Derrick left Zach and Evelyn's house feeling comfort. He wasn't expecting to fix anything; he just wanted to apologize. He actually had a genuine smile for the first time in months. He sat in the driver seat and said a thankful prayer to God before turning his engine on and pulling away.
Zach turned to go down the hallway back to his room, but Evelyn was standing in the way, leaning against the corner.
"Well, dang," she chuckled.
"What?" Zach laughed between his sniffles.
"Derrick actually apologized? What's gotten into him!" she joked.
"I know," he smiled. "Maybe things are turning around." He walked closer to the hallway, but Evelyn didn't move.
"Don't trust him, Zach. I'm not going to lose you to him."
"He's not RED."
"We don't know who RED is... just be careful, please."
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Natalie was screaming in her room and yanking at her hair. She could barely be there knowing Jasper was just sitting on her bed. He told her he loved her, and then his body sat outside. She hated the house and was ready to leave. She lunged off her bed and grabbed her keys off the nightstand. She slung the door back, making the handle slam into the wall and leave a dent.
"Baby, what's wrong," her mom asked from the kitchen as she passed.
"I can't do this!" she screamed and ran for the door.
Her mom leaned against the counter. She knew Natalie better than anyone and knew she would be okay. She needed her time. She let her tears fall and said her prayers.
Natalie was so frazzled that she didn't take the car out of park before she slammed on the gas.
Bruuuuun. The engine yelled.
She slammed the gear shift into drive and pulled out of the driveway.
She couldn't control anything. It all just slipped from her fingers like a balloon into the sky. She couldn't wipe at her nose enough to keep the snot away. The high beams shined through the night, knowing she would be pulled over for even being out after curfew. She didn't even have enough control to care.
The last thing she lost control of was her foot. It kept pressing down.
Faster. Faster. Even faster. The needle on the dash was inching it's way to the red section as the speed kept increasing to levels the car had never gone before.
"Ahhhhhh!" she screamed. She squalled in tears. There wasn't much of anything left in her. Static.
Derrick flashed in her head. The way he threw her from the porch. Jasper. The love. The death. The gun.
Blue lights... but this wasn't in her head. She slammed on her breaks and pulled over into the gravel section of the road. The gravel popped and moved under her tires and Deputy Evans followed behind her. After stopping, she stepped from the patrol car. She had one hand on her gun and the other holding the flashlight.
Natalie's gun was sitting just in the darkness by her knee on the center cupholder. She moved it to the floorboard as the flashlight hit her shoulders from behind.
Deputy Evans looked through the window from an angle, making sure to keep her distance. The blue and red lights still flashing around as bright as they could. They were blinding Natalie from her rearview mirror.
Natalie knew if Deputy Evans were to find the gun she would be in trouble... more than she wanted to be in. She looked back and met eyes with Deputy Evans.
**Author questions: Will Natalie do something stupid? Does Deputy Evans think she's RED? Is she RED?
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