June 1996
90 days
I'd spent the last few days hanging out with Ashton, Alice, and Calum around the resort. We'd spend the day frolicking on the beach or at the resort's arcade room. In all honesty, there wasn't much to do here. "What did your parents say when you got home last night?" Ashton asks driving us another lap around the resort. It was just Alice, Ashton, and I. Calum had said something about a family thing today.
Last night though, I came home smelling like a brewery, but my parents were too busy fighting to even notice. So I stumbled my way up the stairs and crawled into bed. "Nothing actually. The whole thing was lack-luster."
"Well you have to swear if they ever do decide to parent you to death, we're never mentioned." Alice says from the back seat in the golf cart.
"Ok." I shrug.
"Ok? No-kay. You have to swear it."
"Ok, I swear." I chuckle.
"Hm, I don't believe you." She
crosses her arms over her small chest.
"Jesus why don't we make him spill his blood over a flame just to seal the deal." Ashton laughs.
"That could be arranged." Alice states, pulling out a pink pocket knife.
"Jesus fucking Christ Alice! Put that shit away. We aren't starting the Australian-American war by spilling an Aussie teen's blood on American soil in some weird grunge kid satanic ritual."
"Fine," she huffs, closing the blade and putting it into her fringe bag, "we'll just make it a grunge kid's promise."
    "A who what?" Ashton asks.
    "Look, both of you, hold up three fingers as such." I feel like I'm being inducted into the Cub Scouts or something, but I do it anyway. Holding the wheel with one hand, Ashton follows along. "Repeat after me. I, state your name, pledge allegiance to the grunge and the fringe, as that's what father Cobain has taught me. And to Nirvana and other bands, one family, oppressed by the system, standing in Vans and Chucks forever."
    Looking to one another and silently deciding this is better than a temper tantrum, Ashton and I repeat the grunge kid's oath, and drive in silence afterwards.
    Driving around the resort got boring really fast. I turn in my seat to face Alice and ask her where she came up with the Grunge Kid Pledge to see she's already staring at me. Before I can open my mouth, she's talking again. "Ashton pull over, I'm driving."
    "Like hell you are. May I remind you of the five failed attempts at passing your driver's test?"
    "But I passed didn't I?"
    "Yeah, after you ran over a traffic cone, demolished a cardboard cut out of a child, and ripped off the passenger's side mirror... on two cars."
    "No need to dwell in the past my dear brother."
    "I'm sorry, but for our safety, I'm going to have to deny your request." Ashton says turning onto Clam Drive for the fifth time.
    "Permettez moi de vous conduire morceau de merde." Alice states fluently, gently crossing her ankles and lifting her chin regally.
    "What?" Ashton and I ask in unison.
    "It's French for, 'Let me drive you piece of shit'"
    "Well since you asked so nicely..." Ashton begins to ease on the gas, veering to the right slightly.
    "Really?" She asks excitedly.
    "Really?" I ask nervously. In my five year plan I didn't have, "End up as the cone that Alice ran over that one time" anywhere in it.
    "Fuck no!" Ashton cackles ruthlessly, speeding up to full speed again.
    What happens next I did not see coming. Alice stands up and flings herself off of the moving golf cart. "JESUS CHRIST!" Ashton slams on the brake, almost sending me through the plastic windshield (A/N: wear your seat belts kids) I whirl around in my seat to see Ashton leaning over a groaning Alice. "Jesus Alice, what is wrong with you? Are you ok?" He offers a hand to the reckless girl which she takes and pulls Ashton onto the ground. Alice stands up and bolts toward the golf cart and I. Both her knees are bleeding profusely and there's a nasty scrape across her shoulder, but she makes it to the front seat, throws the cart into drive, and speeds away as Ashton follows, chasing behind us.
    My eyes widen as she barely clears a caution sign and carelessly speeds over a speed bump, almost sending me flying out of the recreational car. Finally coming to a stop at the exit of the resort, she throws her arm over the back of my seat, grinning as she watches Ashton hobble over and sit in the back. "You could've broken a-"
    "Blah, blah, blah, that's all I ever hear. Lighten up a little Ashy." She pushes her aviators onto her nose and gripping the wheel at 10 and 2 we speed off onto the main drag of Myrtle Beach. Wait what?
    Cars speed past us as our 20 mph cart keeps a steady pace in the left lane. "What are you doing?" I question as she waves to a guy who flipped us off.
    "Um... Taking us to the movies." She says as if it's the most obvious thing.
    I turn to Ashton and he just shrugs, "You'll learn its best to just let her do her thing. Just don't get us killed or pulled over." And as if on cue, a pair of red and blue light begin to shine behind us.
    "Fuck." She mumbles as she pulls off the road. Looking through the rearview, she nervously bites her lip.
    "Well isn't this just fucking fabulous." Ashton exclaims, throwing his hands in the air.
    "Shut up dufus! I can handle this. Watch and learn." Her posture straightens as she wiggles her shorts up her hips, exposing her slightly tanned legs a little more than necessary. As the officer exits his car, Alice turns to me and says, "Be sick." And without warning, she punches me in the stomach.
    I double over and let out a hoarse cough that Ashton laughs at. "Excuse me ma'am." Turning her suddenly concerned attention from me, she faces the officer who is wearing matching aviators.
    In a panicked voice, she gives the officer a sob story of how I was the victim of a near-fatal hit and run at our resort. The only mode of transportation we had was the golf cart, so here we are on our way to the hospital.
He lifts his glasses and looks at her with a twisted face. His eyes travel to her bare legs and he sighs, "Leave the cart, I'll give y'all a lift." Lifting her aviators to the top of her head, in her sweetest voice she says, "Thank you officer. You're saving my friend." as if I'm at death's door. So in the most dramatic fashion I can manage, I stumble from the cart as Ashton and Alice support me to the back of the cop car.
    The ride is mostly silent except for the friendly banter between Ashton and the officer about the upcoming football season. Feeling a warm hand slip into mine, I look over at Alice as she stares out her window. "Don't worry Luke, we'll be where you can get medical attention soon."
    We pull into the hospital a few minutes later. As the cop drives away we wave and walk into the emergency department. Alice skips over to a payphone and deposits a nickel, dialing a number. She nods profusely and rolls her eyes occasionally. She finally hangs up and bounces her way back to us, smiling. Throwing one arm each around Ashton and I's necks, she smiles pulling us down to her height.

"My dear Luke, prepare to meet Michael."
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>Double update bc you guys are so amazing 😘
>Author's song suggestion {ASS} bc why not: 19 You+Me by Dan+Shay (this is the song that inspired this book)
>90's Drew Barrymore gives me life so she plays Alice (reference picture) 
>Update coming tomorrow 🙃