Wires

CHAPTER 5

ESCAPE HATCH

Grace was right, Apology is an Escape Hatch. Even though she did not agree with me to apologize Drew for her dehumanizing behavior with him yesterday, I was very much in mood for a healthy start of the weekend, by making amends for what went wrong. It was somehow my new favorite thing, and Grace was probably cursing herself for introducing me to the concept, which was the only reason I came up with for why she was dodging me since the morning. When I needed her the most, she decided to go missing. I used to be alone and helpless on the days when she turns her back on me, not anymore though.

Now, I had an alternate― Ross McKenzie― the precious reward of my first proper apology. If I were not being desperate, it was safe to say that Ross and I were friends now. He told me so himself. Well, he did not say it, I did― in a heated debate yesterday― but he did not deny from it. That counts, right?

It was weird to think I had someone to contact other than Grace for goofy business. But, I see Ross as someone who could handle goofy business with great expertise. He had his years of experience with Saint. He was the closest substitute I had for Grace. Although, Saint was equally fitting after he had asked a lot of questions and threw infantile tantrums.

I did not know Ross all that much, besides that he was not impulsively stupid as Saint or Grace­― so I had the best one of all my options­― And that he actually saw the world precisely, so he might actually understand my 'insane wish' to see Drew.

Although, one thing about Ross that I was absolutely sure of was― Ross McKenzie was always on time, so I jogged down the street right on our mutually discussed time.

I did not have to wait longer in the parking area. Once the glossy black Tesla was in my sight, I waved my hand at Ross. He quietly pulled over in the driveway, perfectly parking within his square. He was wearing his jet black sunglasses that he called his 'Sunnies'― It was not funny but was often ridiculed at school. It was still less weird than the recent update in my vocabulary for addressing Ross' car as a 'Tesla'.

Yes, it was indeed a Tesla, but I was calling it so only after the acknowledgement of it's Teslaness― the Auto Pilot. It was the lovely miracle that had let him drive around the city without harm, in his car with his still broken limbs.

I wonder if the Tesla was capable of altering the potential accidents that otherwise one had run into. If yes, then I had never desired any car more than that, knowing if I had it on the Halloween night, things had been different. Things had been a little better, at least on my part. I had not suffered in the same manner so far. Although, I did not suffer in the same manner anymore. The Halloween accident was not one of my prime concerns these days. I was more occupied with Saint's troubles than mine. Maybe that was why I had to take the responsibility of the damage he had done.

Ross walked out of the car, taking off his sunnies, he pulled on the hood of his sweatshirt over his head, I had not seen him without it since his face was put together in stitches. He headed towards me, stuffing his hands inside the pockets.

"Whom are we plotting against? Saint? Grace?" he asked as he was in my proximity.

"Both," I answered as he nodded impressively at my answer.

Bob Dylan's 'Sign on the window' welcome us into the diner. I was pleased that it was not as crowded as it was usually in the weekend. I looked around for any faces from neighborhood. There were some kids whom I knew from the block. I passed by waving and passing smiles at them. That was all I could offer, even on a good day when I did not have ten things to worry about, one of them being a supposed murder.

There was fish and chips frying in the back of the kitchen, I could tell by the smell, they were yet to be done. So Saint could delay as much as he liked, his fries were not getting soggy anytime soon. Although we were thirty minutes earlier than Saint and Grace on purpose for discussing my predicament.