Five Seconds After the Flash

Chapter Three

Andrew was silent as he drove, and I had no idea where we were going. 

The radio was on, and I could hear Tom Petty playing quietly over the speakers.

Andrew pulled into a thrift store parking lot, and I finally looked at him as my curiosity got the best of me. He jumped out, came around to my side of the truck and opened the door. His hand was outstretched to help me hop down.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

"You'll see. Come on."

We went into the store, and a cashier greeted us as I followed Andrew. He knew exactly where to go, and I trailed along behind him, more confused than ever.

He stopped abruptly at a shelf of dishes. I was beginning to think that I was in a dream. I picked up a set of coasters with horses painted on them and ran my fingers over the details of the design. There was a blue sticker on them labeled "$1."

"Here we go," he said. He bent over and picked up a box of plates, then hoisted them up and started walking toward the cash register. Puzzled, I put the set of coasters back on the shelf and followed.

"Hi there," he said, grinning at the cashier. She was about our age, with dark hair and long lashes. When she glanced up from texting on her phone, she caught a glimpse of Andrew and returned the smile immediately.

"Hi!" she said, "Redecorating your kitchen?"

Andrew laughed. "Something like that."

I felt a pang of jealousy at the flirtatious attitude from the cashier, then felt completely ridiculous. I'd known him less than a day.

He paid for the plates and grabbed the box again, then started walking towards the door. 

"Do I get to know now?" I asked as I tagged along behind him, and I could hear the frustration even in my own voice. I was tired, and I really didn't feel like playing games at the moment. 

"Not quite, but soon, I promise," he said.

We got in the truck again, and he started driving on back roads that I had never been on before. We ended up on a long winding road that ended after a huge field of small purple wildflowers. There was a storage building that looked as though it had long been abandoned, with metal siding that was starting to rust. Andrew pulled up to the building and parked by a roll-up door that was partially open at the bottom. 

"Should I be getting nervous?" I asked, "I feel like I'm about to be murdered."

Andrew laughed, but I was only half joking.

"The football team comes here to party and drink sometimes," he said, "I was invited to a few parties after I officially decided to transfer."

He got out and grabbed the box of plates from the backseat.

"Hm, Ryan never mentioned this place," I said, opening the door to get out. Ryan had always been open with me about his social life, but he had never mentioned an abandoned building in a field of flowers. Pretty sure I would have remembered that. 

Andrew carried the plates over to the roll-up door, then set them on the ground. His arm muscles flexed under his shirt as he pulled the door completely open, and I couldn't help but stare.

It was like some kind of cheesy horror film. At least I was getting murdered by the hot guy. 

"What are you smiling at?" he asked, obviously amused as he looked back at me. 

"Er, nothing," I said, hopping out of the truck.

With the door open, I could see the inside of the vast warehouse space. Weeds had started sneaking up through the cracks in the concrete floors, and there were a few plastic red cups strewn about a table that was set up for beer pong. Multiple tiki torches with candles at the top lined either side of the table.