The Art of Life

by Carter, Sarah

  “Hey,” he snaps playfully, “I have an awesome physique and need to keep it nourished.”

  Rolling her eyes, Cassandra groans. “They are ridiculous. Joshua is a black belt and has Kent and Jeremy here fighting every chance they get. They are absurd. I mean, don’t get me wrong, they are in awesome shape, but it gets old, watching them wrestle around all the time.”

  “I run too, every night,” Jeremy draws out as though he is annoyed, but then he gives that awesome smile of his.

  “You need to bring her around, then maybe I will have something to entertain me other than watching you bone heads,” Cassandra counters with a smirk.

  That makes me very nervous. “No, he sees me enough.”

  Suddenly looking at me, Jeremy asks, “Are you growing tired of me?”

  “What!?” I gasp, “No! I just…I don’t know. Aren’t you getting sick of me hanging around?”

  Furrowing his eyebrows, Jeremy retorts harshly, “No. Trust me Isabelle, you will know if I don’t want you around.”

  “Okay,” I whisper.

  Since he is sitting next to me, he nudges me with his shoulder. “I have fun with you.”

  “Yeah, you are fun,” Cassandra adds on. “One day you and I need to go shopping on our own. I need to take you to get some new bras and stuff.”

  Jeremy slams his hand down on the table, and exclaims, “I have to miss that, too!”

  “Yes,” I hiss. “I am not going underwear shopping with you.”

  “Why?” He laughs. “I can tell you what looks good.”

  I turn to Cassandra. “Are all boys like this?”

  “Pretty much,” she answers with a sigh.

  We eat our pizza and talk about random things. When we are done, Cassandra looks at her phone. “I really need to get back.”

  “Okay,” Jeremy retorts. “Let’s go then.” We make our way outside and shove everything in the car’s trunk. “Here you go,” he says, tossing me the keys.

  “I am NOT going to back up your car! That’s worse than pulling into a spot. We haven’t tried reverse yet!” I yell in fear.

  Ruffling my hair, Jeremy takes the keys back. “Fine, I will drive.”

  “I will get into the back,” I say, fixing my hair, “You have to get out first Cassandra.”

  “Won’t argue with that,” she replies.

  When I get into the back, I close my eyes. I haven’t done this much in a long time. Spending time by yourself is not very stressful. A while goes by, when I suddenly feel fingers run down the side of my face. I open my eyes to find Jeremy in front of me. I jump up. The car is stopped, Cassandra is gone and Jeremy has the front seat forward. “Oh my gosh, I fell asleep!” I cover my face. “That is so embarrassing!”

  “No, you drooling was cute,” he says with a smile.

  “Dear lord, please tell me I didn’t do that.”

  Jeremy laughs. “No, you didn’t. You slept soundlessly and rather cute actually.”

  “Where is Cassandra?”

  “I dropped her off a few seconds ago. Do you want to go home?”

  “No,” I stammer. “I am sorry.”

  Squatting down, Jeremy smiles. “There is no reason to be sorry. I am rather narcoleptic myself. We can go back to my place and take a nap if you want.”

  Shyly, I say, “No, that’s okay. If you need to, you can take me home.”

  With a smirk, Jeremy replies, “Nah, I am fine. You up and ready now?”

  “Yeah,” I answer.

  “Good, because you are driving.” Groaning I climb over the front seat into the driver’s side. “Hey,” Jeremy yells, “be careful climbing all over the interior.”

  Oops. “Sorry.”

  “Be nice to my baby,” Jeremy replies running his hands on the dash.

  “Do you two want a moment together?” I ask.

  Jeremy laughs and answers, “No, we have lots of alone time already.”

  “Oh jeepers.” I start the car, and slowly drive out of the parking lot. “Where are we going?”

  “The cell store is on Lincoln.”

  Suddenly, I jump up and down and shout, “Oh! Oh! We have to stop at the coffee shop on Hickory!”

  “Dear lord have mercy! Why!? You just scared the hell out of me!” Jeremy exclaims.

  “There is this guy named Jack. He is a good friend of Eric’s. I couldn’t remember what kind of car this was, and he wanted me to bring it by so he could see it. We get free coffee if we do, and it may make me a little bit cooler to someone. So, PPPLLLEEEASSSEEE?” I beg.

  A snort and chuckle come out of Jeremy. “Yeah, go ahead. Next time, bring it down a few notches.”

  “Thank you!” I gleefully say, as I jump over, and try to hug him, but for some reason our lips come together. It is quick and I pull back right away. I cover my mouth. “I am sorry. That is not what I meant to happen!”

  “It’s alright,” Jeremy laughs, putting his arm on the back of my seat. “I know how hard it is to resist me.”

  My eyes probably couldn’t roll any farther back than they are now. “Yes, Jeremy, you are the heart to all my deepest fantasies.”

  As I start to drive again, Jeremy leans against the door. “So, tell me about these deep dark fantasies. What am I wearing exactly? Oh, much better, what am I doing?”

  “You are fully clothed to start with.”

  Scoffing, Jeremy says, “You fantasize about me with my clothes on? What kind of fantasy is that? Do I at least take my clothes off?”

  “I don’t know!” I snap. “I was joking. There is no fantasy and you better keep your clothes on!”

  “But I look really good with them off,” Jeremy teases.

  I can’t help but look at him. “I don’t doubt that you do, but that is not for me to see.”

  “It would ruin any other guy for you. I am quite hot if I do say so myself.”

  “Well, I bet you are, but that is for other girls to see, not me,” I state sternly. Though images of him are running through my head, and even as I try really hard to get them to stop, they keep coming.

  We are actually quiet while I drive to the coffee shop. Is this an awkward silence? I mean, we really haven’t said anything since that weird conversation. We pull into the parking lot and I park in front of the doors. Jeremy turns to me. “Who is this guy again?”

  “His name is Jack. He is friends with Eric. I guess he likes cars. I couldn’t remember what this was when he asked.”

  Jeremy smirks and dramatically emphasizes, “1967 Pontiac G-T-O.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I mutter. “I still will not remember that.”

  “Well, let’s go show off my baby,” Jeremy sighs, getting out of the car.

  I open the door and climb out. “We don’t have to do this,” I state. “We can go.”

  Coming over to me, Jeremy bends over and kisses me on the forehead. “I will do whatever makes you happy. Let’s go make this boy drool.” He puts his arm over my shoulders and opens the door.

  We walk in and I stop dead in my tracks. The entire sitting area is filled with my fellow high school students, most of them seniors. “Crap!” I hiss.

  Jeremy pulls me into a hug and whispers in my ear, “What’s wrong?”

  “Most of my senior class is here,” I murmur back.

  He pulls me tight against him. “Trust me Isabelle. You just got out of a killer car, with a hot guy wrapped around you. THIS is not a bad thing.”

  Looking up at him, I quietly giggle. “You have a point.”

  “Let’s give them even more to stare at,” he says, right before he kisses me. It catches me off guard…yet again, but man, it feels so good. After a few seconds, Jeremy pulls away. “There now we have everyone’s attention.”

  “Good,” I stutter. Jeremy grabs my hand and pulls me to the counter. Jack is standing there slacked jawed. “Hey Jack, this is my friend Jeremy.”

  Jack just shakes his head. “You did not tell me that he drove a flippin’ 1967 GTO!”

  “Yup,�
�� I reply. “That’s it. I couldn’t remember yesterday.”

  “I am taking a break,” Jack yells to someone else behind the counter. “I need to check out your ride.”

  Jeremy waves his hand forward and we follow Jack outside. Jack bends over and looks in the side window. “It’s pretty,” is all that I can come up with.

  “Dude, this car is gorgeous! Did you rebuild it yourself?” Jack asks.

  “Yup,” Jeremy says. “I had it for three years before I rebuilt it all.”

  Turning, Jack enthusiastically asks, “Can I see under the hood?”

  “Sure.” Jeremy walks over and pulls the latch for the hood. I can’t help, so I just stand back. He obviously knows what he is doing. Now, a few other guys from school come to check out what’s “under the hood”.

  “That is beautiful,” Jack says.

  “My baby has 450 big block, all chromed out. It has dual overhead cams and a blower. It schools people on a regular basis.”

  Jack makes some weird noises that only guys make. “I have to hear this engine.”

  Jeremy tosses me the keys. “Start it up toots.”

  I grab the keys and glare at him. He just winks. I climb into the car, and push in the clutch. With a groan, I start the car. I hear a lot of “Sweets!” Jeremy walks over to the window. “Okay, follow these instructions: First put on the parking break. Second, put the car in neutral. It can’t be in any gear. Then thirdly, press on the gas. It will rev the engine.”

  “Okay,” I nervously reply. I do everything he says, and then press down on the gas pedal. It does rev the engine rather loudly. There is a whole lot of whooping and hollering from in front of the car. When I look out the window, I notice most of the coffee shop has come outside. Great, we are a spectacle. Finally, Jeremy waves his hand to stop. I do that and turn off the car. I am glad I didn’t kill anyone.

  I climb back out of the car and walk over to Jeremy. He puts his arm around me. “They like it.”

  “I can see that,” I reply.

  Jack leans over the engine. “I cannot believe you learned to drive in this car. You rock Isabelle.”

  “Thanks,” I whisper awkwardly.

  “My girl does rock,” Jeremy interjects kissing me on the head.

  Turning to Jeremy, I say, “I want to get some coffee. Do you want anything?”

  “Sure,” he replies, with a smile.

  “Oh, I will take care of that,” Jack happily retorts. He walks over and opens the door. “Olivia, give them whatever they want on the house!”

  He holds the door open as I walk over. “Thanks,” I mumble as I walk past him. The rest of the people in the coffee shop are now staring at me. This is a lot more attention than I was expecting. I walk up to the counter and the girls smiles. I look at the menu and order. “Can I have two large lattes, please?”

  “Definitely,” the girl answers. She grins at me and says, “Your boyfriend is really hot.”

  “Yeah,” I sigh, “And he knows it.” The girl just giggles and goes to make our coffees. I turn around and look out the window. Jack is gesturing with his hands and Jeremy is laughing. Guys still puzzle me. After a few minutes, the barista sets our drinks down. I say, “Thank you,” and put some money in the tip jar.

  When I get outside, Jack turns to me. “He said I can’t drive the car.”

  “I didn’t think he would,” I reply, handing Jeremy his latte. “I am surprised that he lets ME drive it.”

  Jeremy chuckles. “Of course you can. You will need something to drive when you get your license. I have my motorcycle, you get the car.”

  “WHAT!?” I yell.

  “No flippin way!” Jack exclaims even louder. “You are picking me up for school every day then. I will give you my first born child.”

  I just glare at Jeremy. “I am not taking your car to school.”

  “Why not?” Jeremy retorts. “It’s a nice car.” With a groan, I roll my eyes. Laughing, Jeremy hugs me. “Drink your latte. We have to go soon anyway.”

  “Isabelle,” Jack starts seriously, “If you bring this to school, you have to promise to give me a ride.”

  That makes me smile. “I can do that.”

  “Hey!” Jack exclaims. “There is a party tonight! You should come!”

  Hhhhuuuhhhhhh? Did I just get invited to a party? Before I can say anything, Jeremy says, “We would love to, but we have a party to go to already, and you know, I am 21. If you guys do anything wrong and I am the oldest there, it will be my ass.”

  “Oh,” Jack says. “I didn’t know that.”

  “Yeah, anyway, high school parties aren’t really my thing, Isabelle’s either. She may be the baby of the group, but she is still in the group. You know, we do things differently.” Jack nods his head, like Jeremy just said the wisest thing ever. I snort and then cough to cover it up. “Well,” Jeremy chimes. “We have to get going. Things to do, places to go…..make out in.”

  My eyes close and I hang my head. “Jeremy….”

  “Wwwwhhhaatttt?” He dramatically retorts. I just look up at him. “Drink your coffee. I am driving.”

  “Thank God!” I yell. The last thing I need to do is try to back up in front of everyone. Jeremy closes the hood. I walk up to Jack. “Thanks for the coffee.”

  He grins. “No problem. You just need to give me a ride in the GTO.”

  “I can do that,” I reply, nodding. “I promise, once I get my license and if Jeremy really lets me drive it.”

  Jack bobs his head. “You need to hurry and get your license.”

  “As soon as she is comfortable, we are going to go and have her take the test,” Jeremy says jovially, “but for now, we need to go. Get in babe.”

  I wave to Jack and get into the car. Jeremy gets in the other side and I whisper, “Thanks.”

  “Oh wait,” he responds with a devious grin. “I will make him drool in about ten seconds.” Jeremy reaches in back and pulls a towel out from under the seat. “Put this on your lap and hold our coffees really tightly. I am about to make a mess. We may put your new clothes to some use.”

  “Oh crap,” I moan.

  Jeremy backs up and pulls out onto the street. “Hold tight Isabelle. One of these days I will show you how to do this.” He throws it into first, and floors it. I am slammed back in my seat and all I can smell is burning rubber. We jet forward at a speed I know we shouldn’t be going. He quickly shifts and we are now four blocks away.

  “Slow down!” I finally get out when I can breathe. Suddenly, the car decreases speed and I am pulled forward. Looking down, my lap is covered in coffee. “You better be really thankful there was a towel in my lap. Hot coffee is still hot coffee, even through your jeans!”

  “They will definitely not forget you now,” Jeremy retorts.

  Looking at him, I say, “Yes, but they are also going to smell burning tires while they drink their coffee. That is if you even have tires left.”

  “I haven’t done that in a while,” Jeremy laughs. “Awesome, every time.”

  I hold up the coffee cups and shake them a little. Shrugging, I drink the rest of one of them. “What am I supposed to do?” I finally ask. “My arms and this towel are completely covered in coffee.”

  “We are only a few blocks away, we will go to my place.”

  “Thank you.” I retort. “I am so gross.”

  With a chuckle, Jeremy goes, “Come on, it was worth it wasn’t it?”

  Not being able to help myself, I smile. “Yeah, it kind of was.” When we finally get to Jeremy’s apartment, he opens my door for me, since I obviously don’t have clean hands. I stand up and Jeremy catches the towel as it falls. Turning around, I look at the seat. “Hey, we didn’t make a mess!”

  “Hey, everything needs to get dirty every once in a while. It is only a car after all, and what I did brought a smile to your face. So, a spill would have been worth it.”

  “That really is sweet,” I say, “but can I please go and get cleaned up.”

  Jeremy
shuts the door, and replies, “Of course darling.” We throw away the cups when we get upstairs. Jeremy walks me into the bathroom where he hands me a wash cloth.

  “I hope you know I will never do that in your car,” I note as I get the wash cloth wet.

  “Why not!? It is SO much fun,” Jeremy retorts with a grin.

  Raising an eyebrow, I say, “No.”

  “Hurry up so we can go to the cell phone store. Or have you had enough today and want to go home?”

  I grimace. “I rather not go home. My mom left for the weekend and this is the first time I have been alone. I looked through the house last night with a knife. I know I am 18, but it’s still creepy to be by myself.”

  “Why in the world didn’t you call me!?” Jeremy snaps. “If you weren’t comfortable being by yourself, I would have come and gotten you.”

  There is just silence as I shrug my shoulders. “You were out with the guys. You aren’t my boyfriend. It’s not your responsibility to save me every time something happens.”

  “I would have come and gotten you,” Jeremy says, putting my hair behind my ear. “The boys and I could have come and hung out with you.”

  That makes me smirk. “That would have been boring for you guys.”

  “Oh, it’s never boring with us,” Jeremy states.

  “I bet,” I retort. “I wouldn’t want to bother you. Honestly, I need to learn how to be on my own, even if it scares me.”

  Jeremy scoffs. “That’s ridiculous. Either I will stay by you or you will stay here tonight.”

  “I can’t do that,” I whisper, rather bashfully.

  “Silliness, you will stay here. The last thing we need is for your mom to come home and throw a fit because I am there. You can leave a note that you are staying at a friend’s. You are 18, she can’t say jack.” Before, I can retort anything, Jeremy bends over and kisses me on my forehead. “Someone has to keep an eye on you. You are a troublemaker after all.”

  Looking up at him, I laugh. “If that’s not the pot calling the kettle black.”

  “Are you saying I am a bad influence?” Jeremy asks.

  “No,” I reply, nudging him. “You are the best influence ever.”

  With a wink, Jeremy says, “That’s what I thought. Let’s go get you a phone.”