ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʙᴀᴅ ɢɪʀʟ // $ᴜɪᴄɪᴅᴇʙᴏʏ$

5

Aristos

I didn’t let go of Clover's wrist as I headed towards my house. I cursed under my breath as I checked for bystanders.

I was crazy for getting more involved, but I couldn’t stop. My feet took it upon themselves to keep on walking, my heart hammering while my mind spun with justifications for my actions, even though I knew there were other ways to handle this.

I could’ve called my mom to come get her.

I pulled my car keys from my pocket the moment my car was in sight in the driveway and unlocked it. Clover tugged at my arm and I turned to realize she was staring at my house. It was nothing fancy, just a regular house.

“Neat place,” Clover said, and I would have thought she was being sarcastic if I didn’t know her tone better.

“It’s ight,” I said as I slipped into the driver’s seat. I was relieved when she dropped into the passenger side and buckled herself in without argument.

“Are you feeling sick?” I was already searching the backseat for a paper bag or something but she laughed at me.

“I can handle my drink.”

“Sure you can.”

“I can,” she insisted, “I only had one or two, no big deal.”

“Don’t take me for a fucking idiot,” I said as I turned the key in the ignition. “Good thing I was there or who knows what state you’d have ended up in. You don’t wanna be associating with Eli Stevens, he’ll lead you nowhere good.”

I pulled the car out onto the road, fighting the urge to stare at her and not at where I was going.

“We should call ahead,” I told her, “let them know you’re on your way home.”

“They won’t care.”

It didn’t matter how many times she said it, I didn’t believe it. I told her so and she spun in her seat to glare at me.

“Why do you always try to see the best in me all the time? The world isn’t like that, Aristos. It’s mean and shitty and nobody gives two fucking shits about a nasty girl like me. You’re a fool. A fucking idiot.”

“Well, this fucking idiot gives two fucking shits about getting you back home safe, Clover, so I guess the whole entire universe can’t be entirely mean and shitty now, can it?”

She sighed. “Maybe the whole entire universe except you.”

“I’m flattered you think I’m that exceptional a member of the human race, but I’m simply one of many of the other fuck-ups just trying to do their best. The world is full of us, maybe you could try letting us help sometime.”

“I’ll let you help,” she whispered and I was so surprised I did a double take. The evening light through the windshield danced across her features, and her eyes looked big and sad. She pulled her knees up and rested her dirty boots on the dashboard, oblivious to the mess she’d be making.

But I didn’t even care.

“How can I help?” I said, eyes firmly back on the road. “Just tell me, Clover. Because I’ll do whatever I can.”

“You can take me away from this shitty place.” Her voice was quiet and breathy.

I reminded myself she was a drunk young woman who probably didn’t mean half of this.

“I mean it,” she said, as though she could read my mind. “You and me. It could be an adventure.”

“You’ll have plenty of adventures with plenty of people,” I told her. “But right now you need to be settled and safe. I can speak to the right agencies, we can get you set up somewhere, even if it’s not with my parents. I’m sure I can talk to the college, too.”