Not good for you

05;

The wind caressed my skin and chin so gently that I couldn't help but lean back in my seat and take it all in.

Seeley's car was more comfortable than I had expected—but then again, I shouldn't have expected anything at all. The backseat was cluttered with comics and notes, making it clear that he had been spending much time here lately. It wouldn't have been surprising if he had—most boys I knew were in love with cars and long drives. I never understood what was so thrilling about it until now.

The sun was almost blinding, but the sight of it was more than worth it. The road ahead disappeared into nature while an endless chain of houses blurred past us. Seeley enjoyed the sun's warmth as he put on his sunglasses and rested his left arm on the open window. The silence stretched between us for ten minutes before he finally spoke.

"Do I want to know?" he asked.

I turned down the radio and pushed my sunglasses onto my head. "You mean... should you ask what just happened?"

He gave me a quick glance before turning right. "Yeah."

I crossed my legs, dropping my hands into my lap.

"No need to ask," I replied dryly. "My mother just tried to embarrass me and change my mind about going with you guys. And since we both know you're not her favorite person, she saw an opportunity to irritate you until you gave up and left me behind."

Saying it out loud made it sound even more ridiculous, but that was my life. My mother threw a tantrum, we fought, and then she acted like I was the bad guy who ruined her day. Repeat.

"That sounds... harsh," Seeley said hesitantly.

"Believe it or not, this was one of her better days." I tilted my head, watching his reaction.

His grip tightened slightly on the wheel. "Really?"

"She could have been so much worse." I wasn't planning to list the worst things she'd said or done, but I wanted him to know that he got off easy this time.

He rubbed his temples. "I can only imagine."

"Yeah." I turned to the window, letting the wind whip my hair into my face.

"So, what's next?" he asked, eyes fixed on the road.

I glanced at him. "Next?"

He nodded. "Yeah. After summer, you get a job and work as much as possible so you don't have to stay home?"

Hearing him say it made my plan sound childish and desperate.

"Probably," I admitted with a shrug. I was used to working myself to exhaustion just to avoid my mother for days at a time. It wasn't ideal, but at least I had peace and silence. I didn't know what was if that wasn't the best thing in the world.

"Until I save enough to move out, I don't have much of a choice." I tried to sound casual, but it didn't quite work.

At a red light, Seeley turned to look at me. "You do have a choice."

I almost laughed. "Easier said than done." I let my head fall back against the seat with a huff. "I can barely pay my share of rent this summer. Do I look like I shit money?"

Seeley sighed, his fingers drumming on the wheel. "We all have a choice to make a difference."

"And those choices take time," I countered.

He pressed his lips together, but I changed the subject before he could say anything else.

"What about you, Mr. Drewitt? Got big plans for the future? Taking on the world all by yourself?"