Chapter Fourteen: When It Rains
Naomi
I checked my phone as I walked out of class, just in case Smoke texted me about Gavin. He’d stayed at Smoke’s house last night for the first time, and I wanted to make sure I was available just in case he had any trouble.
Not that I anticipated any.
But it was a big deal, the two of them staying together for the first time. I’d been a little worried about how it would go, not that I’d ever admit that to Smoke, but then I saw a series of pictures on Smoke’s Facebook page of him and Gavin eating pizza and watching movies together. Apparently, Smoke’s disinterest in Gavin’s favorite superhero movies had led to the decision to introduce Gavin to some classic comedy, so they’d watched both Ghostbusters movies.
A small part of me wished I was there, but I had spent the evening studying for a big math test, which was not my favorite subject in the world. Now, I had completed the test and was walking to my car, ready to go home, so Smoke could drop Gavin off in less than two hours.
There was no message from Smoke, so I assumed the after school pick-up went well. He’d planned to take Gavin to dinner before bringing him home.
When I reached my car, parked just off campus so I didn’t have to pay for a parking permit to use one of the college’s parking lots, I tossed my backpack into the backseat and put the key in the ignition. I turned it and…
Nothing happened.
“No,” I whimpered, panic immediately flooding me. I tried to start the car again, with the same results. Then, I pulled out the key and reinserted it. It was pointless. The thing wasn’t starting. I slapped the steering wheel in anger. “Damn it!”
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and started looking for mechanics nearby, ones that also provided towing services, as I mentally reviewed how much money I had. The coffee can where I tried to save cash was pretty much empty, with just fifty dollars left inside after paying my bills this month, but at least everything was caught up. I didn’t have much in tips from this weekend, since I had only worked half my shift on Friday, and I’d already used most of that money to buy groceries.
That meant I had to rely on the money in my checking account. My paycheck from the club was deposited there every week, but I didn’t make much hourly. This situation wasn’t good.
Still, I called the mechanic and arranged for him to come retrieve the car and take it to his shop. Maybe I’d get really lucky, and it wouldn’t be something massively expensive to fix.
Yeah, right.
Things never worked out that way for me.
I waited in my car, frantically searching the internet for anything that might cause my car to refuse to start, freaking myself out as the possibilities got more and more expensive. At least it only took ten minutes for the tow truck to arrive. The man was friendly, and even offered to take me back to the shop with the car, but he couldn’t guarantee I’d be able to get it fixed and drive it home today. Assuming I could afford it, and the shop was in the opposite direction of my home. So I elected to stay behind as he drove away with my only means of transportation. It was a sobering feeling.
I would have to walk home, I realized. Paying for an Uber would be reckless when I had so little money already. Samantha had an evening class on Tuesdays, so she wouldn’t be able to take me home, and it was only about two miles.
Still, I wasn’t looking forward to walking in the heat. Even in the evening, when the sun would be going down in a couple hours, it was hot and humid. That was late summer in Mississippi for you.
Maybe I should call Smoke.
Before I could follow through on that thought, a black SUV pulled up beside me. The window rolled down and I recognized the smiling face in the driver’s seat as Micah, a guy from my psychology class. He sat two rows behind me.
“Hey, was that your car I just saw being towed away?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I sounded as stressed as I felt. “It wouldn’t start.”
Micah winced. “That’s not good. You need a ride?”
I hesitated. I didn’t know him very well, outside of a little small talk when we were walking to class at the same time. Would it be crazy to get in the car with him?
He seemed harmless and friendly, but Ted Bundy did too, from what I’d read.
Micah nodded, understanding my reluctance without me having to even voice it out loud. “Tell you what, why don’t you go ahead and snap a picture of my license plate with your phone, and send it to a friend? Will that make you feel more secure?”
“Yes, actually, it would,” I said, happy that he didn’t appear to be offended by my reluctance.
“Then, go ahead.”
I did as he said, sending the picture to Samantha. She was one of the most responsible people I knew here, so I figured she was a good choice. Then, I climbed into the car.
Micah was younger than me, like many of my fellow college students attending right out of high school, but he was a good-looking guy, with a thin, but toned body and thick sandy brown hair constantly falling into his eyes.