These Broken Souls | COMING SOON

Part I: 1

one 

JORDAN

It was a bad idea from the start. But we are young, free and dumb. Very dumb.

At this age, there are many things I don't know. I don't know why people go around saying "live life to the fullest because life is too short not to" when actually, life is the longest thing we do. Nobody ever specifies which part of life to live to the fullest; the good days of course, but even the bad days? I reckon we'd eventually get tired of 'living like there's no tomorrow' – we'll run out of countries to visit, people to meet, food to eat, ways to love, and places to live in. It wouldn't feel much daring and exciting to take a risk anymore once you've done it every day. Where's the thrill in that?

What I also don't know is why then do I find speeding over the limit a 'thrilling' thing to do. Maybe it's because of the Friday night feeling in the air, with the streets set ablaze with lights, and the wind of the dark night rushing through the locks of my hair. Maybe it's my friends' reckless whooping and cheering in the car with me, testosterone surging through us. Or maybe because we don't always have control over where life takes us, so navigating my own direction in this one opportunity makes me feel invincible. Alive, and with a sense of purpose. It's not quite the thrill of standing at the edge of a cliff but rather, running towards it as fast as I can.

As the tyres screech against the road, I swerve my Audi past the other cars on the lane. The narrower the gap between them, the quicker my heart pounds each time. The more I want to stop, the more I speed up. My hand never leaves the gearshift as, daringly, I take advantage of the control I have over the car, challenging my own nerves. Subject to a vicious cycle, I'm in love with the feeling of being unbeatable. Impulsive for all the wrong things. And supposedly, living life to the fullest.

"We're late." Laario says from the backseat. School had finished three hours ago. I missed dinner with my family again; I try to guess the number of missed calls and texts from Mom. "Do you think you could go a little faster, Jordan?" He jokes and I laugh out loud, feeling my pressure on the foot pedal increase. "Your mom will kill you when you get home, Amir." 

"If I get home in one piece that is."

"Slow down, Jay." Laario says.

I roll my eyes. "Relax. We'll get home with only minor damage. We're nearly at yours anyway, Amir."

"No, I mean it, slow down, Jordan!" And that's when I hear the sound of the sirens blaring from directly behind us. "Damn it, they're right on our tail. Pull up."

"Shit. Not again." Immediately, I lift my foot off the pedal, switch gears and wait as the car slows down. A cop signals at me to pull over on the side of the road and I do once I find an empty space. My grip on the steering wheel is tight.

We wait until one of them walks over to the side of the car. I roll my window down. This time the officer that meets me is of a small height, his weary face showing how he would much rather be at home.

"How fast were you driving back there, son?"

I put on a friendly smile. "I thought I was going with the flow of traffic, sir."

He shakes his head. "The 'flow of traffic' is going at 30. You were doing 59." He tells me, and as expected starts scribbling on a speeding ticket. "Are you having a bad day?" He asks, without looking up.

I raise my eyebrows at him. "My day was going well actually, thanks."

"Well, life is full of surprises, ain't it? Not always of the good kind."

"Note taken." I nod.

"You need to get your friends and yourself home safe, son. Name?"

"Jordan. Jordan King."