Shatter .:1: Crash:.

The teacher is distracted, talking to a student way too eager to be first in the class. Not too big of a feat in this particular class, since no one really cares and the teacher hands out A's. Ami tosses her head back and leans it on my desk, her eyes opened wide.

“You know, if we believe we’re truly invisible, we will be” She says.

“Oh? Is that so?” I ask, elbows resting on my desk, my face in my hands I hide my eyes. This is torture, being here, really it is. So many productive things I could be doing but no, I'm stuck in this class for the next 15 minutes WISHING I was doing something constructive. Something that MATTERED instead of "free time"

“Yes. You see, it’s all a state of mind. If we truly believe, our teacher won’t see us sneak out, she won’t! Scouts honor!” I peek through my fingers and see those devious brown eyes staring at me with amusement.

“All a state of mind, eh?” I say with a yawn “We only have fifteen minutes left. Give me a ride home.” I say, standing up and slinging my backpack over my shoulder. She laughs quietly and hops up, grabbing her purse, backpack, poster, and jacket. I take the purse and poster from her to help lessen the load and check my surroundings. Everyone is up and talking loudly, trying to be heard over the rest of the people. Ami and I walk out, a few people waving bye and others walking out as well. I check and see that no one’s yelling at us to come back. We’re in the clear, as they say.


“Perfect!” Ami says with a laugh. I smile at her happiness. She keeps tilting her head to the left then the right then the left and then the right again. Her short black hair moves ever so slightly but otherwise remains motionless, having been doused with bottle after bottle of hairspray that smells like watermelon. If I had to describe her in a few words...quirky would definitely be one of them.

Once in the parking lot we head towards her duct taped up silver Honda Accord. She kisses the hood of her car and whispers sweet nothings to it, praying that it’ll start. I don’t find this unusual because Lord knows I do the same to my little green bean. I get in and start the car while she shoves all of her crap in the trunk. Tuning the radio to a station I like, I find a song suitable enough for Ami and I to attempt to sing along with. Attempting Hulk strength to open the sticky door, it flies open and hits her. I burst into laughter and she leans in.

“Hey, freak, drive?” I sigh, a smile still on my face.

“Fine. If you’re doing your nails would you PLEASE open a window this time?” I say, getting out and switching sides with her. I take a moment to
adjust mirrors and the seat while she warms up her singing voice. We both suck at singing but we can carry a tune just fine. She practices scales while singing a song, one I’m vaguely familiar with. “What color?!” She shouts at me. I look over at her, both my hands resting lazily on the steering wheel with the squishy soft covering. I look at the two tiny bottles of nail polish as she raises and lowers each one. “Aquatic Blue fifty-two or Ruby Red Slippers sixteen?” She asks. Even is blue, odd is red.

“Pick a number,” I say, putting the car into drive while keeping my foot firmly on the break. Sometimes her car chooses to jerk forward without warning.

“I choose eleven times fifty two.” She says. Even.

“Blue it is.” She smiles, rolling down her window and planting her feet on the dashboard. She places the bottle between her knees and rests her left hand on her left kneecap. I start to pull out of the parking space when a guy jumps out in front of the car. I break casually, going slow enough I need not panic. He comes to the window and I roll it down. “Yes?” I ask. He looks at me with wild blue eyes. They catch me off guard. I'm used to glazed over, bored eyes lacking passion. That's the affect this school tends to have on people. But these eyes. . . they're something different.

“I need a ride.” I look to Ami. I don’t know him and I’m pretty sure Ami doesn’t either. But Ami’s generous and is a sucker for a pretty face.

“Your car, your choice.” I say, putting the car in park and reaching behind me. I grab Ami’s purse and pull out the mix CD she made. If we’re adding extra time, I’m putting in a CD full of songs we like that WON’T sound like cats being ran over when we sing them. I pop the CD in while Ami studies the guy

“What’s your name?” She asks

“Dash”

“Hop in Dash” She says, making up her mind. I crack my neck and choose number 3 on the CD. “I LOVE this song!” Ami squeals with joy. Once Dash is in the car I pull out of the school parking lot.

“Where do you need to be dropped off?” I ask as the light turns green.

“Me? Um...you know where Luckies is?” Luckies is the local bar slash 'concert hall' where local bands play and, every so often, a semi-famous band will play. People under 17 get in for cheap. I can pass sometimes.

“Yeah, I’m familiar with the place.” I say, shoving Ami to get her to stop singing for a moment. She gets very "in" to songs and forgets where she is and who is with her.

“Just drop me off there” He says. His voice is very. . . professional.

“Alright. Fair warning, Ami can’t sing but will attempt it.” I say, turning the music up. Ami goes right on singing and even attempting to dance while painting her nails. A block away from Luckies I get that eerie feeling where I KNOW something bad is going to happen. Of course, I always get that feeling near this intersection though never this strong before. Ami looks at me with wide eyes full of fear. It gets to me.

“Don’t go” She says, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“Excuse me?” I say, looking to her. She taps the volume nob, turning the music off. I swallow the lump of fear forming in my throat.

“This is my car I’m TELLING you, do NOT go when the light turns red!” She commands with full authority.

“There are people behind me.” I tell her quietly, scared by the seriousness of her voice.

“Go.” Dash says from the back

“MY. CAR.” Ami says. “Come on, please. I’m terrified. The people behind you won’t kill you if you wait till the next green light. Please, I’m freaking out” She says. I sigh and resign myself to not driving. The light turns green. After a few moments, seeming like forever but really not more than the two seconds it would take for me to accelerate into the middle of the intersection, the two cars behind me start honking. That’s when the semi flies by driving WAY too fast for it to be anything but a portal to death. Ami screams. I lose my breath, eyes wide as I watch it crash into the tire store. The place catches on fire and everything turns to chaos. I turn to Ami. She’s crying. I look back at Dash. He looks displeased. The people behind me get out of their cars after some shock wears off. One walks over to my car and I roll down the window. It’s a woman, no more than 40. She’s in shock. Back in her car is, who I assume to be, her daughter of about five.

“I called the police...Thank you” She says shakily. I nod as best I can.

“No problem” Is all I can think of to say. She walks back to her car, getting in the back and hugging her daughter. We all stay silent. After a couple of minutes Ami burst into nervous laughter. I look to her

“I’m psychic!” She says with a hysterical laugh that scares me more than it was meant to amuse. I look back to Dash.

“You knew?” I mouth, a questioning look on my face. Ami doesn’t notice. He shrugs off my question.

“And if I did?” I turn the car off. Police, fire truck and ambulance sirens sound. I watch them as they speed towards us.

“Ami...” I say. Her face is buried in her knees. Nail polish from her not dry nails is smeared on her pant leg. I sigh “We’ll try and interview together.” I say, “Tell them you don’t want me to leave, K? I’m here.” I tell her, cupping her knee and moving it side to side a little

“I almost died.” She whispers

“But we didn’t.” I remind her.

“What if it wasn’t an accident?!” She gasps. I hear Dash grunt.

“Ami you’re hysterical. Who the HELL would want us dead?” I tell her. Cops walk towards the car and I prepare myself to be the strong one. Again.

“I don’t know but this is the third time we’ve almost died together.” She whispers. I can’t deny that. It’s a statement of fact. This is the third time we’ve almost died together within the past year. I look back to Dash. In those terrifying blue eyes, behind the run of ocean water fighting to break out of the ocean, is undeniable disappointment. My jaw drops but before I can say anything a cop knocks on the window.