Antidote

Chapter 18

When Lisa arrives, she runs to me and envelopes me in a tight, squeezing hug. After we've parted, I say, "We have a lot of catching up to do, girlfriend." She smiles and starts to tell me about her cheating ex-boyfriend. I'm surprised by this little piece of news. Lisa and Trent were THE couple. I honestly thought that they were made for each other, but I guess not.

I share my stories about Tristan and Reese before she holds up a hand to stop my rambling. "I have something for you," she says and whips a package from behind the sofa. I take it and open it. Inside is my hoodie, the one Lisa made me! Astonished, I stare at her. "You saved it? After two years?" "Of course!" she replies. "You're my best friend, how could I not?" I grin at her. I look around, and, seeing no one, I whip off the hoodie I'm wearing, exposing my arms to Lisa. Before I can toss the other hoodie on, Lisa picks up one of my arms, examining it.

Gently, she runs her thumb up and down my arm, tracing the vertical pattern of my scars. Her voice is full of sadness when she says, "I hoped you had stopped." Numbly, I shake my head. Her eyes fill with tears as she stares at the ugly red marks, symbolizing years of pain. I catch her chin with my hand and say, "Lisa. I'm all right. It's okay." She shakes her head and hugs me tightly. When we pull back, she says, "Alex, you know and I know that it's not okay." I sigh and slip the hoodie on. Lisa watches me, like she has something to say, but can't decide how to say it.

"What is it?" I ask her. She replies, "You're okay with doing what we used to do, aren't you? I mean, I know you lost a lot of your self-confidence when this happened, but I hoped we could go back to the old days." I nod my head determinedly. "We'll do it, Lisa. I may not be confident anymore, but I can still vandalize like a bitch." I smile. She breaks into a grin, takes my hand, and says, "Let's go, then! I have a surprise for you out front!"

I follow her out, only to find two motorcycles sitting in our driveway. One is decorated with a pink heart. Lisa's. The other has a silver star on it. It takes my brain a minute to comprehend: It's mine! I let out a whoop and fly toward my baby, shouting thankyous at Lisa. She just smiles and swings her leg over her own. I do the same to mine, and start up her engine. "Where to?" I shout to Lisa over the roar of the engine. She gestures around town, and I nod. "Race?" I question. Her eyes narrow and she grins. "You're on!" Lisa counts it down and we both speed off, our heads thrown back in laughter.

I can't remember the last time I've been so happy. This is just like when we were younger, before depression sucked me into its well. Smiling like an idiot as I fly past the kitchen window, I see Tristan staring at me.

***

I remember the awesome exhilaration of speeding through downtown. Oh, how I've missed it! After riding through town to announce to everybody that the town's biggest hoods are back together, whispers are flying. Nobody gets too close.

We park our motorcycles in front of a small jewelry store. Grinning devilishly, with mischief in her eyes, Lisa asks, "You up for a little fun?" "Always," I reply, smirking. "Okay," she says, suddenly all-business. "I'll distract the clerk, you make the haul." Nodding in agreement, we enter the store.

Quickly pulling up our hoods and putting our faces down so we won't be recognized, I wander over to the jewelry counter while Lisa talks to the salesperson in an unusually high-pitched voice. I look around me and make sure my face is angled away from the security cameras, then slip on some cute knit gloves. Then I slip an inexpensive bracelet into my pocket.

Signaling Lisa from the aisle, I make my way towards the exit, keeping my face angled away from the cameras. As we walk out the doors, an alarm sounds. We sprint to our motorcycles and get on. Hurriedly we drive to our back alley. 

When we get there, I show Lisa the bracelet. We slap a high-five, grinning. On our way back to my house, I drop the bracelet on a trashcan lid out back of the store. That's our policy: We always return what we steal and whoever grabs it has to wear gloves so we won't get caught. 

After our little "reunion", Lisa goes home to her house and I go to our beach house. After parking my motorcycle in the garage, I head to the living room. Tristan, Reese, and my mother are watching TV. I plop down next to Mom. The story switches to news of Lisa and I's robbery, and I laugh. Mom eyeballs me. "You and Lisa did that, didn't you?" She asks. "Yup," I reply, smiling.

As weird as it may sound, my mother is okay with what Lisa and I do. You'd she'd be totally against it, but she understands the great adrenaline rush I get from doing stuff like that. And adrenaline rush is good for me. It makes me forget my worries and it just makes me feel like ME again. I think my mom knows that. As long as I don't get into serious trouble with the law, she's okay with it.

My mom smiles and says, "Try not to get arrested, dear." I shake my head and turn back to the TV. Before I can focus, I feel Tristan's eyes on me. Grinning broadly, I turn to face him. "What?" I ask innocently. He doesn't say anything, just stares at me. "Don't look so astonished," I say. And then I explain to him all about Lisa and I and the stunts we've pulled. 

I go up to my room and Tristan follows. "What?" I ask him. He smiles. "So you're the town hoods, huh?" I nod. He says, "Do you think I could be included in some of your stunts?" "Maybe," I reply with a shrug, then raise an eyebrow tauntingly. "Are you sure you can handle hanging out with the Mobile bad girls?" I ask, using my mom's pet name for us. He scoffs and says, "Of course I can." I smile flirtatiously. "We'll have to see about that."