by Riley London
“Uh, Celeste?” Charlie asked, as we walked down a dark alleyway. “What exactly are we getting up to tonight?”
“I told you. We’re helping Benjamin out.” I pulled out my flashlight and shone it at the street ahead of me. “He needs a new hobby.”
“He needs a new hobby, so we’re...hanging out...at night?” Charlie shook his head. “How are those two things related?”
“You’ll see once we get there.” I promised, as I took another step. “You remember how Garry used to be busy a lot during the weekends?”
“Yeah?” Charlie replied.
“Well...” I hastily turned a corner, unable to hide the excitement in my tone. “It’s here! I think it’s actually here!”
“What’s here?” Charlie asked.
And then, I turned my flashlight onto the bright orange Mustang that was hidden in the shadows of the night.
“Whoa.” Charlie let out a heavy breath. “Whose car is that?”
“It was Garry’s.” My voice went tight for a moment, before I continued. “But now, it’s going to be Benjamin’s.”
“Oh. Does it need repairs or something?” Charlie asked, as he moved a bit closer to the vehicle. “Is his hobby going to be fixing stuff up?”
“No. It works just fine.” I patted the passenger side door for emphasis. “It’s for street racing. Garry would usually park it out of sight, because he didn’t want anyone to know he had it. Really, he just didn’t want to have to list it on his tax returns. He told me he spent way too much on it.”
“...Street racing?” Charlie’s confusion showed through his response. “I’m sorry. Benjamin Nash is going to be taking up...street racing? The same Benjamin Nash who made me change out of my jeans this morning since he thought it was disrespectful to wear them to such an early class?”
“One and the same.” I smiled.
“Did you talk him into it?” Charlie laughed. “How the hell did you talk him into it, Celeste?”
“Actually, he’s not totally convinced.” I went around to the driver’s side of the car. And then, I whispered, with my hand on the driver’s side door, “Patentibus.”
The door unlocked for me, even opening towards my frame.
“That sounded like a new phrase.” Charlie commented, as he walked over to where I stood.
“Benjamin’s been tutoring me in Latin.” I explained, as I climbed into the car. “I’ve just been trying out my own prayers and stuff, too, seeing what works and what doesn’t. I figured since I’m—Well, you know who I am.”
I didn’t feel like thinking about my lineage right then, as I pressed a hand onto the car’s dashboard. “Auxilium.”
The car’s engine roared to life, and I couldn’t help the grin that came over my expression.
“Hop in, Charlie.” I nodded towards the passenger seat. “We need to swing by the academy and pick Benjamin up.”
“This is a bad idea. Oh God. This is such an awful idea.” Benjamin drove the Mustang through the city streets, his eyes focused on the road ahead. “Celeste, I know that you think I need a hobby outside of the academy, but—”
“Don’t knock it until you try it.” I replied, as I looked out the passenger side window. “I think you’re really going to like it, Benjie.”
“I think you’re going to throw up, Benjie.” Zachary chuckled, from his seat in the back. “I don’t think you’re going to last more than one lap around the block.”
“Ignore him, Benjie. You’ll be fine.” Charlie scoffed. “You’ve got so much training, dude. Whipping a car like this around is going to mean nothing to you.”
“Actually, I’ve never driven a vehicle before.” Benjamin replied.
“What?”
“What?”
“What?”
The question came out of our mouths at the same time, as Zachary, Charlie and I exchanged frantic looks.
“But you’re driving the car right now!” I turned my attention towards Benjamin. “How did you even know how to get on the road without—”
“I’m a fast learner.” Benjamin shrugged. “And this is a rather simple machine. No offense to the humans who created it.”
“Show off.” Zachary rolled his eyes. “What next? You’re going to tell us that you know how to pilot a spaceship, too?”
“I mean, it’s possible. It all depends on the layout of the main control panels—”
“Nope. I’m not getting into a spaceship with you. I don’t care if you need a new hobby.” Charlie’s words came out fast. “This is the one and only time that we’re doing this, okay? So, if you don’t like racing, we’re signing you up for a quilting class or something.”
“Quilting sounds nice.” Benjamin hummed. “My nonna loved to quilt.”
“Great! So, we can just turn the car around and you can break out some patterns—”
“We’re here!” I yelled, as we approached the empty parking lot.
Benjamin pumped the brakes, and we all lurched forward with the motion.
“Sorry. Still working on the mechanics of everything.” Benjamin apologized, before he glanced at his surroundings. “Where are we, Celeste?”
“This used to be an old grocery store, a Stack and Shop, something like that.” I explained. “It closed down a few years ago, you know, because everyone started buying everything online.”
“Rest in peace, brick and mortar.” Charlie sighed.
“Anyway, Garry used to bring his car out here, park and wait. He’d tell me stories about how passers-by from the street would come up beside him if they wanted to race.”
“Oh. So, we’re just gonna’ spend the rest of the night waiting?” Zachary asked. “Guess I should’ve brought a book or something.”
“Why would you bring a book? You don’t read.” I quipped back at him.
And I soon felt Zachary’s hand, playfully pushing into my shoulder. “Hey! I read! I’m class valedictorian!”
“Not for long.” Benjamin murmured, before he broke out into a grin. “You only got that honor this year because I got a little distracted during last semester.”
Benjamin then looked over at me, and my cheeks immediately flushed.
Distracted.
Yeah, the feeling was mutual.
Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I watched as another Mustang pulled up beside us. The car was white, and the driver was a woman, wearing yellow-tinted shades. “You guys looking for a race?”
“Are you?” I asked her right back.
“Always.” She smirked, before she revved her engine a few times. “Regular rules? Three times around the park, and we’re back here soon as it’s done?”
“Regular rules.” I nodded, as if I had any idea of what she was talking about.
“Got it. We’ll go on five.” She turned away from me, as she began to scream, seemingly at the top of her lungs. “One! Two! Three! Four! Five!”
Her car went roaring as soon as she finished her countdown, and Benjamin wasn’t too far behind.
“Whoo!” Zachary screamed. “Go! Go! Go!”
“Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Oh my God.” Charlie groaned, as he closed his eyes. “I’m going to die. This is really how I’m going to die.”
“We’re not going to die, Charlie!” I yelled, as Benjamin took a corner, fast and hard. “Okay! Maybe! We might totally die!”
“It seems as if she’s using the back streets of the city.” Benjamin’s voice was calm, as the car picked up speed. “Perfect. I know exactly how to play this.”
“Ah. You sound so confident. I almost believe in you.” Charlie’s words came out breathless, like he was close to hyperventilating.
“I know what I am doing.” Benjamin pressed down on the gas even more, and I felt like my bones were threatening to jump out of my skin.
“This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my life!” Zachary clapped, before he broke out into a laugh. “You got this, Benjie! Let’s take it home for the win!”
“Why didn’t I ge
t out of the car when I had a chance...” Charlie moaned, as his head went back towards his seat.
“Benjie! Look out!” I pointed towards the road, spotting a bunch of traffic cones piled across the middle of the street. “You probably don’t want to hit those. It’s probably a bunch of pothol—”
The Mustang was already hitting against the rough edges of the potholes, before I could even finish my sentence. The bumps in the road, combined with the speed at which the car was moving, made it feel like the Mustang was about to spin out, right into the freakin’ atmosphere.
But hey.
Benjamin said that he could probably pilot a spaceship, too, right?
I braced for the potential impact of the car crashing into a nearby comet, but instead, the Mustang came to a complete stop.
We were back in the vacant parking lot, and the white Mustang wasn’t anywhere to be found.
“Whoa. You won?” I asked, as I looked out my window. “Wait. That was three times around the park?”
“Yes.” Benjamin still sounded so calm. “We were using back roads. However, I’m assuming that my opponent did not want to damage her vehicle, and so she chose another route. The other route would’ve added at least a few miles onto her final time. I’m sure she also assumed that I wouldn’t be foolish enough to damage my vehicle and would take the same route.”
“And by assuming that you wouldn’t be foolish, she assumed wrong.” Zachary joined the conversation.
“She took a calculated risk. Sometimes, those create winners. And sometimes...” Zachary’s words trailed off, as the white Mustang finally pulled up beside us again.
“How did you do that?” The woman’s shock showed on her face, and her eyes shone with pure admiration. “No one’s ever beaten me on that route before.”
“I took a chance.” Benjamin shrugged.
“Yeah, it looks like you blew out your tires, too.” The woman laughed, as her eyes glanced downward. “Hey, if you join our little club, we can help you fix your car right up. You interested?”
“Oh. I don’t know if—”
“Yes! He’s interested!” I answered on Benjamin’s behalf. “Do you guys have a business card or something?”
“No. Just come back here whenever you can, and we’ll take care of the rest.” The woman grinned. “What’s your name, by the way?”
“Nash. Nash The Man.” This time, Zachary answered for Benjamin, shouting his response from the backseat.
“Nash The Man. I like that.” The woman hummed, before she revved her engine for a final time. “I’ll see you around, Nash The Man.”
She then pulled out of the parking lot, her Mustang leaving a flurry of tossed gravel in her wake.
“Did you have fun, Benjie?” I asked, as I turned to look over at him.
“That was...” Benjamin paused. “Incredible.”
“So, you’re gonna’ do it again?
“Of course.” Benjamin smiled. “It was everything that you said it would be, but even more exhilarating in practice. And best of all, I didn’t think about angels or the academy or the council, not even once. I just wanted to win.”
“Wait, wait, wait. Benjie, you can’t just start street racing, man. You know this isn’t legal, right?” Charlie asked.
“I know.” Benjamin sighed. “But I’m tired of playing by other people’s rules. My family’s rules, the angels' rules, the academy’s rules...if I have one more rule added to the list, I think I might explode.”
“If you get caught, we’ll cover for you.” Zachary nodded. “But you’ll probably be fine. I mean, no offense, but if humans can do this on a regular basis and not end up in jail? I think we can knock it out of the park.”
“We?” Benjamin asked.
“What? You think I won't be out here with you?” Zachary replied.
“I’d prefer to pursue this on a solitary basis, at this time.”
“Benjie! What the hell! You find out about this cool, new hobby, and then you tell me I can’t do it with you?”
“You can find another cool, new hobby. Have you tried quilting?”
“Benjie, I swear to God—”
“What I don’t understand is why everyone is suddenly so interested in street racing! What happened to just staying at home and watching Netflix?!” Charlie chimed into the conversation. “None of us have to do this! Do you know how much good TV there is these days?!”
I smiled to myself, as the guys argued back and forth, with Zachary and Charlie growing louder and louder, and Benjamin keeping his calm demeanor.
I then turned my attention back to the car’s dashboard, where a rainbow peace sign sticker had been pressed into its surface.
Garry.
And for a moment, my smile grew even wider at his memory, before that same, awful realization hit me like a ton of bricks.
Garry was dead. Garry was dead. Garry was dead.
I was sitting in a dead man’s car.
And for all I knew, between Trinity, Abaddon and whatever other demons potentially had it out for me, I could be next.
“Celeste? What do you think? Do you wanna’ go home and binge-watch some cheesy, action flicks?” Charlie asked, and it brought me out of my wandering thoughts. “We’re trying to find other ways for Benjie to get his adrenalin fix. I think we’ve all determined that participating in super illegal activity is not the stuff of angels.”
“You’ve determined it.” Benjamin replied. “I am still considering.”
“Yeah.” I nodded, as I snapped back into the moment. “Yeah. Let’s just go home and figure it out.”
Home.
I beamed back at Charlie, Zachary and Benjamin...
And then, Benjamin pulled the Mustang out of the parking lot.
My boys.
I didn’t know what I would’ve done without them.
THE END
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