Good Things Fall Apart

Celestial

Benji: I'm outside. you ready to go? [5:33 AM]

Victor grins at his phone screen, the only source of illumination in his still-dark room.

Victor: be right out! :) [5:33 AM]

They'd discussed the plan over Victor's shift the evening before. Leave before six, arrive around ten, stay overnight and come back Sunday night. A solid thirty-six hours away from Atlanta, away from Victor's parents, and away from the chaos the world has become lately. He's been awake for almost an hour now; he'd been unable to get a good night's sleep with the thrill of leaving coursing under his skin.

Victor shoulders his duffle bag and slips his phone into his pocket. Before he leaves his room he presses his ear up to the door. The coast is clear, so he slowly pushes it open and creeps out. He's almost reached the front door when someone clears their throat behind him.

He slaps a hand to his mouth to tamp down a yelp of surprise. It's Pilar, her arms crossed and eyes dark.

"Pilar," he says, smiling into a sigh. "I thought you were—"

"So, what? You're running away now?" she says, not bothering to keep her voice down. "I heard you throwing a bag together. Very subtle."

Victor shushes her and steps away from the front door, raising his hands to pacify her. "Look, I'm just going on a trip, okay? Mom and Dad can't find out, or I'm literally dead."

Pilar looks at him for a second, eyes narrowed, then reaches to turn on a light. Victor grabs her arm and shakes his head violently.

"Look, come out into the hall with me. I'll explain, I promise. But if they wake up—"

From their parents' bedroom, Victor's father coughs and his blood goes Arctic.

"Please," he begs.

Pilar huffs but follows him out the door. Victor turns to her, palms sweating.

"I'm going to the beach with, um, Benji. We're sort of..."

Pilar's eyes widen. "Holy shit, Victor. Benji?"

"You know him?"

"Uh, yes? Who doesn't know who Benji Campbell is? Pause—" she says, closing her eyes and waving her arms in front of her. "Is he the one who you cheated on Mia with?"

Victor sighs and blinks a few times, a hand coming up to his forehead. "Yeah, it was him. Then Mom and Dad found out about us and they told me I'm not allowed to see him anymore."

"Oh. Fuck."

"Yeah."

"Victor, the nearest beach is, like, over three hours away."

"That's the thing. I won't be back until tomorrow night."

She scoffs and turns around, throwing up her arms in disbelief. "And you're expecting them not to flip the fuck out?"

"Can you cover for me? Don't tell them where I really am obviously, just let them know I'm not dead and I'll be back?"

Pilar whips back around, eyes sharp, incredulous. "You're disappearing at five in the morning and I'm just supposed to cover for you? Have you met our parents, Victor?"

"I'll be in your debt for literally forever. Felix already has a cover story prepared too, you can talk to him. Please, Pilar. I just—I really can't be here right now," he says, voice breaking. His bottom lip starts to tremble like he's a little kid, but knowing that Pilar is the only thing between him and Benji's car—his way out—makes his stomach threaten to collapse on itself.