Peace in a Storm

30 - Max

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

I jolted awake as my phone vibrated underneath my pillow. Groaning quietly, I reached blindly beneath my pillow to grab my phone. I squinted through narrow eyes at my dad's name boldly displayed across my screen. "Hello," I whispered, trying not to wake the sleeping girl on my chest.

"Come outside," my father commanded.

My brows came together. "What? Dad, it's like two' o' clock in the morning."

"Now," he demanded firmly, his voice glazing over in ice.

Sighing, I hung up the phone and looked down at Audrey's peaceful face. Her eyelids fluttered against her cheeks, dreaming of hopefully sweet images. Carefully, I eased her off of my chest, replacing my body with a pillow. She stirred from the movement, but she didn't wake up.

Quietly, I climbed out of bed and threw on some clothes. The heavy stones of sleep sat on my shoulders as I shuffled around the room. We'd only gotten home maybe three hours ago. I'd wanted to spend some time simply making out with Audrey, taking the time to truly savor her lips and enjoy the warmth of her body against mine. But, she fell asleep as soon as she lay her head down. Not that I was upset about it. She was beautiful when she slept, curled up against me like a fragile kitten.

I'd quickly fallen asleep after her, and my brain was just settling into a deep slumber when my father's call woke me up.

I crept through the upstairs hallway and treaded lightly down the steps. The last thing I needed was for Cristian to hear me. While it wouldn't be the first time he'd caught me sneaking out, I knew he'd raise hell because of the person I was meeting.

My father was waiting in his black Durango when I finally made it outside. I pulled my hood over my head as I walked to the car and climbed inside. "What's up?" I asked.

He glanced at me, his eyes fixated on the tiny photos taped to his dashboard. "I got you a birthday present," he said. "Are you up for a drive?"

I looked at the time on the digital clock. Two-fifteen in the morning. I wanted to ask if we could wait until the sun came up, but my father didn't take kindly to having his demands declined. If I wanted to keep a tooth in my mouth, I needed to just nod my head and comply.

My eyelids grew heavy during the car ride. The low music and soothing movement of the car reminded me of the sleep I was once peacefully in. I leaned my head against the window, closing my eyes and drifting along the edge of unconsciousness.

I opened my eyes whenever I got a little too slipping over, my brain threatening to shut down and resume the R.E.M. cycle. During one of the little spurts, I recognized the apartment buildings towering over the perimeter of the street. I was just over here earlier, in my cousin Paco's neighborhood.

Wearily, I picked my head up, scanning the sidewalk as my father slowed the car down.

My cousin was standing near the corner with his hands in his pockets and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. His hood was pulled up over his short cut hair, and a red bandana hung around his belt loops. He greeted me with a smile as he watched me get out of the car.

Grinning, I slapped his hand and let it slide against his into a snap of our fingers. Growing up, Paco was like an additional older brother to me. After his father died, my parents took him in and raised him alongside us. Back then, he and Cristian were thick as thieves. It wasn't until high school that their friendship began to fade.

Paco praised the ground my father walked on, and Cristian absolutely loathed him. The bond they'd built slowly crumbled under the push and pull of their drastically different relationships and beliefs towards my father. I remember the two of them used to get into screaming matches and fist fights damn near every day when they were seventeen. Then, my father left and Paco went with him.