Page 33 of Wandering in Darkness
“And you didn’t plow through another car while driving a semi?”
“Okay, okay. Maybe I… did a lot of questionable stuff growing up, but in my eyes, it was normal!”
“Was it?” I ask, feeling rather skeptical about that.
“I grew up with people who thought it was, and I was dumb enough to be like, ‘Look at me, Mom. I’m so awesome, I can steal this car and drive it full of drugs then get the car stripped and drugs sent off.’ And everyone thought I was so cool… and then I realized I was literally the bad guy! Like in all the movies, I was the person who got shot and murdered in the end! I don’t want to be shot and murdered. I want to dance and hang out with my friends and love Frank! Is that too much to ask for?”
“I mean… if you’re planning on being friends with Felix and Lane then probably! You know they can’t look away from danger.”
“A mistake. I’ve made a grave mistake,” he whispers.
“I think we all have,” I say.
“I’ll get all of you out of this,” Grayson promises.
“Iwill get you out of this, Antonio. Not Grayson.I’llget you out of this.”
“Why can’t I?” Grayson asks.
“Because I already said I would.”
“I actually said it first.”
“Yes, well I thought it first and thoughts count the most. They’re my friends. Your friend tried tokill me.”
“I didn’t know what Devon was doing or I can guarantee you that I wouldn’t have gone along with it, okay?”
“What if we all just don’t talk about it and move on?” Antonio asks. “Instead, we could talk about the reasonwhywe were captured in the first place?”
“Ned thought some people were snooping around and mistook you guys for them. He wanted to question them, see what information he could get. That’s… all.”
“Doesn’t sound like all,” I mutter.
“I don’t want to get you involved any more than you already are, okay?” Grayson says.
“Let’s just drop off this box and move on with life, yeah? And then maybe you guys could, I don’t know… talk a little here and there. Like a ‘Hi’ and call it a day, and then next time maybe a ‘Hello’?”
“Drop the O and I’ll go with it,” I say.
Grayson leans into the front seat. “You want me to go to hell?”
I just grunt instead of answering him.
We end up outside of an abandoned apartment as I realize we really probably should have talked over what was going on at least a little. I don’t regret being pissed at Grayson, but I shouldn’t put Antonio’s life in danger over it.
“Explain what’s going on,” I demand.
“We’re just slipping in, exchanging the box for money and leaving.”
“What’s in the box?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?” I ask.
“I’ve been with the group for a very short time. They smacked me in this position because of my skills with a gun, not because I’m the brains behind it!”
“You are irritatingly one of the smartest people I know!”
