Innocent

NIKKI:

I tucked the stray piece of red hair behind my ear.

The driver jumped down out of the car, and walked around to the side closest to me.

I couldn't catch my breath at all, because I was leaning towards a panic attack. I didn't know who I was dealing with. What if he had a weapon or something? 

Once I was within a few feet of him, he asked me, "Is everything alright?"

I swallowed, but my throat was dry. "No." I breathed.

His eyebrows were furrowed overtop his eyes, which almost had me running away. They were brown, for the most part. But for whatever reason, I caught glimmers of red.

"Can I help you?" He wondered, recognizing my out-of-breathness.

I cleared my throat, speaking slowly. I wanted to be threatening. "Why do you have my sister's Jeep?"

His eyebrows softened. "You're Beth's sister?"

I blinked. "Where did you get this car?"

A smile consumed his face. "Beth didn't tell me she had a sister."

The fact that he knew who's car he stole threw me off. "You know Beth?"

His frame relaxed. "I drove her home last night, and she gave me her keys to bring the Jeep back to her in the morning."

I nodded. "The guy from the bar." I said, observing Beth's choice in men. He was a blonde, which was new. And he actually seemed close to her age. "So you're saying that I just chased you down for stealing my sister's car, when in reality Beth gave you her Jeep?"

He didn't really get my sarcasm. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were chasing me. Are you heading home? Do you want a ride?"

I considered catching a ride with a complete stranger. If Beth trusted him when she was drunk, I should run away. But since she gave him her keys and he's actually returning her Jeep, he seems like he's a decent guy.

"Come on." He started back around the Jeep to get in on the driver's side.

I hesitated for a second, but stepped up into the passenger's seat. 

My forehead was sticky with sweat, so I used my sleeve to wipe it away.

"So what's your name?" Blondie asked me.

I decided that I couldn't trust him yet, so I used my defense mechanism. "You first."

He smiled at it, instead of being annoyed. "Tyler."

I picked at my chipping nail polish as a nervous habit. Why am I nervous? Oh yeah, I'm catching a ride with a complete stranger. 

After many seconds of silence, he pried. "You have a name, don't you?"

"Of course I do. That doesn't mean I have to go announcing it to the world."

"I see." He was catching on now. I expected him to take it as a hint to shut up, but it basically fueled him instead. "So what grade are you in, sixth?"

Giving me a taste of my own medicine? "I'm seventeen." I spat. "Do you wanna know what my favorite color is, too?"

He chuckled, backing off finally. But then his snide comment. "Mine's green."

I snorted. Maybe I should just jump out of the moving vehicle.

But then it hit me. Why was I so comfortable talking to this guy I'd never met before? I don't like people, I'm antisocial. 

"So is Beth serious about you, or something?" I asked. "She hasn't brought somebody home with her in a while."

"I don't know," He shrugged. "You'll have to ask Beth about that."

He pulled the Jeep up into our driveway. "You can ask her yourself, if you get enough time between her races to the toilet."

He actually laughed. "She's wasted?"

"It's awful. Worst hangover I've ever seen. I'm surprised I didn't wake up to a monkey in the bathtub."

Tyler snickered. "Can you just pass along my best wishes, then?"

"I guess." I said.

But Beth descended from her cave, squinting harshly at the sun.

"Tyler!" She greeted, clearly causing her own pain.

I smacked my forehead. 

Tyler offered up the keys to her. "You okay there?"

Beth flipped her hair behind her back. "I'm great." She peered around him and found me. "What are you doing?"

"She thought I stole your car." Tyler defended me quickly. "Just being a good sister."

Beth looked at me again. I stuck my tongue out at her.

"You can leave now." Beth hinted through her teeth.

"Your welcome." I rolled my eyes, gladly escaping the hungover walrus.

"See you later." Tyler mentioned.

I was already halfway to the house, so I didn't turn back.

. . . . . . . .

Valerie's room was too bright for me.

"My favorite color is yellow." She half shrugged when I stopped in her doorway.

"No kidding." Her bedspread was yellow, her curtains were yellow, even the little rug on the floor was yellow. It wasn't glow-in-the-dark yellow, more like a pale yellow. But still yellow.

"So what happened with that guy that stole your sister's car?" Valerie sat herself on the corner of the bed. "Did you catch him?"

I preferred to casually stroll around her room. "Beth gave him her keys."

Valerie nodded, even though it was obvious she didn't understand.

"He's some guy from the bar she went to, and now he's hanging around my house every day. I guess Beth actually likes this one." I played with one of her necklaces hanging on the back of her door.

I realized that she honestly didn't care. She was distracted, and wasn't hiding it well.

I saw the picture in the mirror. "Where's Seth today?"

His name seemed to shock her to life. I would have rolled my eyes of I didn't like her. "Oh, he's busy today."

I pretended that wasn't the sketchiest answer I've ever heard in my life. "How long have you two been together?"

She was fidgeting now. Touchy topic? "Um...well, it's a long story. But generally, it's almost a year now."

"Impressive." I commented.

Valerie smiled a little, but sighed. "I'm worried about him, though. His dad died, like, three days after we met. It's almost a year now." She folded her hands in her lap.

"Wow." I wasn't good with stuff like that, so I said what everybody else says. "I'm sorry."

"He hasn't really said anything. But that's why I'm worried. He has alot going on right now." She bit her tongue to keep from saying to much.

Now I was curious. What was he doing now? "I hope everything turns out okay." Another robot response.

Her smile was genuine. "Thanks."

I tried to copy her smile, but underneath it I was channeling my inner Nancy Drew.