Waste of lives pt 1

(Before)1

“Hey man, watch the squirrel!”2

David swerved sharply, crossing the yellow line in a major way as the little creature skittered across the road to the other side, apparently blissfully unaware he’d been about a split second away from becoming road kill. In the passenger seat beside him, Steven laughed, his smile loose and lopsided, the goofy looking way it always got after he’d been drinking.3

“Ooh, someone’s veering in the lane,” he called out. “Watch it, Davy-boy- someone’s gonna think you had a little too much to drink!”4

“Aw stuff it, Adam,” David replied obnoxiously, calling him the nickname Steven had been christened long ago in reference to his prominent Adam’s apple. “You’re one to talk, man- who about fell head first into the fire ‘cause he can’t handle a beer in one hand and a girl in the other?”5

“The ground was uneven, and Leahna was pulling on me!” Steven protested, laughing all the same. 6

“Pulling at what- your hand, or your dick?” Elijah piped up in the backseat beside me. He leaned forward, resting his arms on the seat’s back. “Don’t tell me you thought no one noticed!”7

I guffawed at that, along with David, whose eyes were slitted almost shut, driving with one wrist on the steering wheel. That probably would have scared his parents shitless if they ever saw him drive like that, but I was used to it. Hell, I did it myself. David had driven us all home from the lake to his house zillions of times and never so much as hit a squirrel. He was good at holding his liquor, unlike Steven, who could absolutely retarded, or me, who got sick and weird after just one or two beers.8

We did this pretty often, usually every other Friday night or so- go up to the lake with a few girls, usually Leahna and Rina and maybe a few of their friends. Sometimes Hayley, Elijah’s on-again, off-again girlfriend. I guess she was more like a friend with benefits than a girlfriend to Elijah- then again, I guess Leahna and Rina were too. Not that I ever reaped any benefits beyond a friendly kiss or hug. Being chubby, awkward, and redheaded, I’m not exactly every girl’s dream. In fact, I once heard Rina refer to me as being like her ‘brother’- the dreaded word that tells a guy there will never be any action on THAT front. 9

We’d usually have a few beers- Steven would have more than few actually, and Elijah too- and maybe smoke a few joints, if Elijah or David had brought any. We’d go over to the lake around ten or eleven, mess around a little- the other guys might make out a little with the girls, go skinny-dipping, an oxymoron for me to participate in if there ever was one- and then David would drive us to his house to stay. His parents were cool like that, didn’t mind us coming and going. It was kind of a don’t ask, don’t tell kind of thing. I guess the girls usually went to stay with Leahna or Rina. Just typical Friday night senior stuff- it was just now the end of April, and we had only a month left before school was out for us for good.10

“Hey- I saw you sucking face with Hayley again!” Steven laughed at Elijah. “You’re making fun of ME- your dick is like a yo-you with that girl! Up and down and swingin’ around!”11

Even Elijah had to break out in laughter at that. David shook his head, grinning broadly.12

“Hey man, the chick can’t help but come back. Can you blame her?”13

“Nah, I guess you can’t help blindness or insanity,” Steven cracked, then laughed at his own wit, certain he was a great comic talent. It was lame of course, but we all laughed anyway. Anything seems funny at four am, especially when you’re still a little buzzed.14

“Man, how come you never give us nothing to talk about, Adrian?” Elijah asked, and David looked over his shoulder at me quickly, still smiling goofily from his laughter at Steven. “No fair, you just sit and laugh at us and we never get anything to laugh at you over!”15

“He’s too smart,” David chuckled, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. “He’s got it all figured out to work us, the dick.”16

But now Elijah was more serious- he really seemed to want to know the answer to his question. He squinted across the seat at me.17

“No, like, seriously, you never hook up with anyone. How come?”18

Damn- I’d never thought they would actually ask me that, or even notice. I didn’t think he meant to pry or make me uncomfortable- he really was puzzled, as incredible as that seemed to me.19

I grinned, trying to play it off. “What, you mean you haven’t noticed my incredible physique?”20

“No, really, man,” Elijah pressed, “Rina’d probably date you, at least hook up with you once or twice. She likes you-“21

I laughed, disbelieving, and it sounded like I was choking. “Rina? You gotta be kidding me! She called me her brother!”22

“Ah, well, a little incest can turn some people on,” David grinned.23

I shook my head. “Right, man, right.” 24

They were crazy- and way drunker than I’d thought, clearly. Rina hooking up with me, right! Even the thought was ridiculous. I should know, as many times as I’d shot the idea down in my own head.25

“Hey, come on, really-“ Elijah continued, but Steven interrupted him, sitting up suddenly from his sprawled position.26

“Hey, is that Leahna’s car up ahead?”27

A blue car about Leahna’s car’s size and make had just come off a side road and turned in front of us. I couldn’t tell if it was hers or not as I leaned forward, straining my eyes to see. But Steven was right, it kind of looked like Leahna’s car. 28

“Hey- pass it up!” Steven said enthusiastically, almost bouncing in his seat. “Put on your high beams and flash her- cut in front of her! Car chase!”29

David grinned, began to speed up the car. Elijah was leaning forward eagerly, and I found myself doing so too, straining to see the car’s passengers. 30

David was really going fast now, and Steven and Elijah were whooping around him, yelling and laughing… the headlights were really bright, I’m sure they blinded the people ahead of us. Those few moments felt so light and free, full of adrenalized energy, free of the constraints of time or laws of the world. It was only a few seconds, but I’ll remember them forever, I think.31

See, those were the last seconds I remember of David and Steven’s lives.32

To be continued33