drive | david dobrik

"He would have liked you"

Ren was sitting in David's car fiddling with her phone. They were starting her "therapy" as David liked to call it. All it really was, was driving around LA, making jokes, and occasionally filming. They were currently picking up Scotty, a friend of David's she had never met. Ren wasn't as nervous meeting him as she was meeting everyone else only a few days ago. Maybe it was just because there was so many of them.

"So this is the lovely Ren? Pleasure to meet you."

Ren smiled at him, "Well I hope you're Scotty. If not David has some explaining to do."

They both laughed at her bad joke and began driving again. After what seemed like forever to Ren, David spoke. "I was thinking we could go back to the house. Ren hasn't seen any of my videos and I was wanting to show her some. Me and Scotty have some business stuff to talk about anyway and we've been in the car all day."

Scotty agreed and Ren was happy to finally get out of the car.

Once they got back to David's house, Ren could see her car and another car she hadn't seen before. "Jason's here waiting. I forgot he was coming over."

Another person to meet. Ren thought. Maybe he'll be nice as well.

Ren was currently sitting on the couch in the living room wondering how David became friends with Jason. In all honesty, Jason wasn't what she expected. Not that it was a bad thing, he was just a bit of a surprise. As Ren watched some of David's videos, she could see the group dynamic they had going. It was like a show but everyone knew they were acting. She couldn't quite explain it to herself. It was like reality tv, but better. And she loved them. All she could think about was how good they were. How well they were edited, how good the "script" was, everything about these vlogs were exceptional. How could she have gone this long not knowing stuff like this exsisted?

"You look like your in pain."

David.

"Just admiring. Your videos are amazing. Honestly."

He gave her a smile. "I was hoping you'd like them." He paused for a moment.

Ren interrupted him before he could continue. "Now you look like your in pain."

"I'm debating on whether or not it would be too soon to ask you to be in the vlogs. And possibly moving out here."

Be in the vlogs? Move to LA?

"Yes."

"Yes, what? Yes, it's too soon? Or yes, you'll do it?"

Ren couldn't put any other words together. "Yes"

"I'm going to need a little more than that."

Change the topic. Regain control of your brain Ren. "Where's Scotty and Jason?"

"They left? They said bye. Did you not hear them?"

Ren bit her lip and shrugged. "I guess I didn't."

David sighed. "You need to stop doing that."

Now it was Rens turn to be confused. "Stop doing what?"

"That."

What was he talking about? "I'm not even doing anything?"

"Yes, you are. You're being all cute and innocent and avoiding my questions. You've been doing it all day."

Ren blushed. Cute? She internally scolded herself. He's got a girlfriend. He didn't mean it like that. "I have not."

"Yes you have. You did it just now with the vlogs, you did it earlier when I asked about your parents, and you did it when i asked about the boy from your wallpaper."

Jem. "You want to know about my parents? My family life? You want to know about Jem?" He simply nodded at her. Ren look at him. She trusted him, she really did. But was she ready to talk about what happened? She hadn't told anyone about it. She sighed and dropped her voice to a whisper, "I'm not ready David."

"Can you at least tell me who Jem was? I know you said he died so I don't want to pressure you."

She could tell him about Jem. Just not about what happened to him. "He was my boyfriend. For 2 years. I met him when I was 16 and we were best friends. 2 years later he asks me out, I say yes, we fall in love, he dies, I fall apart. End of story."

He looked at her as if he had known them years ago. As if he was friends with them and felt the loss as if it was one he had experienced. Ren hated pity. "I should go home now. Thanks for today. I'll see you around."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed. Please stay."

"You want to know why I trust you?" Ren paused. She knew if she kept going to she was going to end up crying. She hasn't cried at the funeral or even the months after that. She hasn't cried at all. It seemed to her that a year later it was finally hitting her. All because of David.

"Why, Ren? Why do you trust me?"

"Because you remind me of him. Everything about you reminds me of him. You're just like him. Funny, smart, attractive. And that makes me feel like I know you. I can't tell you about him because then it means it's real again. It feels like a story someone's made up and somewhere along the line it stopped being real. But you make it real. Because to me, in moments like this, when you're looking at me like that, you are him. And if even for a minute, for him to still be here, is enough for me not to tell you about it."

Ren was crying. She could feel the tears falling down her cheeks. David just started at her. He didn't know what to do. He wasn't expecting this. But then again, he did ask about her dead boyfriend. He should have known. He didn't realize, but he had taken her in his arms in a hug. Maybe if I just hold her everything will be okay.

But it wasn't. Ren pushed him away and mumbled something under her breath and walked outside. She got in her car and drove off.

It wasn't until she had left and David has recomposed himself that he heard what Ren had said.

"He would have liked you."