Platonic

Chapter 16 - Tunnels and Sunrises

The Summer before 11th Grade.

I had become obsessed with The Perks of Being a Wallflower. 

It was my favourite film for a while, and I watched it at least twice a week for 2 months which also meant that Harry watched it at least 4 times. I thought he would complain, but I think he was too in love with Emma Watson to even pay attention to the actual storyline of the movie. So, while he was ogling Emma, I was sitting next to him, sobbing and wailing loudly.

Fast forward a couple of weeks later, and it was like fate had thrown the perfect opportunity in my lap.

My dad's friend from college was staying for the weekend, and he just happened to have a truck. I inspected the truck and thought about it all Friday, trying to figure out the best way to execute the plan, and then the perfect opportunity fell into my lap.

"Maeve?" Harry whispered, tapping on my bedroom window. It was 2 am, and my dad and Steve had come back a bit drunk, and although I didn't know him that well, it didn't take a genius to know that they would be passed out for the night.

Harry was trying not to slip from my roof when I pushed the window up, allowing him into my room.

"What's wrong?" He looked at me, with possibly the most panicked look I'd ever seen.

"Steve's truck." I smiled, grabbing his shoulders so that he was eye-level with me.

"What about it?"

"We're going to recreate the Tunnel scene." I jumped up excitedly, keeping my voice in a hushed tone.

"Maeve. You texted me '911 emergency come to the roof now,' how is this an emergency?" He breathed out, grabbing his chest with his hand as he bent down to catch his breath.

"But it's the perfect opportunity. We'll be back before he wakes up."

He looked at me uncertainly, pursing his lips as he thought about it. "It's illegal."

"It's the only chance we'll get to do it, how often does someone come around with a truck? Let's go." I grabbed his clammy hand and pulled him out of my room, shushing him as we walked down my creaky stairs. 

It wasn't the first time I had left the house in the middle of the night, but the main reason we had the creak pattern memorised were for sneaking midnights snacks every time he stayed over.

"Maeve, I don't know this is really risky." He whispered quickly, looking around his shoulder anxiously.

"Harry if we don't do this now, we probably won't do it ever. It's a sign from the universe – the universe is telling us to go recreate the tunnel scene." I rummaged through Steve's coat pockets until I was dangling the key in front of Harry's face. He looked like he was going to throw up when I grabbed his wrist and walked out of the front door, making sure I turned the handle slowly before I closed it.

And there it was, in all its glory, a black pick-up truck, just like the one in the movie.

"I'm too pretty for jail. Do you know what they do with boys that look like me? I'll become someone's bitch. I won't last, I have a mouth on me. They'll knife me." He whispered doing a great job at overreacting whilst he followed me to the car. 

"Knife you?" I repeated judgementally, climbing into the front seat and closing the door next to me.

"Maeve, don't do this. Come on, let's just watch the movie again.  Listen, I'll make it my life's mission to buy a pick-up truck if you get out right now. And then we can recreate it whenever we want to. Come on, please." He tried his best to plead but I ignored him. I knew what we were doing was risky, but at the same time I knew my dad's friend wouldn't actually call the police - I didn't actually know him at all, but we were kids, I was sure he'd let us off.