Ride Or Die: A Bad Boy Romance

The Boy with the Car

I'm sitting shotgun in a sleek sports car.
The streets of Los Angeles blur past.

Over the roar of the engine, I hear my heart pounding in my chest.

I glance in the sideview mirror at the cop cars right on our tail and catch a glimpse of myself... I barely even recognize myself...
A voice calls my name.

-Elise... Elise!

I turn to the car's driver, his piercing eyes locked with mine.

-I'm gonna have to do something a little risky. Do you trust me?
-Trust you? I barely even know you!

The speedometer ticks past 100 miles an hour. The driver takes my hand.

-It's now or never, Elise. Do you trust me?
-I...

I try to answer but I just keep thinking one thing over and over...

This is not how I expected my eighteenth birthday to go.

[Earlier that day...]

Beeeeeep! Beeeeeep! Beeeeeep!
I turn off my alarm clock and bolt straight up in bed.

Today's the day! I'm finally eighteen!
I throw on my usual outfit and check myself out in the mirror.

I look pretty cute! I wink at myself in the mirror.

I look down at the name of Langston College printed across the sweater I've had since I was thirteen.

-I still can't believe it! This summer I'll finally be attending my dream school!

I head downstairs, full of a feeling that my whole life is about to be different.
I find my dad in the kitchen, cooking over the stove.

-There's my birthday girl? What do you want for breakfast?
-I'll have a Belgian waffle.
-Thought you might say that. Order up! One Elise special!
He brings me the waffle. Yumm!!
-How do you know me so well?
-You're my daughter. It's my job.
-That's your job? Somehow I don't think that your boss would agree.
-Shhhh that's my secret! So, any plans for your big day?
-Same as last year. Stuffing cake in my face with Riya and Darius, then back home to board games with you.
-Don't think I'll take it easy on you just because it's your birthday
-You mean you were actually trying when I wiped the floor with you last time?

Dad laughs, then reaches into his pocket.
He slides over a small box tied with a ribbon. I begin unwrapping it.

-Ooh nice job on the wrapping, dad!
-I watched a how-to video. You know, Elise, every day I eat breakfast at this table with you... and every day I'm amazed at how you've grown into such a responsible, driven, remarkable young woman. And I think about how proud your mum would be of you.

I open the box and find... a charm bracalet!

-Wow! It's just like the one--
-Yeah. The one Mum used to wear.
My eyes getting wet, I latch the bracelet at my waist.
-Dad... Mum would be proud of you, too.
Dad coughs and averts his eyes, moved.
-Thanks Elise. That, uh... that means a lot. Now finish up your breakfast! Don't wanna miss the bus and be tardy on your birthday!
-Actually, I was kiiiiinda thinking...
-Go on, spit it out. I can see those gears of you turning.
-Remember last year on my birthday, we talked about driving lessons? And you said maybe next year--
-Elise, sweetie, I know I said we'd talk about it. But it's just too dangerous driving with a bunch of teenagers zooming all over the road. You don't wanna know how many bad accidents I've seen.
-But Dad, don't you trust me?
-I do, and you might be an adult now, but you're still my daughter. And that's never going to change. Besides, soon, you'll be off at a college in a big city. No point having a car there, right?
-...Right.