21 The Bad (1/2)

Jack-

”Shit like this is why I wanna move back down South.”

Johnny was moaning about the weather again. It was his go to way to pass the time.

”I'm thinking Florida. Miami maybe. When Ricky is out I'm headed to Miami. Beaches and babes for as far as the eye can see.”

I was busy at the kitchen table cleaning my Grandpa's old 308. It was in several pieces on the table as I worked. I smiled to myself answering Johnny.

”I hear the cocaine trade is booming down there. No shortage of work.”

He laughed so hard I heard him snort. From my seat at the kitchen table I couldn't see him. The couch he was laying on was placed right against the kitchen counter that wrapped around two walls of the kitchen, and marked were the kitchen stopped and the living room began. The far wall away from the counter had the back door, and across the Livingroom was the front.

”I am done with this drug running shit. No more. No more guns, no more drugs, and no more fast cars. I want to just cruise and look good doing it.”

”Sure you don't want to have a fast car? I'd be more than happy to teach you how to drive like me.”

”Thanks Jack, but I don't have a death wish.”

”Never once have I been afraid I was going to get myself killed driving.”

”That's because you got some kind of crazy power or something”

He answered back and sprang up from the couch leaning over it to look at me. His hands slammed down on the counter staring me down.

”I've watched you drive. You turn into a whole other person behind the wheel.”

I shrugged and sat down the piece I was cleaning.

”I just focus. You focus on the road and the car. Feel what it wants, and what it can do. It's that easy.”

He slammed his hand again and pointed at me as if he had just stumbled onto to something.

”That too! You talk like your car is alive or something! When I drive it's just a machine I don't get how you feel that way.”

I shrugged again and started putting the gun back together.

”Driving stick helps. You feel connected. It's also just how I was raised I guess. Had my Grandpa there the whole time teaching me about cars. I'll never forget the time that he and my Grandma got into it because he insisted that all cars are girls. She said he was crazy and that it was just a tool.”

I smiled wistfully. Johnny sank down on the counter resting his head on his hands.

”They always disagreed on that. She was never into cars. I guess it's just how you were raised. If you were raised by car lovers you'll like cars. I guess it is possible to be into them in other ways. Before I came along Jess never cared about cars.”

Johnny flopped back down on the couch out of view. I heard him sigh deeply before he spoke.

”Ever since we started hanging out I started to notice sports cars more. Like before I never paid attention to cars, but now I'm more mindful of them. I sure as hell couldn't tell you that cars could drive with different wheels before I met you. I thought all cars were front wheel drive.”

I chuckled to myself as I finished putting the gun together. It was new when my Grandpa bought it back when I was a kid. Since he died it just sat in the house. An old 308, clip fed, with a five-round clip. Solid black all the way. Beautiful piece of work.

It handled like a dream too. I never got much time hunting with Grandpa, but even with my inexperience I had no trouble catching a few rabbits that were unfortunate enough to be out and about when I was. They had kept Johnny and I fed for our time up here. I wasn't very good at all when it came to skinning and cutting the meat, but we made due with my butcher job.

Honestly, I enjoyed the time. It was peaceful. For once we were free of all that fear and anxiety. I didn't have to keep a gun on me to feel safe, and I hadn't had a nightmare since our first night up.

”What do you plan to do with the Fox Body?”

Johnny poked his head up past the counter. His eyes just made it high enough to peer over at me.

”Well after Chicago Adal had a lot of it fixed. All the stuff that needed done before were done for me. The paint, the A/C, and they even fixed the interior. Unless I decide I want to do some performance mods it's pretty done.”

He nodded and glanced down at his lap.

”Oh, That's all?”

”Why, do you have something you want to say?”

He shrugged and fidgeted a little in his seat. Those blue eyes disappeared back behind the counter, and a few seconds passed before he answered.

”I was wondering if you were thinking about selling. I mean after you get the three-oh-two up and running you want it to be your daily don't you?”