Genesis

Car Collections and Sugar-Mamas

     "There you are," Dorian said as we approached. He was standing with a group of others, and one of them with dark hair handed Colt a backpack. I recognized him as Kit, the guy handing out food earlier that day.

     My attention was caught by another guy with brown hair who handed me a backpack of my own. I remembered him as Daniel, the guy who was handing out water from the day before. I didn't have the time to think any further as Dorian began to speak.

     "Alright, so," he began, unfolding the map he was holding and spreading it onto the grey tables in front of us, "We are here," he pointed at the map, "An abandoned picnic park project, and we need to get here," he pointed at another place on the map, "That's the closest town to us. Hopefully, we find a supermarket, and maybe grab some leftovers there."

     "So, how do we get there?" Daniel asked him.

     Dorian reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of metal that I recognized as a compass.

     "Using this," he said, examining for a moment before pointing to his left, "Okay, this way."

     That's when I heard Colt sigh, disgruntled, as he snatched the compass from Dorian's hand and positioned himself in front of the map tensely.

     "No," he began with a tone of frustration, slamming the compass onto the table, "Not that way. Look. First, you have to align the north needle of the compass to the north needle of the map. Then, you go. This way," Colt shoved the compass back at Dorian before walking away in the opposite direction that Dorian earlier indicated.

     There was a sinking feeling in my stomach as Colt walked away.

     "Is it just me, or is his mood even worse than usual?" Dorian commented before grabbing the map and walking in that direction. I followed, not too far behind. A few minutes later, I was approached by someone it took me a moment longer to recognize.

     "Hey, Quinn," the guy with gingerish-blond hair greeted me, "I'm Lucius."

     "I know. I'm told that you're the one who found me in the woods," I stated, waiting to see his reaction.

     "Yeah," he confirmed. I continued with what I wanted to say.

     "Thank you. For not just leaving me there, and for bringing me back to this camp," I smiled nervously. He grinned at me.

     "Don't mention it. I just did what anyone would do. Well, anyone except Colt, that is."

     At the mention of his name, my eyes flickered forward to see him walking much further ahead than Lucius and I were.

     "Not to be weird or anything, but I can't help but notice your eyes," he said as my gaze shifted back towards him, "They're violet, right?"

     "Yeah," I said, before noticing a small detail I had never paid attention to before, "Your eyes... they're violet too, aren't they?"

     He smiled, "Yeah. Isn't that just crazy though? How in the midst of all of this, two people with one of the rarest eye colors in the world, actually meet?"

     I smiled back at him, "Well, I guess we're bound to have something good happen every here and there... So, where did you come from?"

     "I came from Indus Correctional, just like everyone else," he told me with a confused look on his face.

     I rephrased, "No, I meant before juvie. Were you in New Indus?"

     "No, I was further east," he started to explain, "I should probably tell you something about me to get it out of the way; I'm an orphan."

     "Oh," I said awkwardly before he continued.

     "No, it's fine. I didn't know my biological parents anyway, so how can I miss them? My foster family though... I miss them."

     "I guess I can relate to that."

     "Never knowing your parents or missing your family?"

     "Both, actually," I told him, "I never knew my father, and my mother--... I don't really remember all too much about her. Just flashes of images, really. I wouldn't have even known her name if Evelyn hadn't told me."

     "Evelyn?" he asked me.

     "Yeah, my aunt," I explained.

     "So, you grew up with your aunt after your mom--, I'm guessing... passed away?"

     I nodded my head, "Something like that, but yes. I lived with my aunt Evelyn and her husband Tom... I just hope she's okay."

     "Just her? Not Tom?" Lucius asked me in a teasing tone, "So this Tom wasn't like a second father to you or anything?"

     I laughed, "No! God no, he was just Evelyn's husband to me. He was always just a pretty face who loved my aunt for her looks, her money, and her vast vintage car collection."

     Lucius grinned, before saying, "So what, your aunt's like his sugar-mama or something?"

     There was a silence before we both burst out into fits of laughter.