackson ... Frank Ocean ... pff Panic at the Disco ... oo!" She shot up giddily, pulling out the CD and putting it into the slot after removing Jaymes Young and putting it in the case again. The riff started and Esme immediately began dancing in her chair. "Who-who are these guys? I swear I've heard this song before." Adrian looked between the desert and Esme, speaking over the lyrics. "The Neighbourhood." Esme briskly replied, nodding her head to the beat. "Ooh, is that the one that goes 'it's too coo-old for you hee-er ...'?" Adrian sang making Esme's eyes light up.
"Yes, yeah it is." She smiled like there was no tomorrow.
"Now!" Esme pointed to the radio as the began singing in unison, "it's too coo-old for you hee-er and na-ow so let me hoo-old both your ha-ands in the holes of my sweater." The pair smiled together. Adrian wasn't watching the path as the left side of the car went up a ramped part of the sand, sending the car twisting through the air. The car toppled over and over again, landing on the wheels. The shattered glass fell onto the pair in the car. Neither of them was heavily injured, only Adrian's lip was cut and Esme's temple was slit open, blood trying to find the light. "Aww shit." Adrian brushed himself off, looking across to the girl cradling her blonde locked head. "Ez? You alright?" He asked placing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer. "Ez?" He asked again, shaking her slightly, the music still playing in the background but quietly. "Ugh, what the—" she muttered, looking up, rubbing her eyes of any glass.
"C'mon." Adrian rolled his eyes, his snotty attitude crawling slowly back.