Cupid's Sabotage (COMPLETED)

Chapter 15

On the ride home, Reggie kept hinting at how hungry he was from all the biking he had done. It was easy to perceive he was hoping we would stop somewhere along the way. With every fast-food joint that came into view, Reggie's eyes would grow and he would hold his breath, then let out a disappointing sigh as we drove by it.

"Doesn't your mom normally have dinner on the table at this hour?" I say.

"Yeah, but it never hurts to have an appetizer before dinner." He rubs his stomach. "Like cheese fries with shredded bacon and ranch dressing." I feel my own stomach grumble in protest. That does sound good.

After we had dropped Reggie off at his house, dad turns to me from the driver's seat. "How was your first day of work? Does it feel good knowing you're a working man now?"

"It wasn't bad. I suppose I'll feel better after I get my first paycheck."

"About that . . ." He lets his words trail off, which adds a bit of mystery to the conversation. "Your mother and I talked it over last week and we agreed that it isn't sensible for you to walk from the bus stop to work each day." I feel my heartbeat quicken. Is he saying what I think he's saying? "So we fixed that problem." He navigates the truck onto the street where we live. Our house is the third one on the left; baby blue exterior with pine green shutters. Sitting in the driveway is a car I've never seen before.

"Dad, what are you saying?" I try not to sound overly eager, but even still, those words burst forth.

We pull into the driveway behind the mysterious car. It's a two-door coupe with a small backseat and a sunroof. The black paint is faded and chipped away in several places, tires look fairly worn, and the bumper has a basketball size dent in it, but I don't care. It's mine! I can feel it.

Dad chuckles, a smile breaking across his fatigued face. "Don't get too excited. There are ground rules we need to go over. No driving after 9:00 p.m. No speeding. And no acting like you're on an episode of Top Gear. Got it?"

I bob my head up and down with excitement. "But it's mine, right? It's really mine!"

He ruffles my nicely groomed hair with his callused fingers. "Yeah, it's yours. Whaddya you say we take it out for a spin after dinner?"

"That'd be awesome!"

* * *

I felt elated on my way to school the next day. For over a decade I either rode my bicycle to school, or I took the bus, but today is different. Today, I'm driving myself to school. It's no Ferrari, but it's a set of wheels. And the best part is they're my set of wheels.

I see a familiar Super Mario Bros. T-shirt riding a bicycle on the side of the road. I honk my horn and come to a stop. "Hop in, Regg!"

Reggie casts a glance over the car, still pedaling. "No, thanks. My mom says never to take rides from strangers because if I do, my adorably round face will be on the five o'clock news."

"Suit yourself." I rev the engine to act cool; it makes a horrendous clunking sound that leaves me cringing.

"That rattletrap doesn't sound safe."

"Fine. Your choice." I begin to drive away. "See ya at school!"

Reggie stops pedaling and leaps off his bike. "Wait! Don't leave me. I'm sick and tired of having to ride my bike each day because I oversleep and miss the bus. Let me in!" There's a small bench seat behind the front two seats. Reggie carefully maneuvers his bicycle like he's trying to solve a sliding jigsaw puzzle until it fits. "When did you get this clunker?" He gets in the car.