We sat there for a brief moment, “A self proclaimed whore,” she said, “She’s hardly a high schooler and she knows that much about sexual expectations? I garrentee she’s Preggo before she graduates. If she graduates.” I cracked a smile. Even though it was a painful memory, Carmens jokes and laughter made me forget about it.
You want me to kick her ass like old times? She asked me with a grin. “No” I replied to her, “besides you stopped growing years before everyone else did, she’d probably run you over like a bulldozer.” She playfully punched me in the ribs. “You remember when we were in 4th grade?”I asked her “and you beat up my bully in the parking lot of the mall? And then I ripped off his shoes while you had him down!” I laughed as I remembered
“He had to walk across the parking lot back to the mall with the ground blistering hot after being beaten up!
Yea you busted his nose and he had horrible burns and blisters on his feet”” I chuckled. “”We were partners in crime even back then,”” she said with a smile. “”See I have missed you cuz! We always got into shenanigans together.”” she laughed as she put her arm loosly over my shoulder briefly to give me a hug. “”Don’t worry about that slut.”” And she released my shoulder. We continued Laughing and passing the blunt back and forth as I told her other high school drama and about my tournament coming up. She told me of her drama with Mike and her plans to go to prom anyway just to make him jealous.”
We had finished smoking and were enjoying the night sky and our buzz when the worst happened. We saw head lights speeding towards us up the trail. I could make out that it was a little off road ATV. I instantly knew it was the county sheriff coming up there after us.
Now let me take a minute and explain, even though there were houses at the top of the mountain. The back part of the mountain was off limits and deemed illegal for people to be there. Im guessing it had to do with wildfires. years ago the whole back side went up in flames within minutes and a few people died. So here we are out late, on a mountain where we aren’t sopoused to be, smoking pot ,which was technically putting us in danger of starting another wild fire. I was about to be in deep shit. there wasnt really any other path back down the mountain to evade the oncoming sheriff.
I turned to look at Carmen, “What are we gonna do?!?!” she cried. “We can stay here and let this guy arrest us for tresspassing, drugs, and neglegent behavior burning anything up on the mountain side.” I told her, “Or we can run down the path to that little lake and try to lose him.” We shared a brief glance and we both bolted down the path. I could hear the carts little engine now. He was getting closer. I prayed he wasn’t a K-9 unit. We were maybe 300 yards in front from him by the time we reached the lake.
i was desperatly looking for a place for us to hide not seeing too many places to find cover. Carmen already a few steps ahead of me, “Our only chance is to crawl up into those big boulders” she pointed to a big pile that was half submerged. “we are gonna get wet muddy and cold” i warned her. i was somewhat familiar with the area and had been in this little lake a few times. i had been coming up here for years and had only seen enforcement a few times. they had certainly never chased me down at night in an ATV especially! one on patrol must have seen us….ORRRR….Someone must have seen me light up the blunt down in the neighborhood and called.” I came to the suddent realization.
We then took off running dashing into the water and into the big pile of boulders. I started to sink in the mud. up past my knees by the time i had reached them. Carmen right behind me helped her past me and into the crevices. I could see the head lights roll up on the front of the lake and stop. a spot light lit up the other end up the lake where the trail wrapped up and over the next hill. we silently crouched down even farther. both of us up to our waists in the water and mud. the light began to pan over the lake towards us.
I crouched down farther and notioned Carmen to get lower. We were practicly laying down in the water now. The spot light panned up into the hills and shut off, However the head lights stayed on and didnt move. We stayed like that for what must have been 10 minutes. Then We heard it, must have been within 20 feet of us, “I lost visual of them after when they ran over the hill. I don’t see them here.” and then the static sound “Copy that, ride down to the bottom of devils canyon for randeveau.” “Copy”
A minute or so later I could see a figure approach the vehicle and drive off. Had we really just gotten away with it. I was over joyed. I had nearly jepardized the rest of the spring and summer and my martial art tournament. probably my privledge to train too. My parents might just do that to me out of spite.
I looked back to carmen. She was grinning from ear to ear. “Lets get the fuck outta here Im freezing.” she whispered. we started to wade out of the rocks and back towards the path when I heard the sound of that ATV and lights coming up over the horizon of the hill. “Get back in there!!” i shouted in near silence. she jumped back towards our hide out and completly submerged herself. I followed suit and did the same. It must have been a minute that i ws under water it seemed. but then I felt carmens hand grip my shoulder and pull me up. I gasped for air and wiped the mud out of my eyes. I was thouroughly covered from head to toe with mud.
He must have forgotten his spotlight some where because he sped off with it down the path again pointing it out into the field. she told me. I looked up at her to realize she was covered in mud just as bad as I was, if not worse. “Lets get out of here now!” she cried flinging mud from her arms and off her face. This was by far the muddiest i had ever been or seen anyone.
We waded our way out of the water and onto the path. I was shivering horribly, quickly walking down the past. I could see the ATV on the otherside of the valley now going up and over another hill. “I am so fucking cold, oh my god.” she wimpered as we quickly hurried our way back down the mountain side towards my house. “Shit what time is it?” I asked her. “I can’t tell” she replied back to me, “My watch is covered and caked with mud!”
I am so sorry! i told her through my violent shivvers, “I never wanted to get you into any trouble like this.”
It isn’t your fault she replied through her own violent shivers, “I knew we weren’t soposed to be up there, getting high none the less.” We approached the rock wall that was the fence to my back yard. I could see the clock hanging on the back wall by the hot tub. “11:30! Fuck! My parrents are gonna be home in like 15 minutes! We are busted for sure!” “What!” she replied “Oh my god, I’m gonna miss my prom! They’ll tell my parents! they’ll make me move to France with them for the rest of the year! NO! NO! NO!”
When they see us covered in mud like this and how glassy red our eyes are they are gonna put two and two together! I Put my hand on the wall to hoist myself up and realized i left a muddy stain where ever i touched. “Christ we leave a trail of mud anywhere we go!” she said with dread, “We are so fucked!”
I stood there in silence letting the gravity of the situation hit me…. Let it hit me hard…. “Heres what we are going to do” , I said slowly. “You aren’t going to France on behalf of me.” I grabbed her by both shoulders, ” You are going to jump this fence and run inside to the shower off the guest room and clean up, just hide your muddy clothes. If my parents catch you in trouble they will quickly tie me to it also. You won’t automatically get tied to this if they only bust me.” When they get here I’ll tell them what happened minus you being there and us beinng fugitives.” I winked at her.
Theres a shower on the other side of the house She told me like I hadn’t already thought of this. I replied, “Yes but i’d have to walk past Carol covered in mud and I doubt I’m gonna have enough time to clean up my trail of mud before my mom and dad get home. You know how my Dad is. You could set a watch by him.
She stood there in a daze. “But your tournament! they’ll ground you for the summer. Hell they’d probably ground you from your kung fu class!! You know they would just to spite you.” (aparently she and I had the same understanding of my parents.) “I know” I replied to her as I bent down on one knee and cupped my hands to help her over the wall.”And I’ve told you a hundred times I don’t practice kung fu!
Just dont go inside with any muddy clothes on. I’ll wait out here for a few minutes. before I come in and clean up behind you. She stared hard at me for a moment then stepped up into my hand and leapt over the wall. I would walk in behind her and assume the guilt for the mud trail and hide her clothes to hide the evidence.
I stood there shivering and looked up the mountain side to which we had just evaded. I Watched the moon arc across the sky. soaking in my last moments of peace and freedom before all hell was about to begin. I stood there with my eyes closed, when I heard her voice. “Kyle!” she yelled in silence. I turned around to see her on the other side of the rock wall. “Come on! We Have like ten minutes to wash the mudd off our faces and feet, and we are both in the clear.
We are both gonna drip mud every where until we get it washed off. I replied to her, “Besides I can still train if I’m grounded. what are they gonna tell me? I cant do my forms in my room? I’m not gonna send you to france.”
Just jump the fucking wall now you dumbass! she leaned in to yell at me face to face. Like i said we really did grow up very close. Her trying to punk me reminded me of older times. She caught me by my collar. “NOW” she said. I reluctantly jumped the wall and followed her to the back door of my house.
I’m not going to be the one who has to watch you be grounded all summer while i don’t have to be in france! she said , “it’s just a quick shower. We’ve been through this hundreds of times before when we were little in the bath tub right? It’s a little different a decade later but its not like its creepy right??? We’re not going to screw around or fuck…Hell we could shower back to back eyes closed. So why does one of us have to take the fall when we can get around it?”
Eric Larder says
Great story. Keep it up. I hope you finish the story.