Goth Boy (on hold?)

Dashboard

For the first time in weeks Coal slept through the rising sun. Morning faded to noon as the heat of day came into full swing. His dark eyes stared at the ceiling in disbelief, as his heart pounded, waiting for his dad to barge in. Finally not being able to take the anticipation he removed himself from his bed and made his way out of his room.

His father sat at the table looking over paper work with a set of reading glasses on. He didn't even bother to look up when he said, "Glad you decided to join the living."

Coal sighed and found himself at the coffee pot, a mug in hand. "Is there a reason why I was allowed to sleep in?" He looked around the room, waiting for something to jump out.

"Not really." The father took a sip of his own coffee, setting the paper work down. "Well, partly because you got home so late. What were you doing?"

"Jose invited me to a jam session. He wanted me to sing for his band." Coal shrugged pouring hot tar into his cup and then began adding sugar.

"You sing?" His dad didn't really sound interested, so he didn't bother answering. Instead he added creamer to his sugar mixture.

"Any way, get dressed. I'm tired of luging you around. How old are you again?"

"15.."

"Alright, we'll start at the dealership."

The dealer ship wasn't a dealer ship. It was a mechanic's shop, with a junk yard attached. Half desert half concrete the place reeked of motor oil and beer. And in fact, mike, or at least who Coal assumed was mike, beings that he owned "mike's auto mechanic shop and junk yard.", showed up with a beer in his hand.

"So, what are ya looking for today?"

Coal's dad, who seemed unperturbed by the drunken state of Mike, smiled warmly. "Well Mike, I need some wheels for my boy. Preferable four."

"Right this way."

The car that mike found, that matched his description, had four wheels. And two doors. And a steering wheel. And that's about it. The seats were cracked maroon leather, and the paint job was almost nonexistent.

"It needs a bit of a tune up, and maybe a radiator, but she runs. The fellows old Bear got this car off of were a couple of ruffians, but they did take decent care of her." Mike spit a swig of beer into the dirt.

"Dad I think-,"

"We'll take it."

Coal found out quick that the car was a manual. Beings he knew nothing about driving, let alone a standard, his dad road with him so he could get the hang of it.

"Alright, push in the clutch and the brake."

"Which ones the clutch, and which is the break." Coal paid full attention to his feet and the three pedals in the floor board.

Coals dad sighed, his patients already at its end. "The one on the far right is the gas, next to it is the break, and the one on the far left is the clutch."

"How is this suppose to work. I only have two feet?" He choked back the laugh that threatened to burst forth.

"Your left goes solely to the clutch, and then like in every other vehicle your right is for gas and break. You have no reason to press both at the same time. So push the clutch and the break."

Coal did this then looked at his dad.

"Now turn the key."

Coal did, and the engine roared to life. And then died ferociously throwing him into the steering wheel and his father into the dashboard.

His father glared at him. "Pull it out of first, and don't let off till I say. Damn it boy did I ever teach you how to drive?!" his father snapped.

"No you never taught me any thing!" Coal yelled back. He stared down at the steering wheel, it was one of the few things on the car that wasn't worn completely out. In fact it was almost new.

A silence stretched between the two for a long wile. Coals dad was the first to break it.

"Son I'm sorry. It's... There really is no excuse..."

"It's fine. So tell me how to start this thing again."

After what felt like forever Coal finally began to understand a standard. Getting the car moving was the hardest part. Even after three hours of driving, he still killed the car two out of three times on ignition. Passing through gears was getting easier though he still had a problem with hitting third instead of fifth, which would shoot the rpms up and throw him and his dad into the windshield.

"Alright. I'm done. You keep practicing. go visit your friends or something." Coals dad didn't wait for the car to come to a complete stop before getting out.

"Are you sure? Dad I don't have a license, what if I get pulled over?" Coal slammed on the breaks narrowly missing the pole holding the yard light.

"Just tell them your my son."