You can't save people
from themselves.
— Fate
When we headed home from Chicago, Claire did the driving as I stared out the window. I may have fallen asleep.
I jumped when she started cursing. "Oh, fuckin' A!" She hit the gas and swerved, then tapped the brakes. I was trying to figure out what the hell was going on, as she muttered, "Of course it's... and... oh, son of a..."
"Whassa whoa. Heyo? Whooo... What's up?"
"Did I wake you, Shay?"
"I wasn't slurpin'. SLEEPING. What's happenin'?"
"Hang on. Kinda busy here."
We were on the Chicago Skyway, which is basically an elevated highway with concrete barriers.
I watched as Claire's eyes bounced around. Driver's side mirror, rearview mirror, passenger's side mirror. Windshield. Bounce, bounce, bounce. Forward. Look, look, look. Forward. Again and again.
We veered into the far right lane, barely fitting between two cars, just as a bright red Dodge Charger went flying past us. It had to be doing over a hundred miles an hour.
Whooooosh!
"Wow, Claire. That was close."
"Fuck this. Next time we come into the city, we're taking the train."
Traffic immediately slowed to a crawl as three lanes of traffic begrudgingly merged into one. Eventually, we passed what was left of the red Dodge. It must have spun out and flipped before smashing into the concrete barrier. Pieces of metal and broken glass were scattered everywhere.
As we drove by the wreck, Claire said, "Huh."
"What?"
"The driver was a girl."
Was. A girl.
"It's amazing that she didn't take out any other cars," Claire said. "Good thing I was paying attention."
How do you avoid being in a car accident? Paying attention only goes so far. To really stay safe? Don't be in a car.
How do you avoid getting caught in a mark's house? Don't be in that house.
Obviously, a driver will be in a car. A passenger too. But does a thief have to be the one searching a house? Maybe not this thief.
I'd been taking too many chances. My run in with Boogie should have been a wake up call.
"Earth to Shay. You okay?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I was just thinking."
"About?"
"The girl in that car."
"She was reckless."
"Sometimes, we're reckless, aren't we?"
"You're reckless. I'm cautious. And that girl was stupid. Driving like that puts everybody's lives at risk."
"I know, but..."
"There's no 'But.' When you're behind the wheel, you've got other people's lives in your hands. You've gotta take that shit seriously."
"Maybe she was running from something."
"What's going on, Shay?"
"I'm just saying, maybe somebody could have saved her."
"She chose her fate. You can't save people from themselves."
"Wow."
"What?"
"Was that supposed to be profound?"
"Fine. Let's talk about something else. Did I tell you I'm meeting a mark tomorrow? I was at a coffee shop and somebody's WiFi name was 'Satoshi Lives.' I told the barista the guy who lives upstairs is cute. She set me up on a date."
"How do you know she set you up with the right guy?"
"WIFI doesn't go far, and there's only one apartment directly above the coffee shop. I don't even know what he looks like, so this could be funny. I'll let you know how it goes. What about you? Hitting any houses tomorrow?"
"I'm gonna visit an old friend."
"Shayna Dempsey has friends?"
"Hose does."
"I don't know what that means, but... Oh, fuck. Traffic's slowing down again. Why the hell are we still merged down to one lane?"
"I don't know, but this is bullshit. I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me when we get home."
"Sure."
I didn't sleep though. I closed my eyes and thought about my idea for a valet parking scam. I had no idea how to do it. I tried to not think about Boogie as I thought about the girl in the red Dodge. She was gone, but she still had a face. I'd seen it, smashed against broken glass. That felt like a wake up call too.
Claire was cautious? I was cautious too, and I was not going to be the girl in that car. It was time to make some changes. For safety.