Away!

Andrei was the first one there, at the parking lot of his old high school. He was in his car, head lying down on the driver's seat with his legs hanging out of the window. He was looking at the night sky when a figure with a waving hand blocked his view of the stars.

“Hi, Drei!”

It was the person who successfully gave Yel his nickname and never stopped trying to give everybody else a nickname as well. Aimee.

“Finally!” Andrei exclaimed while not moving from his position. “I've been waiting here forever.”

“What a wonderful way to say hello,” she commented, not changing her cheery tone. “And you're just too early! You look ridiculous, by the way.” She copied his ridiculous position, her head lying on the passenger seat, bare legs hanging off out the window.

“Haha. But I'm glad you're here,” Andrei said, changing his tone from impatient to serious. “I have to tell you something. Well, I have to tell all of you. It's just you and Yel, right? But he's taking so long, I can't wait anymore.”

“What is it? Tell, tell!”

“I'm telling, I'm telling.” He took a deep breath before pushing out his next words. “I got my girlfriend pregnant and now I don't know what to do!”

There was the smallest pause and then an “Oh” from Aimee, her light tone gone.

Two carefree voices replaced filled the brief silence. At first there was distant chattering which came nearer and nearer, and there was a distinguishable “That's them!” and finally, “Hi, guys!” Yel and Williana said together.

“Hi, Yel,” Aimee replied. “Wiwi! You're here!” Everyone knew what kind of mom Williana had. Andrei was about to say something but was interrupted.

“Are you feeling cold, Aimee?” Williana asked although she guessed what the jacket was about. Nina made sure to let as many people know.

“Uh... Drei has something important to say!” Aimee said as she and Andrei proceeded to sit normally and the other two got in the backseat. Andrei faced the two in the back and repeated his news. They were all silent and contemplative.

“But you love her, right?” Williana piped up in her quiet voice.

“Yeah... Hm, what did you have planned for us tonight, Yel?” The change in topic offered a change in atmosphere.

“Nothing. Haha. Just drive around or something,” Yel suggested while leaning a little closer to Williana.

“Yeah! Let's explore the city!” Aimee bounced excitedly.

“Drive us away!” Williana, getting infected by her friend's spark, bounced as well, accidentally moving farther from Yel.

“Alright, let's go!” Andrei maneuvered his way towards the road as Aimee played the Urbandub CD in the car's player, and Andrei went as fast as he could.

The summer air was perfect. It was warm, but with the speed of the car, the wind felt rejuvenating on everyone's skin. It was pretty late and most of the establishments they passed were closed, giving them a feeling that they were the only ones awake. This night was theirs. The yellow streetlights against the black sky went by in a beautiful blur as they witnessed their hometown through new eyes.

There was a very straight strip of highway that they flew through. They went so fast, Williana was overcome with a feeling of freedom and just raised her arms and shouted, “Woooooooh!”

“Woooooh!” Yel followed her example, his arms were raised too. “We own the world!”

Even Andrei yelled and raised his arms for a while. The road was that straight that he could afford to let go of the wheel for a few seconds.

“Wooh,” Aimee yelled feebly, with her hands raised, but with her elbows still attached to her sides.

“Loser...”

“Lame...” the boys commented.

“Oh come on, Aimee. You're missing the fun. Here,” Williana proceeded to tug at Aimee's jacket from the backseat.

“No!” Aimee countered. She wanted to shout with them, but the trauma of the cheerleading contest was still with her. Then Andrei went fast again, faster than before. They were going back where they came, still through the highway and the three of them all raised their arms and screamed “Woooooh!” together and it was too much for Aimee. She unzipped her jacket, revealing a thin undershirt, and threw it in the back. Yel, sitting directly behind her, caught it with his face. She extended her arms (she shaved this time) as far as she could above her head and let out the loudest and longest shout of them all, and maintaining it until they were off of the highway. The wind on her skin along with the love of her friends whipped away her ridiculous trauma and her obsessed thoughts of stupid Nina. “That felt so right!”

“This whole night feels right. Where to now?” asked Andrei.

“Anywhere,” Yel said, and while looking at Williana, added in his thoughts Anywhere with you.

“Oh, I know!” Williana said. “Let's go to that cliff place where people kiss and stuff.”

“Chuck's Ridge? Why? You're weird, Wiwi.”

“Let's shine high beams on the people making out.” Then she confirmed Aimee's comment by letting out an evil laugh, which made everyone else laugh too.

They did try to go there, but none of them had been there before so they took a wrong turn and ended up a little to the right of Chuck's Ridge which was obscured from their view by thick plants. It was a clearing enough for only about one car and it had an even better view of the city below than on Chuck's Ridge.

“Where are the people making out?” disappointment was evident in Williana's voice.

Just then, Yel had a crazy idea. He said, “Here they are,” before 'making out' with the girl of his dreams. He just gave her and innocent smack on the lips but it was enough for him to know that he really would go anywhere with this girl, and it was enough for Williana to blush the reddest red.

The two at the front could not believe their eyes. They ended up bursting into laughter which made Williana feel more embarrassed, although she also felt secretly happy. She hit Yel on the arm. He still did not stop smiling, though. Nothing could ruin this night for him. He hugged Williana and apologized, and Aimee said “Awww” and intruded on their hug by hugging them both, and Andrei shrugged, what the hell, and hugged all three of them, and Williana felt squished but liberated and blissful at the same time.

“I love you, guys,” she was able to say with the air left in her lungs. Yel took that as forgiveness and they all sat down again.

“The city lights look so pretty tonight,” Aimee said after a while of silence, all of them were staring into space.

“Yeah,” Andrei agreed. “They look like diamonds.”

A general murmur of agreement went around and Andrei exclaimed, “Diamond!” which gained confusion from the other people in the car. “I'm going to get my girl a diamond ring and marry her. Duh. The solution was obvious. I can't even believe I was worrying over what to do. Well this makes things feel much, much better.”

They all reacted positively. They congratulated him, and reassured him that he would make a great husband and father, and that, of course, they were there for him. After the excitement his decision brought, they realized they were quite tired. Andrei rested his eyes, seeing the city lights last before falling asleep, dreaming of a wedding with his beautiful future fiancee and his three awesome friends.

Aimee resumed her old sleeping position before the ridiculous cheerleading incident; with her hands on the back of her head, she fell asleep promptly, with a big smile on her face that only these three people could induce.

Yel placed his arm over Williana's shoulders, and she willingly leaning closer towards him.

They were all in a deep slumber even as the sky slowly began to get light. The night may not have lasted forever, but the memory, the feeling, and their friendship, undoubtedly, would.

The End