Page 33 of Something Rad
I thought it would be worth my while to make a dramatic exit by flooring my car away from Cooper until I made my next turn, but it ends up biting me in the ass instead.
I am literally turning into my neighborhood when I hear the sound of police sirens behind me.
“Goddammit,” I curse, pulling off to the side of the road. I let out a huff as I put my car in park, glancing at the clock.
5:20.
I don’t even need to turn my head to look at the man approaching my window.
“Evening, son.”
“Can we please make this quick, Mr. Strothers?” I say. “I know the drill, and I have somewhere to be.”
The cop leans down, furrowing his graying blonde brows before removing his sunglasses. His brown eyes narrow on me, full of disdain, his face twisting into a scowl.
He might be Paul’s dad, and Paul and I have always been cool with each other for the most part, but, for whatever reason, Officer Strothers has never taken a liking to me. Actually, quite the opposite, I’d say. I’m not sure I want to know how many evenings of this man’s life he’s spent either glaring at me from the bleachers of our basketball games or pulling me over.
“Yeah, well, lots of people got places to be, kid,” he grits. “And they’re not going to ever be able to get there if you’re plowing them down in the road. Just because your daddy bought you this showboat of a vehicle and lets you think you’re the only person on the planet who matters doesn’t make it true.”
“I’m sure you matter to someone, Officer,” I say sweetly, flashing him a smile.
His jaw flexes as he pulls out a pad of paper from his back pocket, scribbling something down on it.
“Now, are you taking me to jail? Or can I go?” I question him.
“Not today,” he shakes his head, tearing off the warning slip and handing it to me to add to the pile already in my glove box. “But I’ll get you one day, Summers. Mark my words.”
“It’s good to have dreams, Mr. Strothers.”
“That’sOfficerStrothers–”
“Gotta go,” I say, putting my car in drive and pulling away, leaving him standing on the side of the road.
It’s 5:26 by the time I’m parking in front of my house and flying through the side door. Thankfully, Denise lives just down the street. I’ll probably be a minute late to pick her up, but she can’t hold that against me.
Can she?
When I enter my bedroom, I toss my backpack onto my bed and make a beeline for my closet. I quickly swap out my gray Members Only jacket for my black one, then head into my bathroom. Multitasking, I swish a cap full of mouthwash while refluffing my hair with my hands. Lastly, I spray on two spritzes of Calvin Klein Obsession and one an extra spritz of my secret weapon hairspray for good measure. I grab my keys, sunglasses, and wallet and am making my way back to my car with a good minute and a half to spare before I’ll be late to get Denise.
I just touch the handle of the side door, however, when a voice barks out, making me freeze.
“Robert?”
I flex my jaw, my hand still on the door handle. “Yeah, Dad?”
“Come here, please.”
“Goddammit,” I mutter to myself.
So close yet so far.
My dad comes into view as I approach the dining room. “Dad,” I say, nodding to him. I’m already not thrilled to be facing my father right now, but when I round the corner fully into the dining room, my muscles tense even further at the scene in front of me.
“Mom,” I add, smiling tightly at my mother. “Janet, Will…” I continue, addressing my older sister and her husband.
Janet has always felt more like an acquaintance than a sibling. I usually feel like a stranger in my own home when she’s around, and right now feels no different. She met Will when they were in optometry school together. The dude’s nice enough, but I’ve never heard him utter any words that didn’t have something to do with the anatomy of the eye or the stock market.
I have to let out a cough before acknowledging the last person seated at our dining table. “Steven.”
