Noxious

21 | turned cold

Kyle

Who the fuck was Tommy?

I thought I knew him but when I was glued to my seat from him spinning the car in a controlled circle, I realized he had his secrets as well. He reversed into a dark, unlit alleyway and killed the engine. 

"Where the fuck did you learn to drive like that?" I asked, motionless in my seat. I felt like I had just gotten done filming a CGI sequence for an action motive. 

Tommy smirked at me, "I had my illegal days, too." He glanced out the windshield for a moment before he said, with a quieter tone, "I did a lot of street racing until the drugs impaired my skill."

"Shit," I said, "You should do it again." 

"No, Kyle," Tommy sighed, "After rebab, I promised to never to do it again. I'm clean now, and I'm trying to get my life on track."

"You never told me any of this!" I replied, the tone of my voice was a tattle tale of my true feelings, "I've been your friend for how long?"

Tommy was silent.

My attention returned to the front of the alleyway as a black car sped by. Red brake lights flared and then disappeared. In the next minute, another car went speeding by without slowing for a second. They were hunting for us.

Well, me, to be exact.

I was very conscious of the backpack loaded with drug money on my lap. My grip tightened on it. I had no idea how Charly knew exactly what I had done but I wouldn't confirm any of it. I was already walking on thin ice. 

"How do we know it's safe to leave?" Charly broke the silence.

Tommy glanced over his shoulder at her, "We're close to the highway, when they stop circling the block, we can make it there and skip town for a few days until the heat dies down."

"Where?" I pressed. I had never left the city in my life, I had grown up on these streets. Subconsciously, I would never admit it, but I still needed my fix. I didn't know where to buy beyond the city, and the withdrawal would hurt like a bitch.

"I don't know, you decide," Tommy replied, a bit short, "I'm keeping us alive, isn't that enough?"

He had a point. 

I didn't say anything in return and when the coast was clear, he started the car. We left the alleyway and the street was vacant of two specific black cars. Tommy wasted no time in reaching the highway and still, nobody spoke. 

The silence was deafening, I hated it. 

Tommy relaxed once we were going on the highway, and I recognized him again. One hand was on the steering wheel while the other was propped against the door and his cheek. He inhaled and exhaled quietly. 

It was then I remembered what Tommy had said earlier and I pulled my phone from my pocket. No sooner had I turned it on to bring up google maps, had Tommy snatched it from my fingers and rolled down the window. 

"What the fu--" I stopped when Tommy threw my phone out the window. 

"If they can track down my apartment from the license plate on my car, they can easily track your phone," Tommy explained calmly, his eyes flickered into the rearview mirror, "Get rid of them." 

There was a pause before Charly shrugged and tossed her phone out the window. 

"Can't I just turn mine off?" Rowan asked.