Getting Away With You

I slept in Matt’s bed that night, and he slept on the couch. I told him I could take the couch, but he insisted it would hurt my back and neck. The next morning after we woke up, I got a shower and got dressed; then we skipped breakfast, gathered up our stuff, and left the house. We drove out of town a good few miles to an open area, where a black Suburban was waiting, with two guys standing outside of it, laughing at something that was apparently funny. Matt pulled up, and they both ran over to the car. One guy with short spikey black hair and sunglasses opened Matt’s door.

“Hey, where the fuck have-” He stopped as he noticed me. “…Hello?” He looked at me, then at Matt. “Matt?”

“Oh, new toy.” The other guy -the tall one- grinned at me as he opened my door, leaning on it as he looked at me.

“Uh, Danielle, this is Jimmy and Brian.” He introduced the tall one as Jimmy and the guy that had opened his door as Brian. I noticed Brian eyeing me with somewhat of a curiosity, and Matt noticed it too. “Brian, she’s off limits.” Matt said sternly, and Brian backed off, holding his hands up.

“Never said I was going after her.” He defended. I leaned over the console to Matt.

“Are these two guys safe?” I asked him, and he just laughed before unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out. I followed his actions, and Jimmy unexpectedly picked me up and took me from the car, spinning me around and making me hold onto his neck so I didn’t fall.

“Jimmy, stop fucking around!” Brian said, and Jimmy smiled at me as he kicked my door closed, then walked over to where Matt and Brian were standing and finally put me down. I nearly fell from being slightly dizzy, but leaned on Matt for support. “Dude, you need to at least try and act normal, for one day.” Brian told Jimmy, and Jimmy shrugged.

“What can I say, I’m a ladies man.” He smirked and I scoffed.

“I think the word you meant to say was lunatic.” I said, and he frowned as Matt and Brian laughed.

“Someone’s cranky.” I heard Jimmy mutter under his breath as he walked over to the Suburban.

“Don’t worry about Jimmy, he’s just a bit mentally unstable.” Brian said, leaning down to me.

“I heard that Syn!” Jimmy defended as he got a red gasoline jug out of the back of the car.

“Oh suck it up Rev!” Matt called as Jimmy walked back over to us. Brian smiled as Jimmy sat the red jug down and then sighed and looked at Matt’s Escalade. We all fell silent for a moment before Brian spoke up, rubbing his hands together with a smile.

“Alright, who’s ready for one hell of a bonfire?!”

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
We set the Escalade on fire, watching it for at least an hour until there was nothing much left but a frame. Jimmy and Matt put the fire out quickly with two fire extinguishers, and then it was time to head off to the airport. After taking out piercings, taking off belts, and shoes with metal rings around the lace holes, and soon having to be patted down since someone continued to not realize his labret was continuously setting off the alarm, and someone else’s nose ring, our security check took a another whole hour, and we barely made it to our flight in time. We were finally headed to Florida, and for some reason, I continued to think about my parents, what I was doing to them by running away, and what I was putting them through. But, on another hand, I couldn’t be happier. I was finally getting out of that shitty mess I had to call a life, with my arguing parents, and ‘friends’ that only tried to be friends with me because I was popular. I was escaping my old life, and starting over with three guys that were the coolest of people I could ever wish to run away with.

“Hey, you okay?” Matt asked me, resting his hand on top of mine, and taking my attention from the clouds outside of my window. I looked over at him and I nodded.

“I’m fine just…thinking.” I said, and he looked at me skeptically.

“About what?” He asked before quickly adding, “If you don’t mind me asking.”

“About what I’m doing.” I said, softly. “I feel like I’m doing the right thing for me, but the wrong thing for my parents.”

“You’re not having second thoughts, are you?” He asked and I was quick to shake my head.

“No, not at all it’s just…I’m wondering what my parents are going to do without me. I don’t want to go back to them, and go back to that lifestyle of putting up with their shit, but I don’t think I have enough self-restraint.” I admitted, and he smiled lightly.

“Yes you do. And you’ll have Jimmy, Brian and I to help.” He said, and I smiled, and he tightened his grip on my hand. “You’re stuck with us now, anyways because we’re currently shooting through the sky in a pressurized metal tube.” He mentioned in a joking tone, and I nodded.

“You guys aren’t that bad.” I said, and yawned. I went to bed late last night and got up way too early this morning.

“You need to go to sleep, you only got about three hours last night.” Matt said, and I nodded, and leaned over on him, and he smiled and wrapped an arm around me and I soon drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
I didn’t know exactly how long I was asleep, because I was still asleep when the plane landed, I could barely remember Jimmy helping Brian drag me through the airport. As soon as we got to the hotel, Matt carried me into the room, and laid me down, taking my shoes off, and covering me up, and I was fast asleep again.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
^*Matt’s POV*^
“So, how did you meet Danielle?” Brian asked as he sat down next to Jimmy and me at the hotel bar.

“Late last night.” I tried to play off my answer, but Jimmy sighed.

“He asked how, not when. We know you met her last night. How did you meet her?” Jimmy asked and I hesitantly looked around making sure we were out of hearing range of everyone.

“She walked into that kid’s house last night.” I said and Brian and Jimmy went wide eyed.

“Rodney?” Brian asked.

“No, dumbass, Riley.” Jimmy corrected Brain then turned back to me. “What happened?”

“I got mean, started with threats, told her to help me get him in the car, and she while we were in the kitchen she wound up trying to stab me as I noticed he was still alive, and I saw her reflection in the stove door, so I got out of the way and she wound up stabbing him.” Before I could continue Brian smiled.

“She tried to stab you?” I nodded. “She’s the greatest chick on the planet.” Brian said thoughtfully, and I sighed.

“Anyways, I got her to help me get him in the car, we started driving towards the drop, but get this, we got stopped by the cops, and she saved both of our asses. He asked where we were going and why I was speeding, and she came up with this excuse that we were going to pick up her imaginary little brother.” I said, and took a sip of my beer before I continued.

“She did help you get rid of him, right?” Jimmy asked, and I nodded, taking another sip.

“Were you guys like, partners in crime at this point or something? I mean, didn’t she try and get away or anything?” Brian asked.

“Well, we tossed him down the hill, and by now, I had completely lost whatever badass persona I had built up with her. I had told her about why I killed Riley, and my name, and we had actually warmed up to each other, well, as warm as you could possibly get to a guy that had just killed one of your best friends. She didn’t try and get away or anything. After we got rid of Riley, she started to walk back home, but I stopped her and told her I’d give her a ride because I didn’t want her to get killed or something in the middle of Halloween night. While we were driving down the road, she asked what I was going to do now, and I told her I was going to go home and go to sleep. She asked if I was going to flee the country or anything and I told her that today I was heading to Florida. She dropped the conversation there, and I drove her back to her house since it was right across the street from Riley’s, but I didn’t want to leave her. I didn’t know really, what I was thinking, I just thought she was an awesome girl, and someone I could become friends with. I thought about going in and getting her, but I sided against it, and just as I pulled away, she came running up, threw open the door and climbed in, and when I asked her what she was doing she begged me to take her with me. And I said okay.” I said, and Brian and Jimmy just stared.

“So she’s a witness to a murder that you committed, a partner in getting rid of the body and evidence, and you’ve basically kidnapped her from her home. Kidnapping. Oh my god you’ve kidnapped a fucking seventeen year old from her fucking home what in the fuck is wrong with you.” Brian stated and Jimmy closed his eyes for a moment.

“Let me get this straight.” Jimmy opened his eyes. “Now, if the cops catch you, you could get charged with not only murder, but kidnapping, and if you and Danielle get close, and you guys do something, then you could also be charged with rape.” I nodded and Jimmy nodded. “That’s great.” He said bluntly.

“Nothing going to happen between us, we’re friends, that’s all. She’s too young for me, anyways.” I said, and went back to my drink, just staring down the glass. Actually, she wasn’t that young, she was seventeen, the same age as Riley, she was only four years younger than me.

“But still, murder and kidnapping. Murder we could handle, but kidnapping is a whole other ballpark.” Brain said, and I sighed.

“We’re not going to get caught, Brian, so stop. We’ll be fine. Besides, technically, I didn’t kidnap her, she came with me by choice. I didn’t force her into it.” I said, and Jimmy shook his head, finishing off his beer quickly before standing up.

“Could you possibly get any more twisted?” He asked and I shrugged.

“Who knows.” I stood up. “I’m going to bed, I’ll see you two in the morning.”

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
^*Danielle’s POV*^
I woke up with sun leaking in through the curtains. I panicked at first, sitting up quickly and taking in my strange surroundings, not remembering quite what happened and where I was, but soon I realized I was in the hotel we had arrived at last night. My vision was still slightly blurry from sleep, so I let out a sigh of relief and lay back down, and as soon as I rolled over to face away from the window, I freaked out, shoving the body next to me away, and scrambling back.

“Ow, what was that for?” The man rolled over, and I realized who it was. It was one of Matt’s friends, Brian. He was only in his boxers, which scared me even more so than waking up with him in my bed.

“Why are you in here? With no clothes, at that?” I asked him, still sitting at the very edge of the bed. He sat up and looked around.

“I-I don’t know.” He put his head in his hands. “But my head is killing me.” I rubbed my eyes and looked around to see that Matt was still asleep, and now I could see the alcohol bottles scattered around the table in the corner.

“Can you get out of my bed?” I asked him, and he nodded.

“Uh sure. Sorry.” He stood up, and wavered slightly.

“Are you alright?” I asked him, and he nodded.

“I’m fine. I think. Come get me when Matt wakes up.” He said, and I nodded as he walked over to the door, and opened it, shutting it quietly behind him. I rubbed my eyes again, still tired and sleepy as fuck. I got up, yawning as I went over to my duffel bag and grabbed a clean pair of clothes before then walking into the bathroom. I placed my clothes on the counter and threw a towel over the top of the shower, and started stripping down. A nice hot shower was exactly what I needed to wake up. I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to get my bangs out of my face. I opened the door to the shower, and screamed at the top of my lungs as a body fell at my feet.

“God damnit what’s wrong with you? I swear…” The person trailed off and I realized it was Jimmy. I grabbed the towel and wrapped it around my body, and the door burst open.

“Danielle, are you okay what’s-” Matt stopped suddenly as he spotted Jimmy lying in the floor from apparently falling asleep fully clothed standing upright in the shower. He then looked at me, still shaking from someone unexpectedly falling out of a shower that was supposed to be vacant. “Are you okay?” He asked me, resting a hand on my arm, and I nodded as he turned back to Jimmy, who had fallen back asleep. “Jimmy, get up, and out of our room.” Matt said, nudging his side with his foot.

“Suck it up, you two can have some alone time some other time. My head hurts and I’m going back to bed.” He said, and crawled back into the shower, shutting the door and curling up in the floor.

“This has been a nice morning.” I said and Matt looked at me skeptically.

“What do you mean?”

“I woke up next to Brian, who was only in his boxers, and now I go to get a shower and find the psychotic one passed out.” I said, and Matt stifled laughter.

“I told you they were two of the craziest fuckers you’d ever meet.”