Just Bent

Chapter Three

I apologize for any grammar or spelling errors! I will try to go through everything and make sure there aren't any, but please do let me know if you see anything absolutely outrageous! Thank you :)

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I guess being inconspicuous wasn't on the agenda. From my position against the door in the backseat, the music was especially loud. My back was pressed as far into the corner as the seatbelt would allow, my outside arm propped up against the open window, elbow dipping past the window seal and into the outside air. The cold wind whipping past the car, blowing against my arm, causing goosebumps to appear everywhere else, grounded me. My eyes scanned over the other inhabitants of the car and I figured they needed to get grounded too.

Haley drove, both hands on the wheel and both eyes on Mac, laughing at his all out attempt at air guitar in the passenger seat beside her. Tommy had long since gotten over his vetoed claim to the front as he and Nathan used the confines of the car to create a dance floor. The beer was steadily disappearing, my own left unopened in between my legs. Their voices were growing louder, singing along, shoving each other...

I looked out the window. Night had descended finally, darkness cloaking buildings in blue moon light as they blurred past us.

My heart beat was louder then the music, louder then the blood rushing in my ears, and felt as if it was beating the underside of my chest black and blue. I couldn't make myself touch the beer. I never could. But the closer we got to our destination the stronger the urge to pop the cap and drain the entire thing as quickly as possible grew. When the Jeep turned onto the road that lead out of town I pulled my arm in, the window giving a mechanical whir as it moved to be closed.

''

We parked in perfect view of the store, in the shadows. Looking at it from top to bottom I couldn't help the agonizing apprehension that winded its way down my spine.

"Alright boys," Mac turned in his seat, grinning ear to ear. I glanced out of the side of my eye at Haley who had leaned forward over the steering wheel to frown up at the building.

"Haley will wait here incase we gotta get out of here, but all in all it'll be like we discussed earlier ."

"Mac... I'm not so sure about this." Haley's small voice interrupted Mac's growing excitement, her blue green eyes meeting mine before turning the intensity of her concern on him. Mac chuckled.

"It's a good thing I'm not with you for your thinking skills baby."

With that he cupped the back of her head and kissed her with a forcefulness that had me turning to my door and pushing it open.

Outside the jeep the night only grew colder. Tommy and Nathan were following me out seconds after, slamming the door shut behind them.

"He better pray to God Mr. Hamilton hasn't nutted up in the months since he fired him." Nathan grumbled beside me, chin tucked into the collar of his sweatshirt. Shit man. Why didn't I think about a sweatshirt? Tommy laughed.

"Not Mr. Hamilton. Dudes so old school man. I'm surprised he locks his doors at all."

It was true. Mr. Jeffry Hamilton had been apart of this town since before I could remember, his family one of the founding families. His was the first department store the town had ever had, and it stood vigil at the entrance of town, a large white brick building with 'Hamilton's Department Store' scrawled across the front in massive script lettering. I remembered laughing when Mac told me he'd started working here a couple years back. I wasn't laughing anymore.