Rage With Benefits

Epilogue

They say that there will always be a point in your life where everything will feel like the end of a coming-of-age movie.

Usually, it's that moment when the antagonist realizes that life isn't worth living with a heart full of hate, or when the main character finally moves out of the family house to start a life of their own, or perhaps when the couple of the story finally kisses after years of mutual pining. You know, the classics.

Personally, Ian thinks it's when you're in someone else's car, hurtling through a deserted highway at 120 miles per hour with your boyfriend and four closest friends, thirty minutes after your graduation.

The sun is just about to set, and the six of them decided to escape the ending theatrics of the ceremony in Asher's graduation gift — well, mostly Asher, Bryce, and Ian, though the rest didn't protest — not thinking about where to go, or if they're still interested in living.

"Asher, Asher! Asher, oh my god you're going too fast!" Emery jabbered, his tilted graduation cap messily covering one of his eyes, causing the poor boy to panic more as he held on the roof handle for dear life. "Oh God, please slow down, please slow down, pleasepleasepleaseplease—!"

Bryce, who was sitting the farthest from the group besides Ian, stood up and leaned towards them. "Come on, Ash! My grandma can beat your ass in her sleep!" he yelled.

Asher grinned, as if accepting a challenge. "Oh yeah?"

There weren't any vehicles around obviously, but that doesn't erase the fact that Asher's new car was one nudge on the gas pedal away from levitating towards the sky. And it didn't help the others that the idiotic couple's relentless nagging to "go faster" was working on their equally deranged driver.

"We're gonna get pulled over!" Ian laughed, thrilled, mirroring the huge grin plastered on his boyfriend's face.

"No," Blake shuddered, who was now slowly regretting calling dibs on the front seat as his life flashed before his eyes in 2x speed. "We're gonna die."

As they slowly approached the busy freeway, the screams doubled in decibels while excitement rushed through the other half.

"Shit, stoplight, Asher- stoplight, stoplight- STOPLIGHT!" Cameron, who in his entire life has never violated the laws of traffic, had his usually dead eyes shot wide open, face contorted in a look of mixed fear and resentment towards the worst circle of friends he's ever had as Asher mindlessly ran a red light. "Holy fuck."

"I think that's the first time I heard Cameron swear," Blake whispered with terror.

"If we survive this I will kill the three of you with my bare hands," Emery warned as he glared at the insane half of them only to shriek as foxes do in mating season when Asher turned a sharp left. "AHH!" he screamed. "Fuck you, Asher!"

Ian had no choice but to laugh at his best friend, wishing he had his camera up to immortalize that moment.

"I think I'm gonna throw up..." Blake murmured weakly. "If I die please..." he gulped. "... don't tell my mom. She'll haunt me forever."

As the six of them managed to reach another quiet road, Bryce cheered.

"Yeah!" he said, throwing his arm around Ian as the latter laughed. "Today, we're criminals!"

"No, today we're dead," Blake hissed.

"Oh, would you guys relax? It's graduation day! Loosen up!" Asher bantered as he eventually slowed down, making Blake visibly relax, or maybe he just finally gave in and passed out. "Come on!"

Just as Ian was about to agree and open his mouth, blinking lights of red and blue struck the windows of Asher's car as they dreaded, followed by sirens, the tragic sound of law treading their heels.