Harmless Joyride

Mark White felt free and independent driving his father’s Lincoln PS for the first time. He knew it wasn’t right, but didn’t really care. His parents would kill him if they ever found out he took the car, but they were both out in the station wagon and didn’t have to know. He'd be so cool driving his friends around town and that was worth the risk. Plus he wanted to impress his girlfriend Christy.

Christy Armstrong was waiting on the bus stop bench two blocks from her house. She didn’t want her parents to see her getting into a car. “Where the heck are we going anyhow?” Christy asked, annoyed.

“We’re picking up Steve and Tracy and just going out for a bit. Maybe we’ll stop at the drive in and stay awhile.” Mark shot back very cocky, not letting on that he was entirely nervous.

They stopped and picked up Steve Hill and Tracy Grubbs from another bus stop five blocks over. The plan had been rehearsed through dossier-esque notes that were passed in various classes of little to no importance to the fourteen and fifteen year old joy-riders. Mark was going to pick them each up at the closest bus stops to their houses, take a spin around the block to show off the wheels, and be back in less than an hour. Nobody would know, and nobody would tell. It was an entirely faulty, faultless plan.

At least it was faultless until Mark found himself in the middle of a busy intersection with the stop signal and drivers honking on both sides. His pores erupted with sweat and his heart started racing as he realized the danger he was in. He managed to just squeeze through the intersection and decided he’d turn around at the next one. The entire posse was nervous about the scene that had been created at the last stop light.

Then the ever-so-terrible sigh of damnation came over them. The kind of sigh where they all know they’re in for some serious trouble, if not death sentences. Flashing lights signaled Mark to stop or run, and he stopped.

Officer Hezekiah Walker approached the beige, sun-worn Lincoln PS like he had approached so many other vehicles before, with a stout intimidating stride. He spoke, however, with a terribly southern drag, “License and registration please.” He said it in a demanding tone, almost condescending.

“Uh, Officer I have a license, but it’s at home.” Mark replied, slightly impressed with his wit at the moment.

“Ya not going to check your pockets?” the weathered officer replied. Mark didn’t have a license, neither did any of the scared-as-hell gang in the car. “Follow my car to the station and we’ll get this straightened out son.”

“Damn it!” Mark silently shouted inside his mind while getting back into his father’s Lincoln PS. “I’m dead.”

“What’d he say?” asked Steve

“He said we’ve gotta follow him back to the station, said he’s gonna get it all straightened out.” Mark had a film of sweat over his face now, but a dry tone to his voice.

They followed the officer’s standard issue black-and-white back to the Verona Police Department. Inside, Officer Walker took Mark into an office and shut the door.

“Well I think ya lied about having a license son. There aint no registration for ya in the database.” Though Mark was standing, it seemed as if he were sinking lower and lower. “Come clean and tell me about it.”

Mark burst out into a confession with nervously quickened breath, “I was just driving my dad’s car around for fun. Me and Steve and Tracy and Christy. We didn’t mean to do nothing.”

Officer Walker picked up an envelope and walked around his desk to Mark, “Give me the keys son.”

“What for?” Mark asked.

“For grand auto theft son, now give me the keys.” Walker was being sarcastic. He only intended to write Mark a ticket for driving without a license.

Mark handed over the keys to the officer and cried a little bit. The officer let him soak it up before they went back into the lobby.

With red puffy eyes Mark walked out, “Steve, do you know anybody with a license who can come pick you up?”

“My brother could but he wouldn’t leave work to come pick us up from jail.”

“Call him anyway.” Officer Walker said as he crossed between the boys and walked over to Tracy and Christy who were seated in the corner. “I’m gointa take you girls home now. And ya’ll shouldn’t hang around boys like this from now on. They’ll get ya in some real trouble one day, bad influences.” The officer turned around and issued to Mark and Steve as he exited the door, “and ya’ll just sit tight in the waiting room. I’ll be back for yuh after awhile.”

Mark sunk back in his chair after having leaned his elbows on his legs. Red circles appeared on his kneecaps and he started gazing at them. Almost monotone he said, “Christy’s dad won’t let me see her anymore after this. He already doesn’t like me.”

To this Steve replied, “I’m sure it’ll be alright. Everyone’s been in some trouble before.”

“Not like this man. We broke the law Steve. I mean the cops pulled us over and we’re in the police station getting tickets and phone calls. This is the real thing. We’re in some real trouble this time.”

“Lighten up dude. It’s not like we killed someone. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“No man. I’d rather kill myself than have to deal with whatever my parents put me through for this.”

“What? Don’t say that man.”

“I’m just kidding. That wouldn’t help.” Mark replied now covered in sweat, “but what are we going to do man?”

“Go home, and take whatever they throw at us. That’s about all we can do.”

Officer Walker came in the front door and escorted the two boys outside. Steve brother stared him down and didn’t even have to tell him to get in the car. Steve sulked over, dragging his feet and hunched into the car. He waved at Mark as they pulled out of the parking lot and into the street.

“Where do ya live boy?” asked the officer “I called your parents and they asked me to take ya home.”

“My house is on Palmetto. I live close by the park.” The officer seated Mark in the back seat of his cruiser and then took him home. Mark sobbed for the first few blocks of the drive but sucked it up as they got closer to his house.

“Thank you sir.” He said to the officer. He didn’t really entirely know why he was thanking him.

“Your parents asked me to tell ya to stay inside the house until they get home. Don’t go getting in anymore trouble now ya hear?”

“Yes sir.” Mark replied. The officer waited until Mark had closed the front door behind him.

‘That boy learned a lesson today. I hope his folks don’t beat him up too bad though’ thought Officer Walker as he arrived at the station. Just as he started in the door, his radio blared “Gunshots fired! Palmetto Road! Area units respond!” He ran back out to his cruiser and slung gravel as he exited the parking lot. It only took him three minutes to get to the scene. He met the neighbors outside their house and they pointed to the house where he had just dropped off Mark.

He waited until a second cruiser pulled in the driveway and he motioned his comrade to back him up. Walker kicked the door in and shouted “POLICE!” to an empty living room. The second officer went left into an empty kitchen and then fell into place behind Walker who was climbing the stairs. Blood started trickling off the top step and Walker picked up his pace. He pointed his gun down and ran up the stairs to find Mark dead with a gun in his right hand.