Chasing Blue

#13: Black & Beautiful.

You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.
-Jonathan Safran Joe

Present

Isabella

I wonder why this doesn't scare me. I watch in front of me as I steer the car to a sharp left and exert more pressure on the accelerator. I love how my hair is flying behind my head. I love how powerful the speed is making me feel. I love the fun of playing cop and thief. 

I steer between two cars so fast, that they wouldn't have seen me approach them or drive through them. Austin takes a sharp breath when I drive past a truck, too close to its sides. I make sure the car doesn't get a scratch. I glance at the rearview mirror and I see Liam's car as a faint dot. I look back on the road and turn the next right and the immediate left. 

Loud car honks fill my ears but a smile spreads across my face because I'm in full control of my actions. Austin grips the dashboard in fear but he shows a finger to the guy who just yelled cuss words at me seeing me go hell from leather. I take another turn and head towards what looks like a narrow road. 

I have no idea where in the world we are, but as the narrow road ends, the highway road greets us with cars speeding as much as I am, maybe more. 

"How the fuck did you come here?" Austin yelled glancing at the highway behind and ahead of us now. It's just a straight road, with all the cars moving in the same direction. I rest my elbow out of the window that is rolled down. I slow down now, making sure Liam's Honda is nowhere in sight. 

"I have no clue." I shrug. It's been about twenty minutes and we've wasted enough fuel, I start beginning to feel guilty. 

Liam is a very conscious driver. He probably would've tried better if Jason was with him. Unfortunately, he's riding with May. An extra conscious mom, who will fine you if you speed and it's a nightmare because she's sitting right beside him. But I have to say, with obstacles like May, I'm impressed he even tailed me for twenty minutes. 

"We just got on the highway without paying the toll. We should've remembered the turns, Izz," Austin tells me, grinning like a scientist who cracked a new theory. 

I glance at a cafe that comes into my sight. It's deserted but shiny. I slow the car and edge the road. I park the car slowly in front of the name board ROUTE 56 in between two other cars. I sigh as I turn the ignition off and pull the hand brakes.

I glance behind us and there's no sign of the grey Honda. I turn to Austin and smirk. "Your welcome."

He clings to his seat belt and looks at me, slowly. His eyes are mirroring the excitement of a child. He opens his mouth and squeals. I laugh, unbuckling my seat belt. "That was so fucking hot." 

I feel my cheeks flush but I manage to keep my eyes hooked on the empty buckle of the seat belt. I don't restrain the smile that spreads on my face. I pull my hair to a side because it's a mess. The wind tangled the strands and I know I might be looking hideous even though he referred to my stunt as hot. 

He unbuckles his seat belt and his body turns to me. "You scared me to death but I loved it." He says. 

I laugh again. "Why were you scared? I told you to trust me. I know what I was doing." 

He rubs both his palms before holding them together and he nods at me. "You were driving like we had extra lives." 

"I was in control." I defend myself. 

"Yes, of my death." He smiled and I rolled my eyes. 

I slowly turn to face him too. "I wouldn't have minded it even if we did die."