On The Run

I slammed my shoulder against my friend’s door, grimacing as it burst open. The smell of weed flooded out, offending my nostrils with its potency. I fought my way through the cloud and found Ray in the center of it, surrounded by empty chip bags and flicking through channels aimlessly. I shook his shoulder.

“Ray!”
“What?” He snapped, waving a hand vaguely. “I'm in the middle of this show.”
I glanced at the screen. It was a Barbie TV movie. I rolled my eyes.
“Dude, can I just trade you my car? Please?”
He shook his head, curly hair wobbling. “No way, bro, I just got the oil changed.”
I crouched down. “Ray. I kinda shot someone and-”
He tossed the keys at my face. “Whatever. You got any weed?”
I grabbed them out of the air and threw mine back at him. “Yeah, loads, but only if you remind me where Bob lives.”

Ray squinted at me. “Why Bob?”
I waved a hand vaguely. “Shot someone, remember? I kinda need to vanish and Bob will help.”
Ray shrugged. “I don’ remember, but if you take me along, I can show you where.”
I rubbed my eyes, my fingers still shaking. I muttered a few curses under my breath. “Fine, but I'm taking your car.”
Ray grinned at me as he lit up. I waved the smoke away from my face impatiently. “Jesus, don't get us pulled over, fuckwit.”
He just laughed. “Head for Main Street. His hood is down there somewhere.”
“First of all, ‘somewhere’ is super fucking helpful, and second, I wish you wouldn't say the word ‘hood.’ It makes me itchy from the cringe factor.”
This didn't get to him. Nothing ever did.

“You're just jealous cos you're an uptight arsehole and I'm chillin’.”
I rolled my eyes, but didn't rise to this. He liked making me uncomfortable.
Ray suddenly pointed to a cross road I was halfway past. “There!”
“Fuckwit!” I yelled, swerving down the road just in time. He giggled.
“That's my name, don't wear it out.”

My grip tightened on the steering wheel. Ray was better in small doses.
“The yellow one up on the right,” he pointed unhelpfully and I made an educated guess, parking the car on the street. Ray got out, stumbling as he landed. “Woohoo. Tha’ was fun.”
I took a deep breath and walked up to the front door.

Notes