The Bad Ones

Ch. 4: Life Is A Beach

I was going all out with the music blasting through the house right now. Besides skating, I lived for music and dancing. Well, I never actually danced, but I loved it. The way it felt to move and away to music was intoxicating to me. So, as I was packing, I was also kind of dancing and singing along to 'Next' by The Weeknd.

"Move it, Bail, or we'll have to rush just to see Veronica," Drey called over the music, banging on my open bedroom door.

I turned down my speakers and sighed. "Remind me again why she and Lakefield are going?" I asked, zipping up my suitcase.

"We need someone to torture, don't we?" she smirked.

"It isn't as fun as it used to be. Oh, lord, now I sound like her. I bet she thought the same way when she treated us like crap before," I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, probably. Let's go," she said, grabbing my suitcase and carrying it downstairs.

I looked around for my cell's car charger as, after I found it, I grabbed my house keys, iPad mini, backpack, and skateboard. "All set, Bail," I muttered to myself as I hauled everything to the car. When I got to the garage, I frowned. "What the hell is this?"

Veronica was already here... With the twins as well. "Hey, bestie," Veronica smirked.

"I'm i gnoring you," I said to her, then turned to Rebecca, the taller twin. "So, you guys are going?"

She smiled, "Sorry. She asked us to go and we were hoping it'd be cool. Well, Amara said it was and that we'd be using the SUV, then."

Mar stepped beside me, "Yeah, we're taking the SUV instead."

"Okay," I shrugged.

Veronica stepped in front of me, "Look, I'm... I'm sorry, okay? For how I treated you before and how I'm such a bitch all the time. But, to be fair, lately I've only even a bitch to you because you've been that way to me."

I walked around her, still ignoring her, and loaded my shit into the trunk of the SUV. "Drey, I'm sitting with you up front," I told her.

She took one last time of her cigarette, placed it in the car's ash tray with all her other unfinished sticks, and frowned at me. "You don't want to drive?" she asked quietly.

I stopped what I was doing and stared at her with a tired expression, "No, I don't. You know I can't."

She stared back, then sighed, "Okay. Fine."

Ever since my dad's accident, I've only been able to ride in a car, but not drive one. When I tried driving, my hands shook like crazy and I got all lightheaded. At first, Mar and Drey thought I was kidding but we almost got into our own accident when I could barely see the road one day. Since then, I never got behind the wheel.

"Why can't you drive?" Riley, the shorter twin, asked me.

I shook my head and proceeded to fit my junk between everyone else's, "Uh, I'm just kind of tired, you know? I don't want to fall asleep behind the wheel."

"Okay," she shrugged, walking back to Rebecca. That's why I liked Riley. A simple answer was good enough.

"Ready?" Mar asked me, leaning against the car with her arms crossed. She continued more discreetly. "I think Veronica meant what she said. I'm not saying you should forgive her, but you could lighten up, Bail."

"Do me a favor and never mention the word 'forgive' after first mentioning the name 'Veronica', okay?" I frowned, shutting the trunk. "Let's just get a move on."

During the drive, I swear I could kill myself. The twins and Veronica were talking about how they wanted perfect tan lines so they could show it off, and Drey kept complaining that the boys weren't driving fast enough; they were leading the way in Carter's jeep. Mar had earphones to drown out the noise, but I didn't want to use mine in case Drey tried to tell me something.