The Rules of the Red - 2014 Watty Award Winner |✓|

Chapter Five - Part Four

For another hour, Addy dutifully sat with me, as we counted down the minutes until nine o’clock approached. And at ten minutes till, I exchanged good-byes with her, and she wished me luck.

I retreated through the bar’s back exit, to the alley, where I could stand in perfect view of both the front and back parking lots of the Blue Moon. Nervous, I pulled up the hood of my jacket, stuffed my hands into my pockets, and willed myself to think of anything – anything at all – besides the fact that Tidus might very well decide to do away with me in the next hour. And strangely, it was thoughts of my father that took up the empty space within my mind, and suddenly I felt a strong, staggering case of despair. Would I die tonight having discovered nothing? Or would I live long enough to still be able to discover the truth?

 I jumped, as the bar’s backdoor was opened, and positively fainted with relief when I saw that it was only Lucas, lugging with him two large trash bags.

“Thought you went home.” Lucas said, with a grunt as he hefted the trash to a dumpster several yards away. “Newport’s still inside, she not your ride?”

“No, not tonight.” I said, wistfully.

“Hey, is everything all right? You look like you’ve got more on your plate than you can chew right now, Noble.”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Yeah, and you still haven’t answered my question.”

I couldn’t find the right answer, but the bright head lights of a white dodge charger saved me from having to lie. The car rolled silently through the back parking lot to meet us, illuminating the black wetness of the pavement, as well as the suspicious, mistrusting expression on Lucas’s face. We watched as the car pulled to a stop beside me, as the driver – hidden behind windows of tinted glass – revved the engine in sinister invite.

“Take care, Lucas.” I said, wishing more than anything that I could stay. But instead I gave him a final wave and a smile, before opening the passenger’s side door.

“Yeah, you too.” he replied, unhappy – but resigned – in letting me go.

*  *  *

The soothing, mellow tones of Weezer’s Say It Ain’t So covered the silence that hung between myself and Tidus Romaine. He drove with his hands at ten and two, his posture rigid and his face blank as he nodded, casually to the beat. Looking at him, it was difficult to even guess, what it was that he was feeling, and this was more unsettling than anything.

Finally, I reached a point where I couldn’t it any longer, so I turned down the music and forced myself to speak.

“Where are we going?” I demanded.

But before he answered, he glanced at me from those big blue eyes, and it was almost as if my vertigo had returned. He could have said that she lived at the edge of the world, and it wouldn’t have made any difference to me. I would have followed him anywhere because he was so goddamn wonderful to look at.