The Red String | ONC 2024

8. The Accident

Emma sat in her car, forehead resting on the steering wheel.

"Really? You have to do this now?" she asked out loud, mostly to the car, she guessed.

She leaned back in her seat and turned the key one more time. Yet again, she was met with the kind of whirring sound that let her know she'd successfully managed to flood the engine.

The parking lot was almost completely empty. Even the students with after school programs had mostly cleared out. As she scanned the parking lot, she saw only a handful of cars. And of course one of them was the truck that belonged to none other than Logan Harris.

"Oh, yeah right." she grumbled to herself. There was absolutely no way she was going to be sitting here in the parking lot when he walked out of the building. She'd seen more of him the last week than she had in the last four years. It was like she was cursed or something.

She saw him leaving from the back of the school, gym bag slung over his shoulder; his height and somewhat unruly hair made him easy to spot. She slumped down in her seat and turned the key again at the sight. She knew that the car needed time, and that the more she tried to start it, the less likely it would be to actually work. But that didn't stop her from really hoping it would.

Of course, not only did the car actually sound worse than it had a few minutes ago, but the noise attracted the attention of the very person she was hoping so hard to avoid. He sauntered over, grinning at her as he did.

"Car trouble?" he asked.

"Nope." she said. At least, not any more trouble than she usually had.

"Really?" he raised his eyebrow at her. "Your car usually make such beautiful noises?"

"Actually..." she looked over at him. The surprise on his face made the corners of her mouth twitch just slightly.

"Looks like you flooded the engine."

"I sure did."

"You don't sound surprised."

"The hazards of having a thirty year old car."

"Tell me about it." Logan laughed. "Have you seen my truck? Your car's actually new compared to that thing."

Emma grinned in spite of herself. She had to admit, he did have a point.

"So what are you going to do?" Logan asked.

"I'll give it another try in a few minutes." she told him.

"Sounds good." he said.

He stood up, and Emma expected him to go to his car. So when he went around to her passenger side door, she was more than a little surprised. He leaned down and knocked on the window. 

"Open it." he said, his voice muffled through the glass. Emma leaned over and unlocked the door.

"You don't have to wait for me." she told him.

"I know." he said, sitting down. "So, why are you out here so late? Don't tell me you've been having car trouble for almost two hours!"

"Of course not." If she'd been out here that long, she would have called someone; she wasn't an idiot. "I had a student council meeting."

"Really?" he seemed surprised.

"Every Wednesday." she nodded. "Monday and Friday is debate team, Tuesday and Thursday is the school newsletter. And today, student council."

"And when do you tutor disadvantaged youths?" he asked.

"Saturday mornings." Emma replied instantly.

"Seriously?" he asked, turning towards her incredulously.