by S. E. Babin
But she wouldn't fail. Tanya sat down and started tapping at her phone. The storms had missed Houston. Barely. Sweet! Within five minutes, she had herself on a 4:05 flight from Houston to Los Angeles. It was later than she wanted, but at least she'd secured herself a ticket. She'd be eating beans and rice until June and she wouldn't be able to get another manicure until her granddaughter's quinceañera, but that was okay. She was going to see Dan and something like a hurricane from the Gulf was not about to stop her.
She dashed back out to her car, unlocked the door, and sat down in the driver's seat.
Wham!
Tanya felt slammed by a head-rush of purply-pink dizziness.
Oh, no. The Dramamine. The freaking Dramamine! She'd taken it so the plane ride wouldn't make her pyrotechnically sick for her day with Dan, but the motion sickness meds caused drowsiness. Marked drowsiness. She'd been planning to sleep it off on the flight. But now she would need that time to drive herself to Houston.
Damn damn damn damn damn.
An Uber? But what Uber driver would risk their car driving through a possible hail storm to Houston on Christmas Day?
Oh, God! What was she going to do? She could feel herself getting sleepier by the second. She was going to sleep right past her TINY WINDOW with Dan.
Tanya had to call somebody. But who? Colin couldn't help her. He was at The Dorm. And he had to stay at The Dorm. His watching over things was the only reason she felt free enough to go in the first place.
She HAD to see Dan. She wanted to see Dan. This was her one chance. All she needed was … coffee.
Yes, if she got herself some coffee, she'd be fine.
But how was she going to get herself coffee? Her hands and feet felt so heavy. Like, waterlogged, or something. Maybe Andre could bring her some coffee. She picked up her phone and pushed the speed dial for The Dorm.
“Hello?”
“Coffee? 'at you?”
“Miss Diaz? It's Andre.”
“Andre? Right. Coffee?”
“Miss Diaz. This is The Dorm. You called The Dorm. You okay?”
“Knew you'd be there.”
“Been here all night with Coach Colin.”
“Colin? He's there, right?”
“Yeah. You want to talk to him?”
“No! Just coffee.”
“Miss Diaz? Coach Colin said you were leaving for L.A. this morning. You at the airport?”
“The flight can't go. Got a ticket from Houston, but can't drive there. Dram meen… too sleepy.”
“Miss Diaz? Miss Diaz? The plane can't go? The one taking you to L.A.?”
“Grounded. Stupid cells. But not in Houston.”
“You're going to Houston?”
“If I can get some coffee. Then I go.”
“You're going to DRIVE? Miss Diaz, where are you? WHERE ARE YOU?”
“Garage.”
“WHICH ONE?”
“Ab deen ...”
“Hold tight, Miss Diaz. I'll come get you.”
* * *
Andre hung up the phone and stood perfectly still for ten seconds. Miss Diaz needed his help. And he had no car.
But Vivecka did.
Andre took off running with record-breaking speed as he headed toward Vivecka's, a little over a mile away. When the star athlete arrived at the small, well-appointed house with the manicured pill-box lawn, he didn't even hesitate at the early hour before he rang the bell. Incessantly. Then he started knocking.
In a few minutes, he heard Vivecka scream from inside.
“Who is it?!” And she sounded freaked.
“It's okay, Vivecka. It's me. Andre.”
Vivecka wrenched open the door. She stood there in pink plaid pajama pants and a clingy gray tank top, her hair wrapped in a pink and green scarf.
And she held a Louisville Slugger in one hand. “WHAT?”
Andre swallowed and met her eyes. “Miss Diaz needs our help.”
Five minutes later, Vivecka came running into her tiny front foyer where Andre stood waiting for her. She'd slipped into jeans and an Ole Miss sweatshirt, and she'd pulled her hair up into a bun-type thing. She looked good. Mad, but good. They walked—well, she stalked— out to her Chrysler sitting in the drive.
Andre hesitated before going to the passenger side. “Do you want me to drive?”
“No, I don't want you to drive! Get your ass in the car.”
Andre got in the car.
Vivecka flipped on the wiper blades as she backed down the cracked drive. “Now, what do you mean, she's sleeping? At the airport? What all is going on?”
“She was supposed to get on a plane to Los Angeles this morning.”
Vivecka's eyes got wide and her brows shot up, but she didn't look away from the road in front of her. “She was?”
“Yeah. Coach Colin is back for Christmas—”
“I know. I saw him.”
“Hey! Will you be quiet so I can fill you in?”
“You want to sass me like that, you can get out right here.”
“Yeah? Then you won't know where to go and poor Miss Diaz will be stranded and heartbroken.”
“Heartbroken?”
And for the next five minutes, Vivecka kept quiet while Andre explained about Miss Diaz going to see some guy in L.A. while Coach Colin was at The Dorm.
When he was finished, Vivecka licked her lips. Then she bit her lips. “Uh, Miss Diaz loves someone in Los Angeles?” Her voice was barely a whisper.
“I don't know if she's in love. Coach Colin didn't say. I just know she's going to Los Angeles. He told me all about it last night when she took off.”
Vivecka furrowed her brow as she concentrated on the rainy pavement. “Why is everybody falling in love with Los Angeles and leaving? Why can't anyone ever come here? Why does everyone always try to get away from—”
Vivecka stopped talking suddenly, making Andre look over at her. He saw the rigid set of her jaw and the way her nostrils flared. But damn, what could he say? What had Coach Colin always told him?
Nobody's leaving you.
It's not you they're running away from.
But those were just words. Words that didn't mean a thing when Vivecka was alone on Christmas. Alone except for him.
Maybe he could tell her about all the schools that were interested in him. He'd had a championship season, and his grades and test scores were solid. Andre had choices. But he didn't want to go anywhere until he knew where Vivecka would be. But he couldn't just tell her that. Not yet. Maybe not ever. It would just freak her the hell out.
So he decided to play it cool. “That's harsh, girl. You sayin' you against falling in love?”
“No!”
“But you wouldn't go across the country to be with the one you loved?”
“That's NOT what I'm saying. But why can't anyone ever come here? I mean, I understand why Wendy Hunter couldn't. She's a big TV star. But … what's this guy's name?”
“Dan Something. I think that's what Coach said. And nobody's going anywhere, far as I can tell. Miss Diaz has to be back on the twenty-seventh. So she has to get to L.A. today.”
“Right.” Vivecka clenched her teeth as she got closer to the airport. “She's parked in a garage off Aberdeen, you said?”
“Yeah. Turn right up here.”
“How we going to find her?” Vivecka demanded. “Do you know which garage? What spot?”
“We just cruise around looking for Miss Diaz's car with Miss Diaz zonked out in the front seat.”
“Just cruise around?”
“You got a better idea?” Andre challenged. “And how hard can it be? Her car's red, at least.”
Forty minutes later, they were pulling up next to Miss Diaz's Fiat 500.
Andre got out and tapped gently at the window, trying to wake Tanya. She didn't stir. He tapped louder. Nothing. Finally, he pounded on the window with his fist. “Miss Diaz!”
Tanya woke with such a start that her arms flailed and she beeped the horn.
It took her a few seconds for her to realize where and who she was, then she rolled down the window. “Hi, guysss!”
“Hey, Miss Diaz.” Vivecka stepped forward. “We're here to take you to Houston.”
Tanya's eyes lit up. “Really? Thass great. I need to go there.”
“We know,” Andre said. “We're going to drive you.” He looked over to Vivecka. “It might hail. Should we maybe take her car?”
Vivecka crinkled her brow. “I don't think so. We don't know what insurance she has or what kind of trouble we could get in, driving her car. Especially with her practically passed out.”
They were both silent for a few seconds, just looking at each other. The last thing Vivecka needed was to get into more trouble. She couldn't afford it, not since her arrest in the fall.
“All right.”
Andre helped Tanya into the back seat of Vivecka's car. Vivecka buckled her in as Andre made sure they didn't leave anything important in the Fiat.
“Look in her purse,” he suggested. “She got ID? Her car keys?”
“Both here,” Vivecka confirmed.
Andre looked at her phone. “Looks like she has a ticket, leaving Houston at 4:05. And she rented a car from LAX.”
“Sounds like we're set.”
“Are you sure you don't want me to drive? It's really coming down. And it might hail.”
“The Chrysler can take it.”
“I'm talking about you. I been driving longer than you.”
“I can drive,” Vivecka insisted. “And you know what? I'm driving my car. With Miss Diaz. Why are you even coming?”
Andre gave her a steely look and got into the car, taking the front passenger seat.
Vivecka climbed into the driver's seat and turned to him. “Really. Why do you even have to be on this trip?”
“There's rough weather. We won't get out of this storm for at least two hours. We might hit trouble.”
Vivecka jutted her chin and cocked her brow. “You gonna save me?”
“No.” And when he looked at her, he kept his gaze steady. “But when trouble happens, it's good to have someone in your corner is all. It's good not to be alone.”
Vivecka didn't say anything.
Andre was hoping she remembered how he hadn't ever goaded her. He hadn't abandoned her. He tried so hard to be on her side. He hoped she knew that.
He hadn't known her friends were going to egg her into vandalizing the school with bright orange paint. Then call the cops on her. Andre would have stopped them if he'd known. He would have tried to stop her.
He glanced back as Miss Diaz pulled herself forward suddenly and leaned into the front seat. “We going to Hyoosson?”
“We sure are.” Vivecka turned to smile at her.
“Good. But I think we better stop for bekfass first. And coffee.” Tanya tossed some crumpled twenties into the front seat before she slumped back into the back seat and fell back to sleep.
“A quick trip to McDonalds and some coffee?” Andre suggested. “What do you say?”
Vivecka glanced down to the twenties on the seat. “Well, since it's Christmas, do you think we could go to Starbucks, maybe? I think there's enough here. Get a Mocha Frappuccino and some cake?”
Andre looked down at the twenties and smiled. “Sounds good.” And the trio pulled out of the garage into the heavy rain.
* * *
As Dan fell onto the couch in his office, he looked at his phone. Five a.m. The night had been long, but everyone who'd shown up out back was warm, well-fed, and safe.
Another Christmas Eve tucked away.
Dan sighed and set his alarm for nine. Then he trashed that setting and made it noon. Hell, it was Christmas. He may as well give himself the precious gift of seven hours of sleep. In a row. There were plenty of volunteers and staff to take care of everyone out back and watch over the club for the next few hours.
Dan rolled over, curling into a ball. He thought about texting Tanya, but that would make him miss her even more before he fell asleep. It wasn't like she'd answer this early, anyway. He knew she planned to sleep until at least nine on Christmas.
Dan rolled back onto his back and stretched out. As he drifted off to sleep, he thought of Tanya snug in her own bed.
* * *
Every crack of thunder and flash of lightning made Vivecka jump. Two hours into the ride, and the weather wasn't easing up. It had just gotten worse. The rain was sluicing down with such force that visibility came and went with every swish of the wiper blades. At least it wasn't hailing. Yet.
Still, she hated driving in the violent storm. But damn if Vivecka would trust Andre to drive the car. She couldn't trust anyone anymore. Not since the fall.
Not that Andre was like all the other kids. Was there a little voice inside her then, telling her to believe in him? Maybe. But she couldn't trust her own judgement.
“Oh, no.” Andre leaned forward to peer out the flooded windshield.
Then Vivecka saw it, too. The river of blurry brake lights in front of them.
“Pull off here,” Andre said.
“Where?”
“Here! Exit, exit!”
“Where?!”
“Here!” Andre grabbed the wheel and wrenched it to the right.
Vivecka stepped on the brakes, but they slid in the water. “Ahh!”
Andre leaned over and took the wheel, crushing Vivecka back into the driver's seat.
“I can't breathe!”
“Just ease on to the brake,” he commanded as he navigated the car down the exit. He turned onto the main road and into a parking lot. “Brake!”
Vivecka pressed harder until the car stopped.
As Andre leaned off her, she shoved him in the back. “What the HELL do you think you're doing?!”
“Getting us off the damn freeway!” he shouted. “Why didn't you just take the exit?”
“I couldn't see it.”
“I could. Damn, girl, you don't have to do this all by yourself.”
“Yes, I do,” she countered with heat. “You almost got us killed.”
“You did. Teamwork, girl. You should give it a shot.”
But she just shook her head.
“Trust me. Trust yourself. We can do this if we work together.”
“Yeah, well ....” Vivecka looked around. “Where are we? How bad is the 10?”
Andre checked his phone, looking at the map of traffic along the freeway. “Bad. Red all the way to the 8.”
“No, way!”
“We can take this road and get to the 146. Then to the 90. Then to the 8. We'll miss all the traffic.”
“That's so far out of our way!”
“We have time. Miss Diaz doesn't have to check in until three.”
Vivecka took a few deep breaths. Then she nodded. “Okay.”
As they drove north on the narrow road, the rain let up to a lesser deluge.
“Whoa!”
“Hey!”
Vivecka stopped the car. Through the blurry, rainy windshield, she and Andre could see a big creature standing in the road. It turned its head to look at them.
Vivecka gasped. “What is that? A horse?”
“I think it's a cow.”
“Do you think you can move it?” Vivecka looked over at Andre.
“Can I move a cow?”
“See if you can shoo it off the road, maybe.”
“Shoo a cow. Got it.” Andre nodded and got out of the car.
In less than a minute, he was back. “It's not a cow.”
“So? Just shoo whatever it is.”
“It's a bull. I'm not shooing a bull.”
Vivecka looked back out at the bull, who looked like he was looking at her. She swallowed.
“Drive around it,” Andre suggested.
“Into the field? We'll get stuck!”
“Just go fast. Real fast. Don't give the tires time to get stuck.”
“For real?”
“Want me to drive?”
“
No!” Vivecka put the car in gear. “Here we go!”
They got stuck.
“Damn!” Vivecka hit the gas, but the wheels spun.
The bull turned. He was still looking at them.
“I'll get out and push,” Andre said.
“Be careful of the bull.”
“Thanks, coach.”
But with all the pushing, they were still stuck.
The bull did not seem pleased.
Keeping an eye on the monstrous creature as he stared down the car, Vivecka climbed over the center console and got out the passenger door. She went around to the back of the car and saw the deep, muddy grooves the tires were stuck in. Then she opened the door to the back seat. “Andre!” she called. “Come here and hold up Miss Diaz. I don't think it's safe in the car. Not with that bull taking aim at us.”
Together, they got Miss Diaz out of the car.
Tanya looked from one to the other of the soaked teenagers. “Are we there?” she asked. “It's still raining. I have to get a plane!”
“It's okay,” Vivecka said. “We're not there yet. We're just taking a little break.”
Tanya looked across the roof of the car. “Is that a bull?”
“No.” Andre was quick to answer.
“Let's back up,” Vivecka suggested
When Andre and Miss Diaz stood a few feet back from the car that stood between them and the bull, Vivecka dove back into the car. She let both passenger-side doors gape wide as she slid into the driver's seat.
“Vivecka! What are you doing!” Andre looked mad, but he couldn't do much with Miss Diaz in his arms.
“Playing bumper cars!” And she beeped the horn. Then she beeped it again,
When she saw the bull lower his head and paw at the ground, she buckled herself in and slid as far from the driver's side door as she could. She beeped the horn again. Beep beep. Beeeeeep.
The bull charged the car.
“No!” Andre bellowed.
Vivecka braced for impact as the bull slammed into her door.
And she felt the car move—out of the mud.
“Get in!” she yelled.
Andre shoved Miss Diaz forward and they jumped into the back seat.
Vivecka took two seconds to start slowly, then she surged ahead, just as the bull made another run toward them. They made it back to the road and Vivecka gunned it, leaving the bull behind.