Chapter 2
“ Shit!” Phineous ‘Finney’ Lock cursed under his breath as he watched the Chevy Lumina pull off to the side of the road. Reaching for the radio dial, Finney switched it off and nodded to the car parked 50 yards behind them in response to his passenger’s protest. Trace Ayala slid up from his crouched position and cursed loudly when he saw the spring of curls fly out from the open car door and stalk off in the distance.
“ You’re fucking kidding me right now..ya’ll didn’t tell her?!” Trace glared at Finney before slamming his fist against the dashboard. The dancing Chihuahua, glued in place, bobbed its head happily in response to the vibration while Trace pushed open the door and jumped out. Finney watched in dismay as Trace jogged towards the scene, finding no solace in how right he had been. He had told Justin and Anderson that this was not a good idea, that not only would Chandler kill them..but her mother would too. Finney gulped thinking about Mr. Fox, currently stationed away in some third world country with the military. Suddenly he could see all of Shelby Forest police squad and the National Guard beating down their doors, in hot pursuit of Lieutenant Fox’ kidnapped daughter. This was never a good idea, Finney had told Justin and Anderson from the start…which was why he didn’t even dare to mention it to Trace. Trace, who prided himself on being “Mr. Responsible” for all things concerning Chandler. Of all of them, Trace as the shortest and most deviant tormenter to her…but when it came down to protecting her..he stood the tallest. Trace would be the first to tie her sneakers together while she wasn’t paying attention, or mix in mud with her cup of hot chocolate…and even though he was the unlikeliest opponent- being short and somewhat stumpy- you didn’t stand a chance against him when it came to her. In the distance, Finney could see Anderson and Justin lifting their hands in protest, already moving after Chandler – who he was sure was cursing them all this very second. Just then, he heard Cheri honk as she careened her little red Honda off to the shoulder ahead of him. Sighing deeply, Finney waited as Pete Gravely stepped from the car and jogged over to him.
“ What’s going on?” Pete leaned down, his arms folded on the driver door window panel, as his eyes scanned the scene in the distance. Pete was another person that was not in the know, and although he wasn’t as much of a tyrant when it came to Chandler – he could be a bull horn. Pete was Chandler’s self- proclaimed first boyfriend- when they were in grade school. He was the first to ask her to be his valentine in the 3rd grade, when girls were still considered yucky to the rest of them. It was a crush that lasted for two weeks, which marked the beginning of Pete’s ascent to his current ‘lady’s man’ status. Pete preferred the ladies, which did not attribute to the fact that he had a girl best friend. He loved women, but cared about Chandler in a different way- which was probably how they remained such good friends. Unlike Anderson and Justin..Pete didn’t push the mark when it came to Chandler. He was by the book, just like Trace, and didn’t take chances like he did with everything else.
“ They didn’t tell her.” Finney mumbled, passing off the blame to Anderson and Justin, hoping Pete would let him get away with it.
“ What?!” Pete’s jaw tightened and his eyes stretched lower as his glare moved to settle on Finney. Laying his head against his seat, Finney thought about the pending consequences. What exactly would happen to them, when all the adults realized not only that they had taken the cars and left…but had also taken Chandler. “ So your telling me Chans didn’t know we were going to Memphis for the weekend?!”
“ It wasn’t my idea..” Finney still found no solace, simply because he was there for the implanting of the idea. He saw the look that came across Justin’s face when they decided to head to Memphis as a last hoorah. Justin was heading back to Florida on Monday, and it was already killing him that Chandler wasn’t allowed out the house, and when she was, she had to be back just as soon as she came. It was a simple plan..that was falling apart way too quickly.
“ What the FUCK man..you know Gracee is going to kill us.” Gracee Fox might personally see all five of them in jail, if not sentenced to death. Especially since it has dawned on her that the five boys she practically raised as sons had raging hormones and too much appeal. All that intertwined made it easy for her to forget that Chandler had been, and would always be, just one of them.
“ We could turn around.” There was no going back, no matter what…they always saw every danger in life- all the way through. It had been what set the six of them apart from the rest, and consequences? They dealt with each of them as they came. This would really turn into just another adventure for them…as life always had been.
“ Shit no.” Pete hissed, pushing off the car and walking towards the gathering. Finney smirked to himself, already sure that this weekend would be the last of great times..with no doubt, they would be living it out until the fullest. Pulling himself out of the car, Finney started towards the little red Honda and decided the situation would be better served if her reserved his voice of reason for the coy girls anxiously waiting inside of it.
~~
“ What are you doing Chans?” Justin watched her stalk down the side of the road, her jellied sandals dusted over from the loose dirt that jumped with each heavy step of her foot. The air was hot, blowing angrily around them as he moved purposefully behind her. He didn’t have to turn around to know that Trace and Pete were staring after him in disproval. Fuck if they didn’t like his idea, they didn’t have any better one, and no matter what they said- they all knew Chandler had to come. It would not have been the same without her, nothing ever was. He needed her there, just like they all did, she was the missing piece to their complicatedly wild puzzle. They couldn’t spell them without Chandler, as gay as it sounded..it was the truth. “ Come on Chans…you know you want to go.”
“ No I don’t!” she sounded angrier than he expected, and Justin knew her well enough to know it didn’t all have to do with the punishment of her leaving. Chandler Fox wore pretty much every emotion inside of her on her sleeve, and it looked a lot like jealousy. Of course Justin would never say this outloud, he’d never tell her that he’d caught her staring wide eyed at Cheri from across the room, when she let his hand slip into her underwear. He saw the look of wonder and curiosity, cleverly hiding the speck of anger that called out to him even when she couldn’t see he was watching her. Not that he had been watching her, he just happened to notice her, and he couldn’t explain it then- or even now- why he couldn’t take his eyes from her that night. Just like he couldn’t explain trailing after her , knowing she would drag out her protest as long as he was willing to come after her- and he was willing. He wasn’t going to leave Monday without having this weekend, with her there, just like old times. He loved the road, all the people he met while he was away, but he missed his home. He missed his friends, and waited too long to come back to them. He knew Gracee would probably never speak to him again, and that there was a strong possibility he’d never see Chandler again..but he had to risk it..because he wanted her there
“ I want you to go.” He didn’t try to hide that hidden note in his voice, the part that was quite foreign to his own ears and gave him good reason for pause. He didn’t recognize it, but it was there just the same, and it meant something a little more than even he could try to understand. But that was thing with them, especially with Chandler and him, he didn’t have to understand everything between them…
“ I want you to go to hell.” She yelled over her shoulder, although her steps faltered slightly and her voice was nowhere near convincing. He smiled to himself, shaking his head as he moved closer- taking larger steps to close the gap between them.
“ I’d be there if you weren’t here.” It would have sounded cheesy, if he didn’t mean it. If it didn’t make all the sense in the world to him, even if he couldn’t understand why, it would have sounded, like something he’d never say. It’s what drove him crazy about her, she brought things out of him that he never knew he had; like when she asked him to sing in the 4th grade talent show, and he first fell in love with the microphone or when she asked him to be her first kiss. He remember it like it was yesterday, the both of them sitting in the back of his Dad’s Chevy Lumina , while his parents pumped gas and bought snacks at the convenience store. They were on their way to their way to the airport, and she had been acting strange all day. Trace was supposed to have ridden along with them, but at the last minute, he decided not to go. Justin hadn’t realized it then, but it had all been planned. Pete and Anderson confirmed so shortly after, while he was in Florida filming for the Disney show. As soon as his parents left the car, she had leaned over and whispered in his ear. She told him quickly what she wanted and squeezed his hands until he nodded and leaned down to kiss her. He remembered her tasting like bazooka gum and cherry laffy taffy, he remembered her breath fanning across his face as she looked up at him- waiting for him to tell her if she did it right. It was not his first kiss, he had kissed a lot of girls by then- even had a girlfriend in Florida- but he remembered how right she felt, how different it felt to kiss her. He also remembered how pleased he’d been to know that he was her first, and she trusted him over Anderson, Pete and Trace. He never asked her why, never even brought it up to her again. He kept the memory though, and thought of it now as she turned to face him. He let himself take his fill of her, comfortable in their silence as she watched him watching her, his eyes passing over her freckled cheeks to her pouted cherry stained lips and across his favorite Motley Crue T-shirt that she took from his room last year. He grabbed her hand, pulling her to him, watching as the grin slowly spread across her face. Her eyes lifted to meet his, her hazel specs drawing him in just as much as his hand pulled on her.
“ Your so fucking dead.” She growled folding into his embrace, her head resting on his shoulder. Justin buried his face in her curls, squeezed her for reassurance before hoisting her up by her thigh, and tossing her over his shoulder.
“ So let the fun begin!”
