Battle Scars [ Chresanto August Story ]

Battle Scars | 6

"Can you drive?"

We're currently in the parking lot. I look from him to the van and nod. Parallel parking should count. Although I don't have a license, I have a permit.

"Hop to the front and steer. I'll push the back."

"All the way?"

"No. Just until we get out of the lot. It takes a lot to get this baby running." He pats the back of it,"You up for it?"

I shrug."Where's the keys?"

He smiles and hands them over to me. I go up to the front and put the key into the ignition. It raves but calms down.

"Ready?" He says from the back.

"Yeah." I put my hand on the wheel.

"Go."

And before you know it we're both straining. The more I push the less it feels like it's moving. But I can tell we're progressing because we've passed a whole car. I can feel my muscles ripping as I continue my stride. I can barely hear Chresanto over my own heart beat. My calf muscles are almost pleading for me to stop but I have to keep going.

"You alright .... Up there?" Chresanto stops to breathe.

I nod and wipe the sweat off of my forehead.

"I'm okay. Keep going!"

With that being said we continue until we're out of the lot. The car raves loud and you can hear the motor running.

"Let's hop in! We did it!" Chresanto runs over to me.

He engulfs me into a hug and I smile. But soon enough we stop and step away awkwardly.

"Uh ... Let's go." He smiles nervously and hops in the passenger seat.

I climb into the front seat and say a silent prayer. I hope I remember how to do this.

**

"That's right, that's right. Now just slowly park and .....stop. Stop right here."He directs me.

I nod and stop the car, parking it perfectly.

"If you don't mind me asking-"

"Why are we in a garage?"

I nod.

"A guy I met offered me this job real quick. Funny thing is we can stay parked here for the next three to four days."

"Well what do you have to do? Maybe I can help."

"Move all of this furniture out," he turns to a room,"including in there."

I nod as I follow behind him. He opens the door to the box office and allows me in.

"Nothing's wrong with this place, everything seems perfectly fine." I touch a couch.

"I know. Almost brand new huh?"

"Yeah," I sit down,"we could just take it."

"And do what? Put it in the car?"

I nod.

He chuckles and opens the mini fridge.

"There's food in here," he takes out a can,"fresh too."

"Why would someone want to get rid of this?"

"I don't know. The guy told me he just wants the place gutted out."

"Are you and this guy really close?"

"Not really."

"Do you think if you asked him, we could keep this?"

"Nah," he shakes his head looking around,"too expensive. We'd have to pay rent every month."

"Oh yeah." I mumble looking down feeling slightly stupid.

"It was a nice thought though." He smiles.

"Thanks. So uh...How much you getting paid?"

"Fifty bucks."

"Fifty? Really?"

"Yeah." He nods.

"So he's scamming you?"

"Nah. This is a win win situation. I mean, we have a place for up to a week. Stove. Bathroom. Fridge. Couch bed thingy. Fifty bucks when the job is done. And he gets an empty place."

I nod silently as he looks around the place.

"Would they be mad if we took anything?" I ask.

"It's all going to the dump anyway so I don't see why they would be."

"Well .... Can we take that fridge?"

"I was already on it." He chuckles.

**

"And done." Chresanto throws the last of the cabinet into the pile."Thanks for helping."

"No problem." I sit on the couch exhausted.

"Wanna sleep in here? I mean, we don't have to be out until 10 tomorrow morning."

"Serious?"

"As a heart attack."

"I guess so," I shrug,"but there's only one couch."

A small grin plasters on his face as I just shake my head.

"You aren't as slick as you think."

"No funny business I promise. I'm not like that anyway." He shrugs.

"Oh really?"

"Really," he grabs the blankets out the car.

"Well," I take mine from him,"tell me how you are."

I sit criss cross as he hands me a small juice pouch from the fridge. He gets him one as well and sits criss cross on side of me.

"I don't believe in sleeping with a woman just because my friend down here is happy. Women are like-I don't know-they're just so fragile. They're basically the fine china you aren't suppose to touch without permission. A woman's body is her temple, and-" He stops mid sentence and begins to chuckle.

"What?" I smile.

"I'm starting to sound like those loons in church," he chuckles and impersonates a pastor,"Thou shall not have sexual intercourse before marriage or you'll burn in hell!"

I almost choke on my drink in laughter as he does the same.

"I don't know... I just might be a little crazy. But I would rather be in love with a woman and do it, rather than doing it just because. I'm not the casual sex type." He shrugs.

After a moment of silence, I crack a smile and get comfortable.

"So I guess you raping me is out of the question?"

"Yes. I honestly don't know why you were so afraid of me when we first met."

"Oh I don't know. Maybe it was the fact that you looked like a 25 year old guy coming out of a dark alley and I had on a dress."

"Touché. But I'd never hurt you like that."

"That's nice to know." I smile as he does the same."Goodnight."

"Goodnight."