Caged in Paradise (2nd Draft)

The Fair Fundraiser, His Eyes

"Last night's storm was crazy, Koa. I can't believe you went out on the water," Nick scolds, glaring at me. I just sit in the front seat, shooting him a dirty look, not wanting to deal with his nonsense. "How long have I known you Nick? Never knew you were such a pussy."

"Fuck you," Nick replies.

"Hey, can you guys just chill for a moment?" Tarek, in the backseat, shoots us both looks. Then he glares at his Nokia, texting away. "Koa, thanks for showing up, man. Thought you might bail on us last minute," he remarks casually, leaning between the front seats. His perfect face annoys me.

"You're right, I was going to ditch on you. My dad told me I wasn't allowed to go though, so that naturally changes things..." I say unfazed.

I've had enough of people's opinions on my life, on what I do or don't do. It's draining and infuriating. "Wait, you're not allowed to go?" Tarek looks up from his phone, still leaning between the front seats. "No, when I mentioned it, he got all serious and said we can't support the fair because of our business with Daniel Tengen," I tell him.

He leans back in the backseat, exhaling judgmentally. Tarek has a way of making me feel like a disappointment with just a breath, and it angers me exponentially.

I wonder... Is Maya coming tonight? If so, should I talk to her? I'm curious about... what she's wearing. What's been on her mind lately...

Nick breaks into my thoughts, cautioning me, "You're fucking up your life, Koa. Constantly picking fights with your dad, playing people... it's not gonna help you." I glance at him; he seems uncertain about what he wants to say next.

But I feel... nothing. Indifferent.

"I didn't ask for your opinion, Nick," I say, exhaling heavily while gazing out the window. "Fine," he replies impatiently, tapping his leg at the red light. He's being overly dramatic, in my opinion. As soon as the light turns green, he accelerates extra loudly. Driving recklessly.

"Nick, chill out," Tarek's voice echoes from the backseat. He adds, "You two are acting like toddlers."

We drive on in silence, and I decide to turn up the music. As we ascend the mountain, I catch a view of the beach below, the pier, and the vibrant ferris wheel. I can already hear people loudly celebrating in the far distance. Nick pulls over. I question, "Why aren't you parking down at the beach?" Frowning, I meet Nick's intense blue eyes.

He pulls the handbrake aggressively and responds, "It'll be jam-packed tonight, dumbass! Do you really want to spend two hours leaving the parking lot later?"

I breathe in, I breathe out. This guy is asking for a punch in his face. I get out of the car. Walking toward the trunk, the hot summer air hits my face, the scent of seasalt... and I finally feel like I can actually breathe. Nick and Tarek join me at the trunk, Nick putting on his sunglasses. I try opening the trunk, but it's locked. Nick tosses me the key, and I unlock it. A bottle of rum appears, and I pour three plastic cups halfway full.

"Whoa, whoa! Koa, that's not a shot!" Tarek laughs, grinning at me. I return the smile and stash the liquor away. "Tonight, we're counting on not seeing tomorrow." I lift my glass, and we all down the rum in one go. There's a moment of silence, followed by synchronized sounds of disgust escaping our mouths.

"Awful!" Nick declares, wiping his mouth. I shut the trunk, and we head downhill toward the pier.

"Nick," I start, feeling the breeze in my hair, the sun still warm on my skin. "Yes?" he asks suspiciously. "As my best friend, it's your duty to match my drinking tonight."

"Pfff!" Nick scoffs, "You know I drink more than you." I shake my head in utter disbelief. "No, you never have." We keep walking, Nick on my left, Tarek on my right. More people are heading towards the pier as we get closer, the music growing louder. I see some kids happily running towards the big event and parents screaming at them to slow down.