A Second Chance At Life

Immoral

After several hours of procrastinating cleaning out my closet, Lucy finally arrived home, giving me a new project.

"Wax on, wax off, Daniel-son," she teased and tossed me the keys to her car.

I sighed. At least it will be easier than Pam's truck, I thought to myself and went to get a bucket.

Apparently Tennessee did a number on everyone's car, because even Lucy's hybrid was covered in gravel dust, which was made even more apparent by its color. If I learned anything from Tennessee it was that black cars show the most dirt and dust.
When I got back with a bucket of soap water, Ella was parked in our drive.

"You're going to wash a car in those?" she called, pointing at my shorts.

"Yes?" I answered, confused. "It's hot out."

"Okay," she paused, "but you won't do it next time."

I wet my sponge and started on the roof. "Oh? And why is that?"

As if on cue, two guys drove by in a pickup truck. The boy in the passenger seat lowered his sunglasses and whistled.

"That's why," she said gravely, watching them drive off.

"Oh please," I said, wiping down the windows, "it's not like I've never been catcalled before."

"Not like people here. It's like they think they own you," she said solemnly, pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

"No one could ever make me feel like less of a person, and no one will ever make me feel like they own me."

Ella made a mock serious face. "You're saying you're not my bitch?"

I blushed. "No," I said sharply and tossed the sponge at her, soaking the front of her shirt.

She stood speechless for a long moment, staring open-mouthed at her shirt. Finally, she looked up at me with joy in her eyes. "Oh, you are so going to pay for that," she growled and lunged towards me.

I shrieked and ran giggling around her truck. "Only if you can catch me!" I called, climbing into the bed of the truck. Oh no, I thought, where'd she go? as I saw a shadow crossing mine.

"GOTCHA!" Ella yelled, and tackled me, getting water all over my clothes. We landed in a clump in the bed of her truck, my legs straddling hers.

My cheeks burned, and I rolled into my back, breathing heavily. "You got me," I panted, admitting defeat.

"Damn right," Ella said, clearly not noticing my embarrassment. "See? I do own you."