Watching It [BXB]

Chapter 1

Peter drove the family's white hatchback back to Beverlin in smoldering weather with an easy smile on his face. His three passengers were a lot less chipper than him after a failed trip to the nearest mall to see a movie that wasn't one of the five movies that had been showing in their local town's theatre since 2001.

It turned out that as soon as they'd bought the tickets the power went out. That meant they also couldn't go bowling, go to their favorite restaurant and the two girls were unwilling to go shopping in the dark. The long and short of it was they wasted twenty minutes of one of the first days of their summer driving out of town only to go straight back.

Peter's brother Henry sighed in the passenger seat. He was a handsome guy with strong facial structures and a chiseled jawline. His short dreads poked out from under blue bucket hat.

"I can't believe you made us drive all the way there and back without putting on the a/c," he complained.

Peter smiled wryly at the moaning that hadn't stopped since they'd left and took a hand off the wheel to wipe the sweat from his forehead. The few dark curls that fell onto his forehead were getting soaked and he could feel it, but on the bright side it sort of helped him cool down.

"Nothing like a good sweat to keep us healthy," he replied jauntily.

The truth was that the car was making funny sounds since the last time he'd borrowed it without telling anyone and he was pretty sure it had to do with the battery. But he wasn't announcing that in a car full of critics.

He looked up into the mirror above the dash at his two other friends Zo and Jade, who were leaning on each other in the back. Zo was stretched across most of the backseat, her long dark legs propped up, wearing white shorts and a bright yellow top that fell of her shoulders.

Jade's sandy brown hair fell on her shoulders, pushed back by a lime green head band that matched her green and white polka dot dress. Both were fanning themselves with flyers they'd taken on the way out.

Peter sensed irritation from them, more so from Zo, so he resorted to his usual method of talking it away.

"Y'all are doing fine though, right ladies?" he asked. "You certainly look fine. Glowing even."

Jade opened her eyes to give Peter an exasperated but amused smile, while Zo clicked her tongue.

"I don't know why we still listen to Peter's stupid ass ideas. We'd have been better baking at home," she complained. Henry and Jade erupted in agreement.

"But then you ain't getting the movie going experience."

She sharply stretched her leg to kick Peter's seat. "There wasn't no movie going anyway. Shut up and take us home."

Peter smiled to himself. He was only half-joking when he'd said that. There wasn't much he enjoyed more than going to a theatre. He was disappointed they'd missed out on the popcorn, the surround sound, the big silver screen. But he could agree that he wanted to get home asap. He hoped the cool breeze from the lake would help cool them off.

First they had to drive through the neighboring area of Gill Creek before they could get to the bridge that would take him to their half of the town. Peter glanced at his gauges and saw that the tank was almost running on empty.

If he remembered correctly there was supposed to be a gas station somewhere as soon as you entered Gill Creek. He sighed, preparing himself for the chickens in the car's inevitable clucking. When they got to the first of the trailers and shotgun houses among the willows and reeds he turned into the neighborhood.

Gill Creek was a lot more swampy than the suburbs across the water where they lived. Peter wasn't around these parts often. He knew it should have a similar layout to Beverlin, being mostly people's houses around a town on the main road in the center.

What was different about Gill Creek, what he found interesting, were the houses resting on stilts jutting into bodies of water and the docks crowded with small motor boats. While he could enjoy the refreshing green of the cypress trees surrounding them, he could also feel the air in the car getting heavier than a dead priest.

"Uh, Peter?" he heard Henry question.

"We're just stopping at the next gas station," he responded calmly. The girls in the back sat up and leaned forward until their arms wrapped around the headrests.

"It can't wait 'til we're across the bridge?" Jade asked anxiously. She looked out the window at the grey and brown houses hidden by the long grass.

"If you actually wanna make it across the bridge, then no it can't."

He was trying to pick up the morale in the car, but everyone was already as tense as pigs in a slaughterhouse. They were starting to see a few people and the bright car definitely caught looks as they drove through. Peter almost didn't seem to notice the odd looks they were getting as he steered casually down the road with one hand, often waving at a couple of the citizens.

"You don't think it's a little sketchy for a car full out-of-town kids, including two black kids, to be driving around here?" Henry asked sarcastically.

They pulled up at a gas station with two tanks, one already occupied by an empty pick-up truck. As soon as Peter cut the engine and the car went silent he could feel the nervous tension from window to window.

"C'mon folks, y'all are being dramatic." Henry and Zo raised an eyebrow at him. Jade definitely also didn't agree but she at least made an attempt at hiding it.

Peter sighed and handed the keys to Henry. "I'm gonna pay for a full tank, you start fillin' her up."

Peter climbed out the car and Henry reluctantly followed, leaning on the car and looking very defensive as he urged Peter to hurry up with it. After he paid the attendant, Peter nodded to Henry to start filling up and went into the convenience store to buy everyone some drinks.