The Degenerate (TO BE REWRITTEN...SOON)

CHAPTER 4: Into the Desert

CHAPTER 4: INTO THE DESERT

We stopped at a gas station around twilight. Ben filled up the tank and everyone else went into the neon light-decorated building to stockpile.

I bought a combo meal at an attached Wendy's, and munched on salty, thick-cut fries on a dirty table littered with an empty napkin dispenser, half-used honey mustard containers, and a suspicious puddle of liquid. I watched Anthony as he strolled into the alcoholic isle, contemplating which kind of beer to buy.

I finished and threw my trash into a labeled bin and walked across the store to his spot. He held a twelve pack of "How old are you, anyways?" I questioned.

And, like some sort of cheesy, overdone bad boy stereotype he answered, "Too old for you to care." As everyone knows, a sentence like that will do nothing but drive all the girls’ panties in knots. And cheap leather and setting old buildings on fire will only add to that effect.

I folded my arms. "If I didn't care, I wouldn't ask."

Anthony rolled his eyes. "Alright. I'm twenty-three: according to this piece of plastic," he held up a license with a blurry picture. "Very convincing," I said dryly, becoming interested in a cardboard pack of something-or-another.

Really, I was staring at Anthony's shoes. He wore thick-toed, scuffed boots that looked like they hadn’t been taken off for a few years. They tapped against the puke-colored tiles impatiently.

"How old are you again?" he responded. I frowned at that. "Sixteen," I hadn't even had time to take my driving test yet. All I had was a stupid permit.

"Plan on using those soon?" Anthony snickered. I found myself distracted by that sound, taking a moment to process his words.

Examining what in my hands for the first time, I blushed deep. In my hands were a pack of ribbed condoms. I dropped them on the floor like a hot potato and left the store without following him any longer.

Outside, all that survived the pre-desert sun were thick shrubs, a few cactuses, and the occasional lizard. There was nothing but desolate land for miles- and running away without Karson wasn't an option. It looked like I would stay another night with my 'captors'.

Then again, a safe place wasn't available anymore- they were the only ones I could come close to trusting.

I opened the twin white doors of Cherry Bomb and crawled in next to Rick and Pete. Soon after everyone else arrived and we the van took off into the falling sun.

In the back, the three guys and I played a single game of Twenty One with a pack of dirty, bended, and partially ripped cards. I was a little surprised when Anthony joined in  Anthony kept getting ticked off because he didn't have the right cards, or suspected someone else was cheating. I couldn’t bluff worth a crap, Pete kept going over more than his cards were worth and Rick mysteriously dealt exactly the right hand every time.

"Does that usually happen?" I inquired while counting my hand of sixteen.

"With what? Rick’s ‘uncanny’ skills at Twenty One?” Pete replied, shielding his cards from my view. He peaked at me from falling hair in his eyes.

I turned to see Karson striking up conversation from up front.

"I mean, does Ben usually act so...introverted?"

Pete shook his head. "No. He's usually crazier than us: it's only when he gets around a pretty girl, he clams up."

"Why don't you guys? Apparently, you all still have a V-card." I smiled cheekily and he gently whapped me on the shoulder and glared.