Chain Gang All Stars

Nile knew Mari’s mother would never forgive him. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to forgive himself. But they were already on the road, hurtling toward an arena where no good could come.

“How did you get this ticket again?” he asked. The streetlights shined. He backed away from the steering wheel, let the autonomous movement have the reins. Mari stared out her window; he could see her reflection in the sweeping black of the outside world. She didn’t answer, which wasn’t a surprise. She had been reluctant to tell him anything, but he had a car and she didn’t, so now they were on the road.

“What did you tell Kai again?”

He felt a pressure at his throat and chest. He wanted more than anything to serve Mari in whatever way she wanted him to. And yet, right now he also wanted to turn around and leave her back at her home and pretend he had never heard her plan.

“Why does it matter what I told her?” she said, still not looking at him.

He pushed on the brakes, engaged manual control, pulled to the roadside, then turned the car off.

“Mari,” he said. He turned on the overhead light.

Finally she looked at him, her eyes shimmering.

“I told her I love her and good night,” Mari said.

“She doesn’t know?”

“Correct.”

The dread he felt from the Old Taperville protest was still a hard stone in his body, and here he was carrying Mari into something much worse.

“And you have a ticket for the front row?”

“I do. They’re from my uncle.”

“And it’s even possible?”

“It is. I’ve done my homework.” She wiped her eyes and let him see she was still ready. “Let’s go.”

“I don’t want to do this.”

“Let the car do it then. Just sit back and be here with me. Let the car drive us.”

Nile winced as the light from a passing car flooded them, then disappeared.

“You understand how I feel about you, right?” Nile reached over and took her hand, rubbed her thumb with his.

Mari took a deep breath. “Yes,” she said. “That’s why I asked you.”

“Because you know I care?”

“Because I knew you wouldn’t say no.”

Nile smiled, hoping the shape of his lips would make the pressure he felt in his chest fade.

“And?” he asked.

“And so, I have to do this. Tracy Lasser is one person. Look what happened. If I can inject some of that energy into the actual space, it will do something. Look what she was able to do. Look at what we did with her.”

“There’s no reason to believe it will do anything.”

“And you can go ahead and believe that.”

“I’m just saying that—”

“If you aren’t going to take me, just say so.”

“Mari, I—”

But before he could finish Mari leaned over and kissed him. She pressed hard into him and he leaned back at the force. She pulled away and looked ahead. They were quiet.

“Put this fucking car on and let it take us there,” she finally said.

And Nile understood that with him or without him, Mari was going.

“No,” Nile said. “I’ll drive us.”