Glimpse of Riley

Here's a snippet into the BEGINNING of Riley's Gift. 

Riley clutched her backpack as she watched the winding road from the backseat of the Honda Civic. Her heart beat in rhythm to the rock music. Why did Derek have to drive so fast?  Maneuvering the vehicle through each turn, his knee held the wheel steady as he air drummed. Stacey sat beside him in the front seat, her head nodding to the music. 

Leaning forward, Riley straining to read the speedometer: eighty-five miles an hour. Holding her breath, she bit her lip and closed her eyes.

“Relax, Riley.” Matt Morgan’s soothing voice echoed in her head. She cast a sideways glance at him, his curly brown hair framed his handsome face. Now she remembered why she sat in this death trap. He gave her a half-smile, fracturing all logical thinking. Her grip loosened on the canvas bag as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. The heat radiating from his body somehow traveled to her cheeks. She looked away from him. Derek’s invisible drumsticks smashed into several air cymbals. Riley flinched again.

“Don’t be nervous.” Matt squeezed her.

“I’m not nervous.”

“You’re always nervous. You gotta loosen up a little.”

She didn’t need to loosen up. She needed to be back at school taking the algebra test. Why’d she bother studying for three hours with Chris? No doubt, he’d hassle her about ditching.  But Matt won. She’d decided to come with him, even though it defied her better judgment. 

A shrillness cut through the music. A siren?

Matt pulled his arm away from her, and looked out the back window. “Dude! There’s a cop behind you!”

Derek looked through the rear view mirror. He slammed his hand against the steering wheel and blurted out several unidentifiable words before turning off the music.

“Stay calm!” Stacey glanced back from the front seat. “We’re cool, we tossed that twelve pack, right? So they can’t bust us for drinking and driving.”

Bust us? Oh, why didn’t I stay at school?

Derek didn’t slow down. “They’re gonna bust me for underage drinking, driving, and speeding.” He used a few choice words. “I’ll lose my license ‘til who knows when.” He hesitated; then accelerated. “I’m gonna outrun ‘um.”

Stacey looked back at Riley, her green eyes wide and face pale, then focused on Derek. “Are you crazy? I’m not going to die today. Pull over!”

Riley’s knuckles were white as she clung onto her backpack, and she jumped as Matt lunged forward.  “Dude, calm down man, you got this.” Soothing didn’t describe his voice now.

Riley glanced out the window the scenery flew by in a blur, making her dizzy. Putting her head in her hands, she closed her eyes and began rocking.

“Derek. Floor it man.” Matt yelled.

The siren unsettled her. Every hair raised on the back of her neck. Please stop the car. Please stop the car.

She was thrown forward— luckily the seat belt caught her. Bracing herself she struggled to breathe. The car swerved and skidded to a stop in front of a gas station. 

Derek put the car in park and shoved his hand in his pocket. He bounced as if there were a bee in his pants as he pulled out a baggie filled with something. Grabbing a lever below the steering wheel, he adjusted it up and stuffed the bag into the crevice. In a quick motion, he dropped the steering wheel back down to its original place. 

Great he’s done this before.

  Glancing in the rear-view mirror, Derek took a deep breath and turned toward them, his cheeks flushed. “No one say anything … okay?”

Matt leaned forward. “Dude—”

“Shut up!” Derek cut him off.

Before Matt could respond, a stocky officer approached Derek’s door. He leaned over and knocked on the window.

Perspiration beaded on Riley’s forehead. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d spoken to a police officer, let alone been pulled over.

Derek fumbled the buttons to roll the window down. Red blotches began to appear all over his neck. He muttered under his breath as the window descended. 

“Please step out of the vehicle,” the burly officer ordered.

I’m gonna throw up. I know I am.

Derek got out of the car and allowed the cop to walk him to the back of the car.

Riley stared at Matt, who cursed under his breath as he watched Derek. Stacey and Riley both jumped when a loud knock came from outside the car.

An officer, much younger than his partner, shouted through the passenger window, “We need all of you to step out of the vehicle.”

Riley reached for Matt’s arm. “I can’t go to jail.”

The blood from his beautiful golden skin drained, leaving him ghostlike. “You and me both.”