Her Lullaby

8- Strays

The rest of the night I worked for another four hours before leaving around twelve, and since I was trying to hurry and get to bed Tyson gave Astryd a ride to her place.

Now I was driving down the road on a rainy night talking to my sister in the phone.

"Abuela said she wants you to visit." I say looking ahead through the wet windshield and it's wipers.

"I'll visit during spring break, but you know I have to bring the bodyguard with me." She replies.

"Bodyguard?" I ask confused.

"Hey, Ivy." I hear August, her boyfriend, mutter lowly.

"Isn't his school like two hours away?" I asked, confused on how he's in my little sisters dorm.

"Yeah, but he insists on dropping by every other weekday, and he stays the weekend. I told him to stop because he's acting like gas grows on trees." She explains.

"I didn't see her for a week yesterday." August voices with displeasure.

"A week?" My brows furrowed as I take a turn down a street.

Delani sighs, "It was just a day. He's exaggerating."

"Felt like week." I hear him grumble.

"His concept of time is different from ours, must come with the delusion." She mutters.

"Two for one type deal." I add in.

"Can't forget the separation anxiety." She adds chuckling.

I hear August exclaim, "Don't start double teaming."

"Sorry, baby." I hear lightly laugh as she apologizes before asking, "How's California?"

I nod my head even though she couldn't see me, "It's been good, just got from the club, but there's this one dude who just irks me."

"What he do?"

"He's rude, annoying, sore ass loser, and whenever I walk by him he stay tripping me." I complain.

She hums, "Mhm, sounds like a third grader who has a crush."

"Now you and Astryd getting on my nerves." I groan, turning my steering wheel, taking a left.

"Wha— Augs, stop it. You're giving me a toothache." She giggles.

"Did you just giggle?"

"Yeah, it's this weird thing August makes me do from time to time." She complains as if giggling was a burden.

"One of my greatest accomplishments." I hear him in the background.

Commotion can be heard from the other line before Delani's voice jumps back in, "Uh, Ives Imma have to call you later."

I don't even reply as I hang up the phone muttering, "Nasty."

I play music on my radio as I continue my drive for five minutes before I see a car pulled over with it's hazard lights on and a silhouette standing outside in the rain.

As I get closer the figure becomes more familiar and I have to squint my eyes trying recognize who it was through the rain.

I sigh before stopping next to figure rolling down my window, "You need a ride, Carver?" I ask out of the kindness of my heart.

He turns towards me at the sound of my voice and the displeasure on his voice speaks volume, "No. I got it."

"Okay." I drive off.

I turn my radio back on driving to the end of the road and taking a left, singing to the songs, I do this action two more times before I'm back where Carter car was parked.