Blessed

Skateland (Finale)

We laid in the rain until it stopped falling.

Malcolm begrudgingly got up from his spot on the grass, offering me a hand to stand. I was soaked from head to toe, my shoes squishing with each step as we made our way back to the car. Luckily, Malcolm had some old towels in the back along with about everything else in the universe. He explained it was his mother's car, his mother the hoarder, his mother who, even after she gave it to him, made him promise he wouldn't throw anything away. Malcolm gave the pile of stuff in the trunk one last disgusted glare before slamming it shut.

"Mothers like that," he remarked, "belong in a home."

I wasn't really sure what to say after that, taking a towel from his grasp and drying anywhere I could. I scrubbed at my hair with the ratty cloth even though I was pretty sure the sad thing was way past water retention.

Malcolm drove me home, my exhaustion finally settling in with the night. I hadn't been out like this in so long and I was definitely feeling the effects, dozing off a few times at particularly long red lights.

After I jolted awake for a fourth time, Malcolm laughed. The red light bathing his face switched to green and he checked his mirrors before stepping on the gas. "You never get out, do you?"

"No," I admitted, rubbing my eyes with heavy fingers.

Malcolm eyed me from the driver's seat. "You can sleep, you know," he said. He cleared his throat, flicking on his right turn signal. The melodic clicking filled my ears, tick tocking around my brain. "I don't mind. I mean, I get it. The exhaustion. How it catches up to you."

I shook my head, leaning back against my seat, folding my arms over my chest. "I'm fine. There's no way I could sleep with all the water in my shoes anyway. Well, not comfortably."

Malcolm shrugged. "I did you a favor. You desperately need a new pair."

I closed my eyes, squeezing them shut, hoping my exhaustion would squeeze out as well. "Yeah, well, that's probably not going to happen. Not 'till after finals anyway."

"You're dad's been on your ass about that, huh?" Malcolm asked, his eyes scanning for cars at an intersection. I liked that he understood without me needing to elaborate.

I nodded, my head lolling to the side as I was too tired to fight the pull of the car. "Yeah. But, it's nothing I can't handle. It'll be fine. I just have to get to work tomorrow."

Malcolm hummed his agreement, turning left at the next intersection. I closed my eyes again, feeling the soft rumble of the engine under the hood of this expensive car, hearing the rush of other cars passing us. I fought sleep, but it was a hopeless battle, one I continually lost. I let it and it came in waves. I remembered pieces of the rest of the ride, bumpy roads we passed, the deep vibrato of Malcolm's voice, the flashing of bright lights inside my eyelids. The car finally came to a shuttering stop and I opened my eyes, the entrance to my dorm building greeting me with staticy industrial lights, yellowed from time.

I turned to Malcolm, my eyes half lidded, still fighting the pull. I opened my mouth to thank him, but a yawn shoved its way up my throat, beating any words that were about to come out.

Malcolm smiled. He threw the car in park. "Get some sleep," he said.

I nodded, shifting in my seat, reaching for the door. I was already imagining opening the door to my dorm, crashing into my bed as soon as it was within my line of sight. "You too. Get some sleep. I mean," I said, feeling the need to clarify. Stopping as I stepped onto the concrete, I turned towards him, feeling like I needed to say something else before I went. My brain drew a blank, the small amount of wit I had now exhausted after tonight.