The Church Boys ➸ Peterick/Brentrick

9: Racing Through the City, Windows Down

Surprisingly, Brendon letting Patrick drive was a fun idea. It was swerving down onto the 405 and getting to PCH and watching the small boy that seemed so otherwise timid going almost (or over, realistically) ninety on the barren freeway. Brendon's parents had gotten him a nice car- probably because he was the favorite child and the others pissed their parents off too often. 

For not actually having a stick shift in his own car, Patrick was actually quite good at shifting gears to slow down as he took them into Laguna. As they pulled in through the canyon, he rolled down the windows and leaned back again. 

"I'm probably gonna sell my piece of shit and get something with four wheel drive," Patrick mused over the soft sounds of Brendon's Badlands CD playing in the background. "I like my truck and all, but if I could get something with a four wheel drive...good God, I'd never be home."

"What would you do with it?" Brendon inquired, scrunching up his nose at the thought of it. 

Patrick chuckled gently. "Fix stuff up if I had to. I love offroading, and my dad used to have the best car for it. I remember we'd go out to Trabuco all the time as a kid with my brother."

"I've never been." Brendon shrugged as Patrick stopped at a light and looked over at him.

"You haven't?"

"No...?"

"It's a moral imperative to go. We'll get together on a weekend and bring some friends once I can get my hands on a good car for it." He paused. "Do you have any other CDs?"

Brendon paused, stretching to reach into the backseat and pull out a long box that was full. "Yeah, let's see... I have all the Marina and the Diamonds albums, some Heart, If by Mindless Self Indulgence, a couple Muse CDs...erm...two Nirvana, the soundtrack to Wicked, State Champs, Lady Wood by Tove Lo, two Queen, Pink Floyd, David Bowie's Backstar-"

"That one makes me cry," Patrick admitted with a small laugh. "You have a lot, though. Anything else?"

"Icon by No Doubt and Purple Rain."

Nodding slowly, Patrick thought it over. "Well-"

"I also have an edgy-ass 90s compilation album."

It was hard not to laugh. "And no Michael Jackson? I'm hurt." Still, he shook his head. "Screw it, put on some Muse." Patrick wasn't looking to see Brendon slip in another disc first, but it was the intro that still tipped him off. "Did you- is this- why is goddamn Justin Timberlake's old boy band on?!" 

At this point, Brendon was laughing, shaking his head. "Admit it, you like the only song anyone knows by them."

"That's this one. Bye bye bye, asshat, you can walk home."

"This is my car, dipshit."

Patrick couldn't keep the straight face, he laughed, shaking his head and turning it up. "Suffer in your terrible decisions."

Still, afterwards, Brendon turned on Muse's Absolution as they drove through the darkening streets of Laguna Beach. They didn't talk too much as they drove: the silence between them was comfortable and welcomed. It relaxed the smaller boy, who was still slightly stiff from the near-sexual encounter. He'd been humming quietly along quietly without any real desire to speak. There wasn't anything for them to say. 

Every now and then, Brendon would ask Patrick to slow down, reminding him that they were still in a populated area. The smaller boy would comply, though he wasn't really in the mood for going at a more relaxed pace in the driving aspect. Still, after a decent amount of time, Patrick pulled into a parking lot. Brendon was well aware they weren't in Laguna anymore, but he was surprised to see Patrick get out into the faintly-lit darkness.