Suga Babies

Dade

“Good! At least we can agree on something!” she snarled and turned to storm off. But I was already heading out of the garden. I had to get out before I did something even stupider than what I’d just done. I knew what I was doing was stupid as I did it but those damn pills impaired my judgment too much. I was high, if you didn’t catch on. I was high as a fucking kite. I didn’t know what to do once I got out of what used to be my safe haven. Cat and I could exist there in some kind of twisted peace but now… Fuck! Why do I always ruin the good things in my life?

I started walking, my head spinning and pounding simultaneously. I hadn’t been out long enough for the drugs to wear off. They were still full strength and if I were to get pulled over because the police officers around here hate me and like to watch me suffer, I’d be so fucking screwed. They like to fuck with my mind. I know I’m a bad kid and all but they like stalk me and make sure I’m not breathing the wrong way. Seriously, no joke. If I even kick a pebble or something, they’re on my ass like I’m some kind of felon. I’ve never really done anything wrong, in all honesty. Sure, I was a little drunk and rammed my car into the giant oak tree outside of the mall. Sure, I’ve broken and entered before. But I wasn’t a bad kid, really. I was just being a teenager.

Yeah, a bad teenager.

Who the fuck are you?

I’m you, stupid. Remember me? I was that little voice that told you not to get drunk. I was that little voice that told you to not follow Jess into that house. I was there when you started screwing Kelsey, telling you it was bad idea and one of you was going to get hurt. Remember me now? We’re like, best friends.

Fuck off!

I stomped into my house and heard my mom immediately slam the door to a cupboard. She came towards me and the screeching started.

“Where the fuck were you, Dade Brennan Sherman? You can’t keep running off like that! You know you’re supposed to tell either your father or myself where you are going when you leave this house! I don’t know what’s gotten into you but it needs to stop because I did not raise you to be this way. You have no respect for your father or I and that is not the son I’ve raised.”

“You’re right, Mom. But the son you raised, you don’t know because you’re never home to actually know me. The son you know is the perfect, athletic guy whose best friends with everyone, right? Is that the son you’re thinking of?” I asked.

She didn’t say anything. Her mouth hung open in disbelief, prompting me to continue.

“Well, Mom, if you stayed home for more than a few hours every day, you’d know that I hate Cat, with a passion. I hate Beverly Hills. Jess stopped being my friends months ago. I toy with the thought of jumping off the side of our house every day that I have to go to that fucking school. I love you and Dad, don’t get me wrong but sometimes, I fucking hate you because you don’t know who I really am. I make stupid decisions because I want you to open up your goddamn eyes that I need you to notice me!” I screamed. I then made the worst decision of my life; I grabbed the keys to my bright red 2010 Chevrolet Avalanche.

I grabbed my Ray Bans from the side table by the door and sprinted into the garage. I hit the button by the door and opened the garage door, listening to the satisfying sound of moving metal. I got into my truck and pushed the key home into the ignition, turning it while the engine rumbled to life. I threw the truck into reverse and backed out. At any given point, I was mentally chiding myself, telling myself to turn back, to stop and sober up. I didn’t listen.

I turned off of the main road of Beverly Hills and onto the highway. I was driving way too fast. I wanted to get to a safe place. I just didn’t know where that was. I’d destroyed everywhere else; the garden, my own home and even my head. What was I to do?

Ardith!

I smiled and pressed my foot against the gas. Until I realized I was running low on gas. I growled and found the nearest exit. I was turning off the ramp when a large school bus was speeding towards me. I instinctively slammed on the brakes and watched as the yellow vehicle passed me and turned with a sudden jerky movement onto a perpendicular street. I groaned and leaned my head against the wheel. Someone blared their horn behind me and I flipped them off out the window, turning slowly towards the gas station. I reached down for my wallet and hummed along with the song playing from the radio. It was one of those generic pop songs that even if you didn’t know the song, never heard in your life, you could hum along because it was predictable. Not my cup of tea, honestly but I forgot my iPod to plug in so I stuck. I glanced up at the last second and my eyes widened. A large black SUV came barreling towards me and there wasn’t anything I could do to stop him. He wanted to hit me.

The front end of his SUV crushed the front of my own car, pushed the several tons of metal together as the angry car behind me slammed into my back end. I cried out as I was whipped around like I was a small child. I’d forgotten my seat belt and I went flying towards the windshield. I squeezed my eyes shut and felt the glass enter my skull, shoulders and neck before everything didn’t hurt anymore, I had been knocked unconscious.