Before the Hunt

Eight: Late Night Vents

POV Isaac

I'd woken up that Sunday morning to a note on my bedroom door. I didn't want to get up (mainly because I was only wearing boxers and my window was open and a couple of girls lived next door), and my bedroom was freezing cold. But once I saw that my aunt and uncle's cars weren't in the driveway, I knew that they went to Vegas, again. I wrapped myself in my blanket that was at the foot of my bed, and I walked over to read the note. It read:

"Hey Isaac, 
Your uncle and I are going to Vegas for the week. Be back soon! Also I'll sneak a suvi for you. 
Godspeed, 
Aunt Jess."

I liked Aunt Jess, she was nice. She wasn't as hateful and conservative as my uncle. Jess was a lot like my dad, both were smart, funny, and knew how to grill burgers. I folded the note and threw it in the trash bin across my bedroom. I put on my old 80's striped sweater with old jeans and my brown, muddy and torn converse. I cleaned off my glasses and walked out to my bike, which was cleaned off. Then I remembered how Don and I had a water hose fight while we cleaned off my bike's tires. It was fun, until Don fell in the mud and had to shower in my bathroom, but he at least helped me clean up the mud off the shower's floor and the bathroom tiles. And I was glad we cleaned it before my uncle got home, he doesn't like any of my friends, mainly because they're all a "bad influence" on me. Well guess what bitch? I'm the worst person to be friends with. I shoot homemade bottle rockets in my neighbors backyard with Marceline and Vincent. Sometimes Jeff and Don join us, but we're the ones who always get the cops called on us. Got a ticket one time, but I didn't pay it because I'm broke and I don't give a flying fuck. 

I got on my now clean bike and I rode to Don's place, which was in a cute little neighborhood across from the school and the downtown area. Don lived in a small house that had a large backyard and narrow driveway, which was common for most of the houses in my little town. His house was an off-white color with a dark brown roof, oak wood porch, and a large yellow door faced the front, with a white iron-barred door guarding the yellow door. I parked my bike in the empty flower bed and ran up to the porch, nearly tripping over my own two feet. I walked on the last step to find Don's older sister smoking in one of the patio chairs out front. "Hey ginger," Rose said as she puffed a cloud of smoke. I waved and asked, "Is Don in the basement out back?" Rose nodded and pointed her thumb to the back, "Yep, he's been askin' for ya for about, thirty goddamn minutes, Isaac." "You sounded like Willem Dafoe as you said that," I said as I headed out back to the small cellar doors. 

The minute I held out my hand to open the door, Don swung open the door, grabbed my arms, and dragged me in, saying, "Ya'll I got a wild ginger in my grasp!" Vincent laughed as I was nearly dragged across the concrete floor by a kid who's smaller and tinier than me, but hey, Don's the basketball star here, not me. Once Don had dragged me by my arms to the old, plaid couch that sat in his basement, I saw how he'd completely redone the place. The floor had a large, tie-dyed rug that covered half the game area, the TV was cleaned for once, the many shelves and apple crates of sports equipment and games for the Xbox were all neatly stacked in the corner of the room, and the walls looked power-washed. 

"I see that you tidied up the place," I said as I sat down. Don shrugged, "Ehh, I guess. Rose and Mom made me." I heard heavy boot steps running down the basement stairs, and I saw Chloe appear, wearing the same damn "Under the Cork Tree" album t-shirt from Fall Out Boy, and the same damn ripped jeans that she probably never washed. "Wassup hoes," Chloe said as she walked over with a grocery sack full of snacks and drinks in her right hand, which was covered in drawings of brains and aliens, because she draws on her hands a lot. "Hey Chloe," I said casually as she sat next to me on the old couch. "What's in the bag?" Vincent asked as he played CoD on the Xbox. Chloe shrugged as she pulled out a large bag of corn chips and a liter of Mountain Dew. "Stuff, "she said as she set the snacks on the small coffee table. Don ran upstairs and called from the top step, "I'm getting bowls, my mom will murder my red headed ass if we get food on the new rug!" "This rug? It looks like a hippie had an orgy party and then birthed this," Chloe said as she looked at the "new" rug in disgust. "Chloe, I couldn't said it better," I said with laughter. "Looks like something Marceline's grandparents would have hanging in their living room, but with the Irish flag colors," Vincent added as he examined the rug. "You aren't wrong, Vinny," I said, as I watched him play. "Okay, can we just take a moment to wonder as to why she's still single? She's drop dead gorgeous!" Chloe asked as she and I watched Vincent play CoD. I shrugged, "Well, nobody in your squad likes her because of her personality." "She's more down-to-earth than my friends, Isaac," Chloe remarked as she opened the bag of corn chips and began to eat a few. Don came down a few minutes later with four bowls, saying, "Well, Rose just left with her stoner friends, so... we can be as loud as we want!" "Don, you magnificent bastard," I said as I poured a few chips into the bowl I was handed. Don smiled a cheeky smile as he whipped his curly red hair back and forth, "I know, it runs in the family, baby." I laughed obnoxiously as Don did his best Justin Bieber impression. "I need a fucking haircut," he added as he moved his curly hair out of his green eyes.