Red Converse

Chapter 11: The Drive

"Aaron..."

The room was empty.

I swore I heard his voice.

His footsteps.

The clink of his glass of chocolate milk.

I swore I saw him.

His smile.

His red converse.

A hand gently patted my shoulder.

"Please don't cry, dear. You'll make me cry," Mama confessed softly.

I brought my hand up to my face to feel the tears.

Why am I crying?

"Your brother is downstairs. He got worried because you were here for so long," Mama explained as her eyes swept over her son's room. I nodded, silently wondering why I had come here in the first place. My eyes caught something that confused me even more.

The red converse I had given him on his 18th birthday laid neatly by his bed. He never left the house without them.

Why are they here? Why am I here?

Mama didn't touch anything, which was odd. It was like everything was frozen in time. The question was, what time was it frozen in?

"Pete, let's go. Ms. Walker needs her rest," Brett said from beside me.

How did he get here without me noticing?

So many questions, so little answers. It was like I was in school all over again. I hugged Mama goodbye, and climbed into the car. Brett drove us home on the dark, snowy roads.

"Pete, you sure it's safe for me to be in the car with you? You're a pretty wild driver. That's what Brett told me anyways," Aaron worried aloud.

"Yup! I wouldn't offer to drive you to school if I thought I'd be putting you in danger." I smiled to assure him and patted my hands on the steering wheel.

He still looked hesitant as he stood awkwardly outside the car.

"C'mon, Aaron. You'll really be in danger if you're late for Mr. Clay's class," I teased.

"Ok...Just... Drive safe, please," he begged me as he sat down and buckled in.

He gripped his seat belt and the handle on the car ceiling like Brett whenever I drove him somewhere.

Even when it was my first time driving, Ma would just sit back and take a nap. She didn't seem to fear death. I bet death fears her just as much as everyone else does.

"I'll drive nice and slow just for you, Ronny." I winked at him. He grumbled at the sound of Mama's nickname for him.

I laughed as I put the car into drive, and started our trip to school.

I shot up and out of bed. Sweat dripped down my face and my breaths came out fast and uneven.

Why was I dreaming about that?

Why couldn't I remember anything else?

What happened on that drive?