Trigger Warnings (See comments for more info)—>

Guiding us to the bank proves to be an easy task; the awkward silence in between the occasional 'turn here' or 'go there' is becoming unbearable.

Sigh. When was the last time I had to make small talk with a stranger? I don't have a dialogue prepared!

With my parents, small talk is simple; we only discuss safe things. 'How is school?', 'How is work,'' Grandma wanted me to tell you...', 'Our next work trip is...', and that is the gist. We don't talk about the catalyst or how the catalyst changed our day-to-day lives, and we do not, under any circumstances, talk about life before the catalyst. We walk a fine line and coexist with peace, at the very least.

My childhood friend Maeve is one of the few people I still talk to who knew me before the catalyst. Growing up, we lived in the same suburb, rode the same bus, shared most of our classes, and it was easy to become friends. Maeve has always been the go-with-the-flow type. She never really expresses or exudes emotions, and she is perfectly fine with skipping over drawn-out emotional bonding moments. That's not to say Maeve wouldn't try to be there for someone in a time of need; she just doesn't offer much in terms of advice or coping. Still, it was her continuous normalcy that brought me comfort in my time of need. Everyone around me looked at me differently, except for Maeve. So even when we moved towns away from each other, it was worth keeping in touch. She is one of the few links to my past that I don't mind acknowledging.

However, Maeve and I have known each other for years, so we also have an established dialogue. Unless something new happens in her life, our conversations are virtually the same every time we connect. I don't even remember how we officially met and started hanging out. I'm sure it was on the bus or the playground, but I don't think those experiences will get me far here.

Surprisingly, Junior takes the first step while I'm lost in contemplation. "I still don't think it's normal for you to be this calm right now; seriously, kid, are you sure you're mentally stable enough to be anywhere but an intensive treatment program?"

Annoyance instantly surfaces when he refers to me as a kid again. "I had enough brain cells to formulate a decent plan of action, Mr. Robbery at gunpoint, peeping tom," I say in a mocking tone, rolling my eyes.

"Ouch!" He fakes taking a wound to the heart, "So feisty, is it because of the height? I hear short people are naturally angry." His smirk is annoying.

I sigh and look out the window.

"The silent treatment? Are you sure you aren't a kid?" He teases.

I glower at him, "Do you want this money or not?"

He has the audacity to laugh, "Come on, lighten up, squirt! Following your agenda means we will be spending a lot of time together!"

Sigh. Why do I bother leaving the sanctuary of my house?

I direct him to pull up to the ATM and hand him my card; we are able to pull the first Seven hundred and fifty. He opens his backpack and sticks the money inside.

"Alright, kid, you said we're roughing it in the car, right?" He asks, settling back into his seat.

I nod, "Yeah, let's find somewhere more seculded to park for now."

"I can't tell if you're brave or stupid; why would you willingly sleep in a car with a stranger," He puts the car in drive and pulls out of the ATM pathway.

"Are you going to question my every choice the entire time we're traveling together?" I ask blandly.

"I'm just curious about my travel buddy and her lack of self-preservation. Are you looking to get assaulted?" He really flips back and forth with jovial and serious tones.

"Do people actually go looking for assault? I ask after contemplating what his question means and realizing he's looking down on me.

"Says the girl who tried to hire a robber to make a hit on her," He responds.

Fair? Kind of? I don't care enough. I let my shrug be my response.

"How bad are your parents that you ended up like this?" I can't tell if he's genuinely asking or looking down on my family and not just me. Can a criminal really do that?

"Don't belittle the investors that are about to line your pockets." My parents didn't ask for a child like me, and it's not like they didn't try to help. "Besides... my parents aren't the problem here I am," I admit quietly.

"I guess I can understand that to some degree. " He parks the car and cuts the engine. He looks like he wants to say something more but stops himself.

This leads to another few moments of silence. I thought I didn't know what to say before; this is a whole new level. Am I really going to be able to pull this off? If this is how it's going to be in between money grabs, how are we going to do this for several days?

He sighs, and I look over at him. He's fiddling with his keys but stops when he notices I'm looking at him. We make eye contact for a moment before he looks out the windshield. "I'm not really sure how to act or what to say. This feels a little too crazy to believe."

That's fair. "I'm not expecting anything," I say. I don't know if it's meant to be comforting, but it's all I could think of.

"What are you going to do if we get caught? Won't your parents be mad at you?" He asks.

I guess he's got a point. If we get caught, I have to find a logical explanation for lying to my parents and best friend about using their money for a trip. I can't even imagine how my parents would react if they knew I was planning to essentially rob them to help a criminal I just met and that I would be traveling alone with him. Damn, when you say it like that, I really do sound stupid. If he kills me, the news would have a field day with that kind of story! How often does the mouse intentionally give the cat opportunities to maim it? Let alone practically beg it to.

Well, if we do get caught, I could change the narrative a bit. "If this goes south, I will just tell them you kidnapped me," I tell him with a shrug. "In fact, until this is over, you are my kidnapper, and this is how I am getting you the ransom. There. Now you can rest easy; your money comes with a price that isn't killing me."

I really didn't expect him to laugh. "So instead of a robber/killer, I will be a robber/kidnapper," He looks over at me with that smirk; his canines really are sharp. "You always got some kind of plan, huh?"

I don't know why my stomach does something at the combination of his smirk and statement, but I immediately break eye contact and look forward. "I think it would also be fair to tell me why you need the money."

I can sense his mood shift; he doesn't say anything right away. I was about to say something before he finally started to speak up in a low voice. "My father, well, he's been in a pretty bad place for a long time. It started small; he'd stop going to work as often as he was supposed to and started spending more nights at the bar. He rarely came home sober, and a few years ago, he started getting into some heavier stuff."

Hmmm. So when he mentioned his situation wasn't one he created himself, he meant it was one he got from his father. "Would I be right to assume that the reason you need a substantial amount of money is that he messed up with some dealers?"

I see his shoulders sink, "Yeah. He wanted to start selling before he even considered using it. He thought he could make some good money fast and made all these promises about our lives getting better and we could move and start somewhere new. It didn't take long before he started sampling some of the products he was supposed to be selling. Before, he would only use a little at a time. He did get in trouble, but it was never this bad."

"Can I ask what exactly made it so bad this time?" I don't necessarily need to know more, but I am curious. I can't imagine what it would be like if my dad was a drug dealer stealing from his own inventory.

He turns and looks out his driver-side window while he speaks, "He overdosed on his latest batch, and the cops were called after some woman saw him in the alley. The bag of coke gave his career path away. Despite this not being his first run-in with the law, they still only gave him probation since he pleaded guilty. Though that has been the least of my worries. His suppliers paid me a visit the night after he was caught and made it very clear that I had a limited amount of time to get them the money. I tried getting a loan, but I don't have any collateral. I was working a construction job, but anyone hired in the last two years got let go after cutbacks were made. If I can't find a way to pay them back, they are going to kill both my father and me."

Wow, and I thought my life was miserable. Why does he want to live so badly? I take a moment to process this information, but one thing still bothers me, "If it's your dad's debt, then why do you have to pay it? And won't he just continue to do this? Are you gonna clean up his mess every time?"

"I..." He pauses, tapping his finger on the steering wheel. "It's only a matter of time until he breaks his probation and ends up with jail time. If I can pay this off while he isn't racking up more debt, then maybe I can make a break for it after he gets locked up. At the very least, that's all I really have in terms of a plan."

It's not a bad plan, I guess; it has a lot of unpredictable variables in it. Though, I don't exactly have room to judge on that. I still don't understand how, after all of that, he is still trying to make plans for his future. "That sounds.... exhausting," I tell him, with no judgment. Honestly, I just can't fathom wanting to live that much.

He chuckles again, and I make a face at him. "I've heard many things in response to my situation, but that's the first time anyone has described it that way. You really are a little weirdo, Squirt."

My eyes narrow, "Stop treating me like a child."

His smirk is back when he looks at me, "But when I pick on you, you make more facial expressions."

What the hell is that supposed to mean? Why does he smile like that? If anyone is the weirdo here, it's him.

I intentionally ignore his comment, "Does this chair lay down? I have a feeling sleep is the only time I'm gonna get a break from you."

He laughs again, "Yeah. Just pull the lever next to you."

I follow his instructions and try to find a comfortable position. He digs around his back seat for a minute before producing a sweatshirt.

"Here," he says, draping it over me. "It's not much, but it's better than nothing.

"Shouldn't you use it?" I ask, though I'm cold and really don't want to give it back.

"Nah, I'm good like this. I'm used to sleeping in my car," He says, throwing his chair back and putting the baseball cap over his face.

Well, I guess our first night together went alright. Hopefully, our plans for procuring money tomorrow will go the same. Either way, today has been a whirlwind, and I desperately need sleep. I let the sound of his light snore and the smell of his hoodie drift me into nonexistence.

I won't lie; I'm unsure how I feel about this chapter, so please tell me if it could be better. I struggle with the fill chapters almost as much as I struggle with the start of a story.

I also want to take a moment to give some shoutouts to writers I've connected with on this app; it has truly been so fun meeting new people and helping read each other's stories. I think it's special that a lot of us are just starting to post stories and are helping support one another in what can be an anxiety-inducing time! So, if you have some time, check out these writers and show them some love!

JaelynnMoore Story: Veil - I'm curently obsessed with this story and all the creative ways she has set the story up.
DhruvShanbhag   Story: Memories of Her. Also a new writer just starting to post chapters for the story!
LaylaLB12   Story: Illicit Affairs -Nascar meets drama! Also, thank you for adding my story to your reading list!
nayomiiee Story: Don't Make a Sound - Also just started uploading, the story has a cool Sci-fi feel so far!
kaisetic Story: Project Pen -Has some chapters out as a rough draft, I just started reading and it's really good!

Looking forward to meeting new people and continuing to try to write a story I can share with others!