Variations

“Hurry get up, I think Juán yelled water!”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”

We hurry down the concrete slope, down the road leading away from the highway bridge. Eddie, a fat teenager with long black hair and me, the new kid. The people waving at us from a distance are our friends, I think. We run towards them. Eddie tells me our only means of escape is with that guy, the ‘what’s-his-name-again’ with the car. Maybe it’s the guy patting Juán’s shoulder and grinning like hell.

“Hurry pendejos, I’ve been yelling water ages ago!”

Again I find myself in a car packed with people. I get an elbow from Raúl, Yolanda’s hair in my face, and Fifo’s new Dr. Martens shoes on top of me. We are in a hurry. The driver isn’t slow in making us understand this, putting his foot harder on the gas pedal. Outside buildings flicker passed and the heat inside the car suffocates me. There is no sound. Everything is mute.

“No sirens, no blue light, nothing - what the hell Juán!”

I want to scream out my frustration. I don’t know half of these people. Hell I don’t even know why the police would be chasing us! I try burrowing myself into the corner. With the help of Fifo’s body pressing upon me I almost succeed. I’ll just close my eyes and soon all of this will be over.

I hope...