Zack crosses the kitchen to grab his car keys from the hook by the door. "I am going to drive around for a bit. Maybe clear my head before I say something stupid that makes things worse between us." Before his father can say anything else, Zack opens the front door and closes it just as quickly, leaving his father standing in the kitchen. Mr. Riley loosened his tie further and removed it, placing it on the kitchen counter, before walking over to the living rooms back window and looking out at the back yard. "Oh, Jen. What would you do?" he asks the empty room, a single tear rolling down his cheek.
Zack angrily marches across the driveway to his beat down car. The car door slams shut with more force than necessary, shaking the vehicle slightly. He jams the key into the ignition and revs the engine aggressively, his knuckles white as he grips the steering wheel. His green eyes catch movement in the rearview mirror– is father standing on the porch, arms crossed and expression unreadable even from this distance. The familiar pang of guilt twist in Zack's chest, mixing with anger and frustration. "Fuck it," he mutters under his breath, throwing the transmission into revers and peeling out of the driveway with tire screeching theatrics. The familiar streets of their neighbourhood blur past as he drives aimlessly, windows rolled down despite the cool evening air. After more than half an hour, his phone buzzes repeatedly in the console cup holder but he ignores it completely– text messaged from Anna would only make staying mad at his dad harder.
…
Anna approached her house slowly, listening carefully for any sounds from within. The house was quiet, but she knew her father was probably in his office working. Quietly she entered through the front door and made her way up to her bedroom, closing the bedroom door quietly behind her. She went to sit down on her bed, placing her purple backpack on the floor and carefully opening the phone box. She looked down at the purple phone in the box and stood up to get her old phone from her desk. She carefully removed the sim card inside her old phone and placed it in the new phone. After the phone turned on and she connected it to her home Wi-Fi, the loading bar started. With nothing else to do but wait, she looked around her quiet room and her thought drifted to Zack and the disappointment on his father's face.
It was not long before her bedroom door creaked open, revealing her father standing behind it. "Anna," he said quietly and she held her breath. "The school called. What are you doing home so early?" he asked as he entered her room. Anna did not know what to say. "This isn't like you," he noted casually and stopped in front of her. "I… I am sorry Dad." She said softly. "I don't have a good reason." There was a moment of silence before he spoke again. "Well, teenagers skip class sometimes." He said with understanding. "You mother won't see it like that, but I understand. I won't say anything as long as it doesn't happen again. If it does, we are going to have to cut your allowance." Anna looked up at her father surprised. "Thanks, Dad," she said quickly and stood up from the bed to hug him.
Her father looked down at the phone on the bed. "Where did you get that? You didn't spend you allowance did you. Because we said we would buy you a new phone at the end of the month." Anna shook her head lightly. "Zack bought it for me," she said carefully. "He didn't want to wait." For a moment her father was deep in thought before he spoke. "Well, that's… something." He looked down slightly. "I will pay him back at the end of the month." Her father took a step back. "He really likes you, doesn't he?" he asked softly. "That's good. Well, since your home, why don't you do some dishes and later you can help me cook." He said trying to change the topic. Anna just nodded. Her father patted her shoulder and then left. she sat down on the bed and continued waiting for the phone to be ready. When the phone was finally done, the first thing she did was send Zack a text:
Anna: Hey, finally got phone to work.
Anna: How did things go with your dad?
Anna: Is everything okay?
When Zack didn't reply she got worried and tried to call him, but it went straight to voice mail.
…
Zack's driving becomes more erratic as his emotions spiral. He makes sharp turns through residential neighbourhoods, each corner taken with unnecessary aggression. The radio blasts heavy rock music loud enough to drown out his own thoughts, but it does not work. His phone keeps buzzing insistently– first one message, the another. He glances at the screen resting on the cup holder: three missed calls from Anna and several texts filling up the notification bar. "Goddamn it," he growls, pulling over abruptly in an empty parking lot overlooking the city skyline. The city skyline stretches across the horizon. The buildings are silhouetted against the purple sky, with small lights glowing from windows and streetlights. Some structures are taller and more prominent, while others form a lower, uneven outline. The sudden silence feels deafening after the roar of his car stereo. Without thinking twice, he swipes open his contacts and hits call.
The phone rings only once before Anna picks up. "Hey you," her voice comes through the speaker, warm and concerned. "Where are you?" There was a moment of silence before Anna spoke again. "Finally got the new phone unwrapped and activated," she said softly. "After I got an earful from my dad." Zack's grip on the steering wheel loosens slightly at the mention of Anna's father. A small smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth despite his lingering frustration. "Oh really? What did your dad have to say?" he asks, his voice taking on that familiar protective edge. "Was he lecturing you about dating a troubled kid like me?" he leans his head back against the seat, closing his eyes for a moment as if picturing the scene playing out at Anna's house. The anger from his own father's lecture starts to fade, replaced by amusement at the idea of Anna getting in trouble too.