Breathless

Chapter 9

The pic on the side is of Erin's Jeep at the end of this chapter. Let me know if you can see it.

The blizzard hit ful force last night and there was over a foot of snow, so we all went out after lunch an tag teamed shoveling the driveway, and now we're driving along the side of the road in a line of cars, trying to find the jeep.

"It's right there." I say, sad.

It's on it's side, there's ice and snow all over the engine.

This is the saddest thing I've ever seen.

I never cry, except last night when I was digging in my arm.

But now I want to because I love this car more than people.

We all pull over and stop, and I just stand there and stare at it.

"I love this car more than oxygen." I mumble.

"Let's all push it." Dad says.

"Dad, that's not gonna work." I say.

But they all waddle through the snow, leaving us girls on the other side, and they get a grip with their shoes on the ground, and they all push as hard as they can, flipping the jeep right side up.

The alarm starts blaring, and I smile.

My baby still has life.

I shut it off with the keys.

They walk around, inspecting the car.

"Oh, it's gonna be fine." Dad says. "it got beat up on the drivers side but it's not that bad, we could fix these dents with a suction cup, and the front drivers side headlight needs replaced from you hitting somebody, and the back bumper needs replaced. We could get this car back to normal for a thousand, easy."

"I don't have a thousand." I mumble.

"Well I do, and Christmas is coming. Open the hood and try to start it."

I go around the drivers side and get in it.

"The hood." Dad says.

I pop it open and he opens it, and all the guys watch as I start it up.

The engine sputters a lot, and then it roars to life.

I start crying.

I mean, I started my period this morning, and I'm very emotional, and my Jeep works.

They're all crowded around the front of the car.

"Rev the engine." Dad calls.

I do.

"Bring the RPM up and hold it." Dad says.

I bring it up to five and hold it.

"Alright, let go."

I let go.

I hear him talking to all the guys.

I didn't get hit hard. I thought I did, but I didn't. Everyone was going so slowly, not even pressing the gas, just letting the car roll.

Sucks if they drive a manual.

They shut the hood.

"I say fuck it, drive it back to Grandma's." Dad says. "Why are you crying?"

"I don't know." I say, wiping my eyes. "I thought it was done for."

"No, I think it's fine. You know, you could leave the Jeep up here, go back to Washington, pack your house, and move up here." Dad suggests.

My whole family has been begging me to move up here forever.

I sigh.

"Don't feel pressured." Dad says. "I'll get you new tires, get it lifted a bit. Hell, I'll even paint it blue for you, you know, that blue you love."

"Don't bribe me, Dad." I mumble.

He sighs.

"I know, I know. Let's see if you can get it on the street. Hey Alice, can you move the car a bit, don't press the gas."

Mom nods and moves their little Toyota Corolla.

"Alright, back up a little bit and try and get it out on the street." Dad says.

I put it in reverse.

Slowly, it starts to go backwards.

I back up enough, and then I put it in drive and turn carefully onto the street.

I don't even press the gas, but since I'm in the ditch, I have to give it a bit of gas. It gets back onto the street, and I back in behind Mom and Dad's car, and I put it in park and get out, inspecting the drivers side of the car.

It could, I guess, be worse.

"You know, the streets are good right now, I wanna make sure nothing is wrong, so drive down to the end of the street, turn around, and gun it." Dad says.

All the girls start to protest, but the guys seem fine with it.

Oh, fuck it.

I shrug and get back in the Jeep.

I put on my seatbelt and put it in drive and turn around to the end of the street.

Everyone moves to where the Jeep was parked.

I turn around at the end of the street, facing the long road in front of me, and then I say fuck it, and slam down on the gas.

The tires squeal and the car skids a good ten feet before the Jeep finds traction, and I take off, flying down the road.

I watch the speed shoot up, ten, twenty, third, forty, forty five, fifty five, sixty five, seventy, eighty, ninety, one hundred, one ten.

I slowly start to apply the breaks, and I start to slow down, until I come to a complete stop, and then I turn around and drive back parking back in my spot.

"You were fucking flying." Noah, Christian's cousin says. "How fast did you get?"

"I hit one ten." I shrug.

"And you weren't scared?" Annie asks.

"No. I would've died doing something fun. I'd have died with a story."

<><>

I told Dad later that night that I seriously don't know what I'm doing with my life and that I'm not making any decisions about moving, and the next day, I got up and the Jeep was gone, and hours, literally hours, he came back with it midnight blue, lifted a bit with nice ass tires, new windows, and the left side fixed.

He even got it detailed.

It's my baby and I'm so happy.

We're all sitting with the TV off by the fireplace and it's so nice and calming, and my mind is full, like, still, why haven't Christian and I kissed, why are we in love but we've never kissed?

I can't stop thinking about it, and it's making me worry there's something wrong with our relationship.

"So are you coming back for Christmas?" Mom asks.

"No idea." I mutter.

"If you moved here, it'd be easier." Dad mumbles.

I don't reply.