Cooper started up his car and rolled down the window, letting the smoke from his cigarette blow out it as he sped through the streets. The night was clear and there were only a few other people out. He didn’t know where he was going or when he’d be back.
His parents didn’t care what he did, and he was hardly missed when he left like this. Only his little sister realized he was missing, covering for him when their parents did notice.
He drove backroads, hoping to avoid anyone his parents knew, knowing that if they recognized his car, they would tell them, and he would have everything taken away. Once he was cross the state line, he got onto the freeway and drove south, deciding he would go visit some old friends.
Hours later, as the sun was starting to peak over the horizon, Cooper was driving into his old stomping grounds. He drove around slowly, watching for students rushing out of their houses to catch the bus.
Cooper stopped outside of a blue house with a yard strung full of toys and bike parts. He didn’t pay it an attention, knowing that this particular friend of his had a large family. There was yelling coming from inside as children ran outside and down the street, so they didn’t miss their busses.
He honked as a tall teenager with dark blue died hair, wearing a black skirt, a dark gray hoodie, and black knee-high combat boots walked out. He was carrying a large bookbag and was putting wireless earbuds in while messing with his phone. He jumped and almost dropped his phone as Cooper honked, glaring at the direction the noise came from.
He stomped over to Cooper’s car and was about to bang on the window to yell at him, not recognizing him, when cooper rolled down his window and stuck out his tongue in a playful manner.
“Hey Mateo, how are you?”
Mateo was taken aback by this, what seems to be, complete stranger knowing his name. Cooper laughed at his surprised expression and mocked being insulted.
“Ouch! It hurts that you don’t remember your best friend! Guess my trip here was for nothing.”
He held his hand to his chest and looked away from Mateo so he wouldn’t see his grin as Mateo finally realized what was happening.
“Ah! Dios mio. Stop being so dramatic. Can you really blame me for not recognizing you? You’ve changed so much! You should have told me you were coming so I could tell the others. Erres una perra.”
Cooper looked at Mateo with a devilish grin. “Maybe I wanted you alone.”
Mateo turned beat red and hit him, “Don’t say stupid things like that! We both know you don’t mean it.”
Cooper ignored the statement and just rolled his eyes. “Okay fine, you got me, I wanted to surprise you guys.”
“They’re already at school, I’m going to be late.” Mateo rolled his eyes and walked around to the passenger side door and got in, throwing his bag in the backseat. He looked at Cooper, “You can either show me a good time or you can take me to school. Your choice.” He put his feet on the dashboard and pulled out his phone, presumably to message one of their friends.
Cooper pulled into the street and drove towards the school, “You should ask Kasey if she wants to come swimming with us.”
Mateo barely nodded in response, but a minute later he looked up at Cooper. “She wants to know if her girlfriend can go too.”
“Uh, sure?” Since when did Kasey get a girlfriend? Oh well, it was bound to happen. Cooper just hoped that she wasn’t a preppy girl.
“. . .” Mateo texted her for another minute. “They’re not at the school, there at Kasey’s apartment.”
That was on the other side of town, away from the school. Cooper drove right past the school and turned up the radio, which was playing some sort of pop music.
“Damnit. Mateo, hand me my aux cord.”
“Make me.”
Cooper growled and pulled over onto a side street. He climbed over the center console and sat on Mateo. Grabbing his chin, he brought his mouth up to his ear.
“I can make you do anything I want.”
Cooper bit Mateo’s earlobe and climbed back into his own seat. He grabbed the aux cord, plugging it into the car and searched for a good song as Mateo sunk further into his seat, burring his face into his sleeves.
Cooper put his phone on the dash as ‘Slayer’ started playing through the radio and pulled back out into traffic, heading towards Kasey’s apartment.
