They Walk

Chapter Five

As we make our way into the kitchen, we pass Dan and Maria. They are off to the side now, talking with a friend of Maria’s. She’s a tall girl, with flowing blonde hair. Like Maria she’s a waif of a girl, and just radiates shyness. Waving as we go by them, I think to myself that her name might be Emily but I wouldn’t bet on it.

The kitchen, even with its large size is very crowded, as we push our way to the drinks lining the counter. Matt releases my hand to reach for a bottle containing a white liquid. He pours both of us a glass, and hands one to me. I take it, but only sip it. I already feel a little dizzy from the drink Gabe gave me. Matt doesn’t notice though, he’s listening to his friends Austin and Alex arguing over something.

Trying to get his attention, I lean back on the counter to face him.

“So how was work tonight, any excitement?” I say.

“Actually none at all, the shack was quiet all night. Rudy called out, and I couldn’t leave Justin on his own. He’d probably set the place on fire, just trying to get a pizza out of the oven.”

He shifts a little so that he’s standing in front me, and leans in close so that his arms on either side of me.

“Well your one hell of a driver, made it here in no time at all. And with time to change, I don’t even smell the usual pepperoni aroma.” I smile at him teasingly.

Laughing, he says “I got lucky; the roads were empty for a first. So I made it home with just enough time to pretty myself up for you.”

Raising my hand that’s not holding the drink, I place it on his chest. He’s soft and warm, and his heart speeds up when I touch him. Licking my lips, I lift my eyes and lean towards him. He’s leaning closer into me, and we are a breath apart when a small plastic ball smacks him in the side of his head. Laughing I pull back, Matt glares over at Austin.

Who is holding pong balls and laughing with a group of guys.

Matt steps away from me and picks the ball off the floor, I notice the muscles of his arms straining against his shirt and I wish we hadn’t been interrupted. Then I think that the drinks are getting to me more than I thought. He stands back up, and pulling his arm back chucks the ball back to Austin. He easily steps aside to avoid to being hit, and waves Matt over to him. The other guys are making catcalls and rude jesters at us, and I hide behind Matts back feeling my face heat up. This of course sends the guys roaring, and clapping in approval.

This is one reason I avoid pda, Matt’s friends are like dogs with a bone.

Turning back to me, Matt takes my hand and starts to lead me out of the kitchen the way we came in. As we slink by, Austin slaps his hand on Matts shoulder and holds him in place.

“We need your opinion on something Mattie. The boys and I are about to start a pong match and we can’t decide if it’ll be strip or regular. What do you and your girl think?” Austin says.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Matt, I can see his face reddening and I know my face is still on fire. They all hackle at our embarrassment, and I can feel Matt tense beneath my hand. He’s about to say something, when there is a loud screeching sound from outside. It’s quickly followed by a roaring crunching sound and glass shattering.

The whole house shutter’s as the ground shakes from an impact.

Everyone in the kitchen stops whatever they were doing and freezes. The music that was just blaring a booming techno song gets turned off. In the silence of the house, a car horn can be heard outside. It’s grating and continuous, and I lean into Matt who holds me tightly.

He looks to Austin, who instantly walks out into the living room, looking not so happy.

His group of friends trail after him, and we can’t help but to follow too. The dancing had stopped, and everyone is either staring out the window or at Austin. He stops at the main bay window, shaking his head he clenches his hands into fists.

“Shit. My dad is going to lose it.” He grunts as he continues to stare out the window.

Being held back by Matt, I peak around the group in front of me to see out the window too. What I see makes me gasp in surprise. The blaring horn is coming from a car imbedded into the side of a tree in the yard. From the looks of things, someone lost control of the car and rammed into all our parked ones. It must have been going fast, because it flipped and hit some of the other cars before crashing into the tree. No one moves in the living room, we’re all looking to Austin to make the first move, this being his house and all. Even though I don’t know him very well, I can see he’s torn. Wanting to make sure no one was seriously hurt.

Then on the other hand not wanting to help so he won’t get busted, a minor drinking isn’t exactly legal.

The group from outback must have heard the commotion, because they begin to migrate to the front lawn. They’re jumbled together in a group of twenty; they are still in swim suits and dripping wet. I don’t see Claire or Brian with them, and wonder if they are still outback. In front of me, Austin sighs and he beckons some of his friends to follow him. As they walk to the front door, a guy I remembers name being Kyle, calls over his shoulder for anyone to call 911. We all appear hesitant, not wanting the first person to be the nark. But then a guy in the back of our crowd gets out his cellphone.

As soon as Austin opens the front door, the horn is almost defining. But under it you can almost hear another noise; it takes my brain a moment to place it. When I do, I realize it’s a scratching noise. As in someone from inside the car is scratching at the windows. That must mean whoever is in the car, is more hurt than anyone would think, and they’re trapped. Austin’s group must have realized this at the same time, because they rush out the door not even closing it behind them and down the front steps.

I feel a light feathered touch on my arm not around Matt, and I jump.

Looking beside me, it’s Dan with Maria.

“What’s going on out there?” he asks.

I’m not really sure how to answer, and he knows as much as me, so I just shake my head. Maria leans around him, and gives me a nervous smile. I glance up at Matt, but he’s watching the guys outside, so I turn my attention back outside also.