The purring engines of motorcycles were the sound of heaven in the blistering desert. Drucella pushed her white bicycle on the roughen sidewalk of the small town of Crest, California. School dismissed, and it was time to pull the evening shift at her family's convenience store.
Davis Corner sat on the edge of the corner of town, and being the only gas station for miles, they got good service. However, it was still hard to make ends meet, considering the low population. The last time the drab building got a facelift was when her parents came in with a lump sum of money. That was before her life turned on its axis. Drucella didn't find out where that money appeared until the sheriff took her parents out in handcuffs.
Crest was in a drought that would be meeting its end soon. Drucella could smell rain on the horizon. Dust was flying about, coating all the buildings and cars. She sucked in some dry dirt, causing a gritty cough to escape.
Drucella parked her bike on the side of the dingy tan concrete building. A blur of muscles and long legs jogging her way came into her view. A smirk slowly crept on her face.
"There is the girl of the hour." Colter rushed over, seizing Drucella up in a hug.
"What do you want?" She proclaimed.
Colter sat her back down on the ground softly. "Can't I compliment my girlfriend?"
Drucella slid her backpack off, walking to the small outbuilding behind to change from her leather skirt to more comfortable clothes: torn-up jean shorts and a baggy band tee. "Yes, but you forget I know you better than anyone."
Colter followed her like a lost puppy. "Okay, you caught me. Please finish my history essay. You know how much I loathe anything about World War II."
"What do I get in return?" Drucella walked into the building littered with boxes and spiderwebs.
The muscular arm Colter used to throw a football for the high school football team halted the door. "Anything. Just name it, and it is yours."
Drucella contemplated on this. Anything, she thought. It sounded too good to be true. "Get Presley to let me drive his Harley." She knew he would say no, but that was what she wanted. She wouldn't give up until Presley eventually gave in.
Drucella loved motorcycles. When the biker gang, Black Toxins, stopped at the gas station, she would smell the fumes and long to feel the wind in her hair. Her dirt bike was closest to a motorcycle she had until she totaled it going too fast on a dirt curve. She remembered those days fondly kicking up the kickstand at dawn and not putting it back down until dusk.
Colter scratched his brown, buzz-cut hair. Drucella loved his hair like this. He would cut his thick locks when the air grew hotter. She stared at him admirably. His football jersey was tight along his biceps. The yellow of Stinger's logo was bright on his dark bronze skin. "You know that is a long shot, but I can try. Deal?"
"Deal." Drucella smiled playfully before closing the door in Colter's face. She sat down her brown, suede backpack on a crate before quickly changing. She wouldn't be forced to work in anything uncomfortable, even if it was her favorite skirt or black fitted shirt. Working at a gas station warranted many substances getting on the counter, too, so there was no chance of getting her good clothes dirty.
Colter was long gone before Drucella went into the store. She knew he was running to the saloon down the half-mile lane on the store's right. The old saloon was perfect for Black Toxins hangout. Freeman Hayes restored the saloon, adding pool tables, neon lights, and fully restored bedrooms and furnished bathrooms. Drucella hadn't been there in so long, yet she couldn't forget the smell of whiskey and cigars lingering in the air.
The Black Toxins hangout was limited to only the biker gang, close friends, and family. Since Colter was Presley's best friend since birth, this included him and excluded Drucella.
Presley and Drucella had been in each other's life since kindergarten. The only things they had in common were motorcycles and Colter. Presley tolerated Drucella for Colter and vice versa. Presley thought Drucella a know-it-all, while Drucella only saw Presley as obnoxious.
Presley was part of her life in some weird sort of way. He has been there for her in times of crisis, only for Cotler's sake and to keep the peace. Their relationship could be defined as frienemies, at best.
Drucella saw Colter jogging to the glass-paned doors one hour into her shift. She could tell by his soured expression the answer Presley had given him. He stopped to take a breather before pulling the metal handle. "I'm sorry." He murmured before getting to the counter.
Drucella huffed. "Tell me his exact words."
"Why do you always make me repeat him when you know it will make you mad?" Colter dropped his head. "It gives him pleasure to tell you no, again." He said lowly.
She clicked her tongue. "I wonder if it will give him pleasure when I tell him to bite me?" Drucella said under her breath, wiping the black countertop with a wet cloth, focusing on an invisible speck of dirt.
Colter put his forearms on the counter. Drucella aggressively wiped around him. "I'm sorry. Just know I did try. I even tried to persuade him by washing the whole gang's bikes for the summer." He said.
This added another checkmark on what Presley did to annoy Drucella's last nerve list. Colter pulled out the big guns for her this time.
Drucella had a checklist for Colter too, but his list was for how oblivious Colter was. He did go years without realizing she was crazy in love with him. A shift of status changed everything they both knew. Going from best friends to lovers was simple yet life-changing.
Drucella and Colter had the iconic best-friend relationship- just a boy and girl, spending every waking second together, being attached at the hip, sleepovers, pulling all-nighters, putting together puzzles, movie nights in the desert sand—everything one would expect from a lifelong childhood friendship.
But only one thing came between that: Drucella's love for Colter. The knowing hit her like a brick getting thrown through a pane of glass. It shattered her small, fragile world. She realized it when they sat on the prickly blanket on the hard ground one random night. Colter's gigantic laptop was seated between them, playing an old black-and-white movie. The night was clear and slightly humid but perfect.
Drucella intently focused on the movie and felt something cover the top of her hair. Suddenly, the scent of butter filled her nose. Popcorn fell from the sky. Once Drucella could finally see through the haze of the delicious snack, she saw Colter cackling. The look on his face, his scrunched-up nose, and his broad smile made Drucella's insides do something funny. Butterflies suddenly flew into her stomach, flapping their wings as hard as possible. Drucella was in love with her best friend.
Her love would either ruin their friendship or bring them closer, so she kept it a secret for as long as possible. Colter had been blind, but his eyes opened when their lips touched from an immature spin-the-bottle game. It's been six months of bliss and kisses hidden beneath the bleachers.
Drucella wanted to recreate that special night she fell in love for their halfway mark. Most wouldn't even celebrate for a short time, but Drucella wished to live for the small moments instead of the milestones.
Colter leaned over the counter, giving Drucella all his charm to forget the unfortunate circumstances. "I've got to go. Upcoming first-year students are trying out for football camp. Wish me luck."
Drucella dried her hand on her t-shirt before grabbing Colter's face and pulling it to hers. She kissed him as passionately as she could in a public place, even though there were no customers in the store.
He smiled against her lips. "I don't think I will ever get tired of this."
Drucella took in his scent of butterscotch candy. He always kept a pocket full for sucking on throughout the day of boredom during classes. "Go on you. Call me later." She gave him another kiss, but this one was a quick peck, unlike before.
Colter skipped out the door like a kid high on sugar, but instead, it was Drucella's kisses. She rolled her eyes behind his back with a smile plastered across her face.
"Drucella, wipe down the pump handles. Someone got oil all over them." Louisa came out from the store's stock room with a box of glass bottles. "Gladly," Drucella said with a hint of sarcasm. She walked out from behind the counter, grabbing a cleaner and cloth on her way out. "Stock some drinks for me!"
"All of our profits are for your addiction to chocolate milk, sister." Lousia bent down to sit the box beside the cooler. She opened the door, sending a breeze of cold air Drucella's way.
"Don't forget your disgusting addiction to hot pickled sausages," Drucella yelled.
"Hey, don't knock them until you try them."
Drucella waved her off. The hot air hit her in the face, replacing the cool breeze in the store. Drucella squirted the cleaner over the pumps and handles, scrubbing away the dark, sludgy oil.
No one would know Louisa and Drucella were related if the Davis sisters weren't local. With her black shoulder-length hair, Louisa contrasted Drucella's long blonde hair. Drucella was a tall, thin thing, while Lousia was tall but thick in areas every girl wanted to be. Meredith was a mix of the two.
Louisa was the only family Drucella had. While her parents rot away in prison, Louisa is Drucella's guardian. She was seven years older but had to be an adult at eighteen when everything got thrown her way: her two younger sisters and Davis Corner.
Drucella and Louisa's younger sister, Meredith, was at the babysitter's. Luckily, the Davis sisters got free childcare from the gang's mother hen. Naya spent her whole life caring for the biker gang's children with hefty pay. Naya gladly offered up her assistance when Drucella's parents got sent away. Meredith was still in diapers then, and Louisa couldn't refuse the help.
Louisa had no idea how to be a mother and run the town convenience store but learned without complaint. She was still bitter at her parents, considering Lousia hadn't spoken to them in seven years.
Drucella only talked to them a few times a year. They would always call on the girls' birthdays. Hearing their voice more than that would only make her spiral down. Drucella wasn't bitter. She was disappointed. Being disappointed was sometimes worse than being bitter. Drucella felt happy families were all a big act to get America to live out the supposed American Dream. It was all bull crap.
Drucella's hands were covered in oil when she finished cleaning. She didn't care because being outside brought her joy. The sounds of nature and feeling the sun on her skin were all she needed.
Her shift went by fast with the usual's coming and going. She pumped gas for the elderly and high-paying customers. She occasionally got a tip that would go into her savings for a motorcycle.
A teenager would consider saving for college or leaving their hometown but not Drucella. She was content with owning the convenience store one day. With all her studies and good grades, she was banking on a scholarship for a business degree.
Drucella had high hopes of turning Davis Corner into a franchise to take care of her family. They wouldn't have to worry about money when Drucella completed her goals. That was the plan. She could only beg God that it would work.
When the sun started disappearing, Lousia was already gone to pick up Meredith from Naya's. Drucella took out all the cash from the register, counting it when Colter called. "Those kids have no talent. But a few have potential. I can whip them up this summer. I think we got a good chance in the fall."
Drucella was so used to counting money she could multitask, pay attention to the conversation, and keep track of the finances. "That's good to hear." In reality, Drucella could care less about sports, but Colter loved it, so she tried to sound enthusiastic
"Hey, I'm sorry about Presley. But I will try again." Colter said disappointedly.
Drucella could hear lockers slam in the background of the phone call. "It's okay. I would rather stomp my toe than have you ask him again." She would never ask Presley outright because of the hit to her pride, but Colter asking on his behalf was different. She didn't have to be told no to her face.
Drucella wanted to brighten up the conversation. "I have plans for Friday night, so don't schedule anything."
"Oh, this sounds interesting. Any chance you are going to tell me what it is?"
"Nope. You know I can keep a secret."
"One of the many qualities I wish I could jerk out of you."
Drucella closed the cash register and neatly tucked the sorted money into the cash bag. She zipped it up. "I'm about to leave. I will text you later."
"Love you, dork," Colter said while rustling with something on the other end.
"Love you." Drucella hung up, sticking the phone in her back pocket.
She turned off all the lights before deadbolting all the locks. Once outside, she heard the roar of the engines that vibrated through her body into her soul. Knowing one of those engines was Presley. She knew the sound of his motorcycle. She sighed, wishing to be behind the handles.
Drucella Davis
Presley Hayes
Colter Reynolds