𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧'𝙨 𝙂𝙞𝙧𝙡

Ch.16 - The Leadfoot

I gazed out the car window, watching the world go by in a dizzy blur. Trees were already beginning to change from their lush green coloring to a dreary brown.

My ears tuned back into the car, or to be more precisely, Faye's ongoing conversation. Her mouth was steadily building up to the speed of light. I raised a brow.

Is she talking to herself or me?

We have been driving for all but five minutes, and my walking chatterbox of a best friend was already going off on a tangent. What is she talking about anyway? I lost track of the conversation a little after I heard her say she wanted to have Adam Levine's baby.

So much for her big Revirginization, as she calls it.

"Wait, are you even listening Patience?" Faye asked, making sure to stress the word 'listening'. She didn't really wait for a reply. "Alright, what does my best friend have cooking up in that stoic head of hers?"

Both my brows scrunched together as I turned from the car window to look at her.

"What?" I asked, unsure how to respond.

"Don't what me. I can practically hear those mental gears revolving inside you. " Faye took her eyes away from the road to glance at me. "Now spill."

I contemplated the answer to her question for a moment. An excuse started to formulate, but before it fully came together Faye cut me off.

"I swear Patience! I will forever call you by your initials whenever we are in public!" She jabbed one finger in my direction. Seriously, is she seven?!

"Really Faye-"

"Zzzzzt!" She interrupted again, this time poking me in the side.

"How old are-"

"Zzzzzzzzzzzt!"

"FAYE!"

"SPILL IT P.P!" She finally ordered, using my odd initials as ammunition. Back in middle school, they had been a constant source of embarrassment, on behalf of an immature group of boys who found it hilarious. I hadn't met and befriended Faye back in those days, but by now she obviously knows.

Now, being a senior in high school, my initials are hardly embarrassing for me anymore. But, it still isn't the most comfortable of situations to be in the middle of a crowd, and your equally as old best friend starts calling you P.P at the top of her lungs.

By now my resolve crumbled, and a hearty laugh erupted from me at her antics. The laugh was so raw that I actually ended up making a shamefully loud snort. That just about did it for Faye too.

We only seemed to feed each others laughter, and each time it caused something odd or unintentional to happen, the laughing got worse.

Ten seconds later and another embarrassing snort on my behalf, and the two of us were cackling loud enough to blow speakers. Forget giggling teenage girls, we probably looked more like psychos on laughing gas to any driver who happened to look through our windows as they passed by.

Our laughing eventually died down and we attempted to regain our breath. Naturally, we settled into a comfortable silence. "I miss her." I said after the quiet fully settled in. The ghost of a sad smile lightly crept its way to my lips. I'm not sure why it came out, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't true.

Faye didn't answer immediately, but I could tell she knew who I was talking about.

"I'm sure your mom misses you too," Faye assured me in a comforting tone. "And your sister." she added. "How long has it been since they last called?"

The question caused put a damper on my mood, somewhat. How long has it been? Three, four weeks? My discomfort caused me to start fiddling with my hands in my lap.

"Longer than I'd like..." I answered, sounding much more vulnerable than I wanted. Faye noticed the change in demeanor.

"Don't be so down about it Patience," She smiled. "She will call, and I promise that you will have all the time you want to experience the wonders of having a mother." Faye turned her tone to an older motherly one. "How was school? Have you been kissing boys? How was school? Are you on drugs? How was school? HAVE YOU BEEN KISSING BOYS?!"

The joke triggered a small giggle from me.

"No mother, I have not been kissing boys." I jested back, swatting her across the arm.

"Very well then. But I do think its time we had The talk." Faye feigned seriousness.

"Oh, but mother, my virgin ears couldn't possibly-FAYE!!!" My sentence turned into a scream, and my eyes went wide. The car was now leaning dangerously far into the opposing lane. An incoming car ahead of us honked desperately, attempting to grab our attention.

Faye's screams fused with my own as she swerved the car out the lane and onto the side of the road at the last second. The sudden action sent my head colliding straight into the window beside me.

We remained frozen on the side of the road until we were certain we were out of harms way. Or at least until our hysterical crying ceased.

"Faye! You almost killed us!" I yelled at her despite my throbbing skull. I swear, my life just flashed before my eyes...

"I'm way too young to die! I haven't even gotten drunk yet!" Faye whined loudly. "I swear it Patience, I saw the light!"

"Those were headlights Faye!" I exclaimed at her. "And what do you mean you haven't been drunk yet? You got tipsy over a glass of your dad's whiskey last week!"

"Revirginization calls for a completely new state of mind! I don't know what your talking about!" She cried, clutching at her chest. With a shaky hand, she inserted the keys into the ignition and pulled back onto the road.

"I'm so not getting in the car with you again." I huffed, although it was probably pointless to say right now. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell that Faye's mind is currently flirting with the opposite side of sanity.

Then again, when isn't it?

"Patience, do you think the car will be okay?!" She looked at me with desperation.

"Eyes on the road!"

»»----- - -----««

By the time we pulled into the driveway of my house, it was dark. Our little brush with death had Faye on edge, and she drove cautiously to the point of almost breaking the law for being too slow. Her entire body had gone rigid with alertness, and apparently someone stapled her eyes to the windshield, because they certainly never strayed far from there.

Not that I'm complaining. I'm happy living in one piece. For the most part...

I knew a dark thought was coming, so I did my best to shove everything into a mental pit and move on.

"I should thank you for the ride shouldn't I, Faye?" I asked, with a hint of mischief in my eyes.

"Yes, yes you should." She held a knowing smile on her face, waiting for the joke. I returned hers with my own crooked smile and hopped out the door, closing it quickly behind me.

"Well I'm not. Get some driving lessons first you lunatic!"

My best friend laughed and stuck her tongue out at me for the second time today. With a quick reverse, she pulled out of the driveway as I walked up my front porch.

"Sounds like something big bad Sawyer would say!" Faye shouted out her window as she sped down the street. My jaw dropped as I watched the rear end of her car disappear into the distance.

Of course she would bring up her almost-vehicular-manslaughter of Dean, at the most random of times. I quickly clamped my jaw back shut and entered the house.