Hellcat

Chapter 10

Wilder Sanchez 

I survive Josh's reckless driving. 

Now I'm regretting that prayer I said because it means I have to stop taking Mr Goldberg's pain medications. But they are so addictive.

Do the right thing, Eli.

The stupid voice in my head just won't give me my peace of mind. 

"Are you gonna get out of the car or...?" Josh trails off. 

Only now, do I acknowledge the fact that he has gotten out of the car and is standing in front of my door, which is wide open and staring at me in confusion. 

Damn, I really need to improve my split attention skills otherwise people are going to realise I'm not as sane as I often claim to be. 

"Sure, sure." I slam the door with more force than necessary and Josh winces. 

"Careful, this is Abe's car remember?"

Ah, how could I ever forget? I look around to distract myself from my very obvious mistake. 

"Juicy Burger Me Likey," I read the name of a neon sign on one of the plate-glass windows. "What the f**k kind of name is that?"

"The name of the most popular burger place in all of New Jersey. Now come on, the line for a table might take a while."

Rolling my eyes, I hook arms with Josh and allow him to drag me into the diner. 

It's one am but the place is crowded.

"How is this possible?" I ask Josh ten minutes later when we are seated in a booth that provides direct access to the washroom and a great view of the front door should a quick escape be necessary. 

"I'm not the only person who likes a midnight burger," he shrugs simply. 

The waitress brings our orders minutes later. I followed Josh's advise so we are both having the maple bacon jam burger. 

Josh gets to work drizzling his all over with ketchup while I take my time to examine the beast in front of me. 

The burger is monster-sized and comes with a side of fries and my chocolate milkshake because God knows I haven't had any chocolate today and it is driving me nuts. I'm a chocoholic, so what? 

"Is that even edible anymore?" I ask while eyeing Josh's burger wearily. It no longer looks like a burger but is more of a ketchup mountain. 

He shocks me by taking a giant bite out of it. Ketchup stains both sides of his mouth and he is grinning wildly while chewing with his mouth. "Delicious."

"You make me sick," I say with a laugh, biting into my own burger. "This is good," I groan.

"I know right," I bow my head because I can't stomach the sight of half a brioche packed tightly in a jaw and clearly visible. Each syllable comes forth with added sounds of food sticking to his teeth. 

"Are you eating like this to mess with me? Or have you always been hiding your inner beast?" I can't help but ask. 

"I don't know what you are talking about," Josh says, chewing faster and louder. But for the music from the jukebox in the back, I'm sure everyone would be able to hear the sounds of his chewing. "Have I ever told you the story of how I fell in love with ketchup? It's really quite a long and interesting tale. I was a kid, nine or eight and a half when I was invited to a bonfire at a friend's house. Usually, I have my burger plain with no condiment or sauce that could make my lips stick together. But at the party, everyone was adding ketchup or mayonnaise to their burger. And I didn't get it. So I decided to try some. But the mayo tasted like poorly flavoured water and I vowed not to try the ketchup seeing as his yellow sister was crap. A few of the guys found out and mistook my distaste for fear so they dared me to drink the whole bottle of ketchup. As you may now know, I never back down from a dare, so I did it. After that night, ketchup and I became soulmates. Wanna hear another story? Maybe the one about how I became such-"

But I have had enough. "Could you please stop smacking your food like that!" I snap viciously. 

I catch him mid-bite, mouth open, food perceptible. I glare at him, as if I might slap him, then I say after a deep breath. "I'm sorry, okay. It's just you have these terrible table manners."

Josh smiles, dabbing at his lips with a napkin. "I was wondering when you would snap. Took you long enough, " he speaks with his mouth closed. 

"So this was a test?" I ask incredulously. Josh Bennett is a stranger creature than I earlier surmised. 

"Why of course," he laughs airily. "I know we have only known each other for a few days and that really isn't such a long time to grow an attachment to someone but I really feel like you and I are meant to be best friends."

"Funny I was just thinking the same thing, " I say. "Though I'm not sure about that best friends part." 

"I don't usually tell people this but I know you are not gonna judge me for it because as you clearly pointed out earlier, you're a lot like me. I'm not really as amazing as everyone thinks." He says and takes a sip of his blueberry milkshake. 

"Do tell, "

"I mean sure, it looks like I have this wonderful life with my happy family, great friends and a good reputation. But honestly, most of that stuff is not even real. Abe will never admit this to my face but it has become pretty obvious that our parents don't love me half as much as they love him."

"That can not be true."

Josh goes on as if he did not hear me. "He's the "it" child. The child they always wanted. He's smart, funny, polite, considerate, attentive, honest, mature, reliable and just overall perfect. And it sucks to have such a person as an older brother because everyone expects me to live up to his ideals. But I know I can't. I can't be like Abe. I'm not him." He nibbles his ketchup-coated burger meekly. 

"No, you're not. You're not Abe. You're Josh Bennett, the guy who never fails to complete a dare no matter how outrageous. Josh Bennett, class clown and soccer extraordinaire it does not matter that you are not on the team. Josh Bennett, mastermind prankster and creative genius. Josh Bennett, the guy who was willing to climb atop a fire truck and sing just to motivate his newfound friend and brother. But most importantly, you're Josh Bennett, my best friend."

I honestly thought that miniature speech would smack some sense into him. But Josh is clinging to his sullen mood as if without he won't know who he is anymore. And the ketchup burger is taking his attention too.

"It's easy to see all that good in me when Abe isn't outshining me."

"You're the one who makes that happen. If you don't want to live in Abe's shadow get back into the light."

"How?" Josh asks despairingly. "It's not like I can just wish to be amazing again."

"You are amazing, Josh. You're cute, funny, sweet, creative and smart. You're not a one-trick pony," quote from Teen Titans Go "-you have an amazingly big heart. You're so kind and compassionate. You help people feel better by making then laugh and you don't even realise it. You're a great guy."

"Aw, thanks, Eli. That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." He smirks playfully, noisily slurping his milkshake from the narrow pink straw.

Finally, I have slapped some sense into him. Or was it just his ploy to extract as many compliments from me as he possibly could? If that's the case I'm am so going to retire from my position as his best friend. God knows I'm not paid enough as it is. 

"Now I'm not saying you are impeccable. Perfection a myth non-applicable to living thins and the things created by living things. That's basically everything that exists. Maybe except rocks. And anyway, that's not the point. The point is that even though perfection is unattainable, we still have to strive for it because gives our lives purpose." I pause to eat a zucchini fry. "Let's start with education. You and I both have mediocre grades. Something needs to be done about that. Then, you can worry about getting back on the soccer team so you'll be even closer to quintessence."

Josh looks up at me with childish hope. "You really think I can do it?" He asks. 

"But of course, " I wave off his concerns dismissively. "I'll have you know that I too have a perfect older brother to live up to."

"You have a brother?" His surprise is genuine. "Does that mean you have human parents too? I honestly thought you were raised by a pack of stray wild cats." 

"Yes, I do have a brother." I don't know why I'm telling about Lucas. It's probably the same reason be admitted his insecurities to me. Josh is very easy to talk to, so quick to find the connection between us. "But my parents are gone. They left when I was still in diapers."

Josh looks guilty for bringing it up. I don't blame him. The murky waters of my past are a subject I never bring up purposefully. "I'm sorry, Eli. I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, it's fine. It's fine, " I say too aggressively. "It's fine. I was raised by my older brother Lucas, not a pack of wild cats, though that would explain certain traits of mine. Even so, Lucas is a great guy."

He even came to warn me that our psychotic father would soon be on the streets and prowling for his next victim which could be me.

"Like Abe?"

"No, Lucas is twice as perfect."

Josh lifts his milkshake to the air. "Here's to perfect older brothers." He puts air quotes around the word perfect.

I grin slightly, lifting mine as well. "To perfect older brothers."

The conversation shifts to softer topics after our little toast. Neither of us wants to talk about our siblings again. So instead, we talk about everything else. Josh proposes a game of twenty questions and through this, we learn a lot about each other. 

His favourite colour is green, shockingly enough. I thought he would be more of a red guy since it's more bold and flashy which is the definition of Josh Bennett. But apparently, when he was still a young teen, Josh used to be an environmental activist and a passionate tree hugger. He claims it was just a phase though I remember how he was insistent on recycling our garbage in school. There's even a picture of him distributing environment protection awareness fliers made from eco-friendly paper on a sidewalk in Boston during a retreat there. 

In turn, I reveal that my favourite colour is blue, not for any specific reason though I may have reason to believe I like being in the water but Josh insists my colour preference must have something to do with the colour of his eyes. I beg to differ. 

His favourite food is ketchup which does not come as a shock to me but results in a debate between us. The motion being: 'Should Ketchup Which Everyone Knows As A Condiment Now Be Considered Food?' Josh wins the debate only because I am tired of hearing the word 'ketchup' over and over and over again like a broken record. Josh also reveals that he was a collection of about two dozen ketchup shirts and jackets. He made them himself, to show his ketchup pride (is that even a thing?) 

My favourite food is spicy chicken taquitos, Nanny Jay's special recipe. Which brings us to the subject of Nanny Jay. 

Josh wants to know more about the woman who raised me while Lucas was out making money. So I tell him most of what I remember.

Nanny Jay was young when she started babysitting me. She was in her early twenties she was Mexican, and she looked a lot like how I always imagined my mother would look. She raised me for the first several gears of my life after I lost both of my parents. When Lucas still a teenager, nearing his twenties and struggling to provide for his baby sister. I'm grateful to Lucas for adopting. I hate to imagine what would have happened to me had I gone into the system. 

Nanny Jay and Lucas were my parents. But then Nanny Jay left suddenly without an explanation when I was eleven years old. Lucas never told me why she left, no matter how many times I begged him to tell, and he never brought another woman to our house till Valerie. 

I'm tired of talking about myself so I ask Josh a question about Keith's dog. 

Josh answers without questioning the random change of direction of our conversation.

Oregano is a scotch collie. He used to be a cadaver-sniffing dog with the Winslow Township Police Department. And before that, he was a service dog with Josh's dad while he was serving his tours in Pakistan. The boys named him Oregano because the day they brought him to Keith's house from the senior Mr Bennett's animal shelter, the collie knocked over a pot of oregano growing on the windowsill in their kitchen and ate the entire plant up. I thought dogs didn't like spices but Oregano was the outlier.

Josh's family is rather large. He's the youngest Bennett and besides Abe, there's another older brother, one who is married and has a baby on the way called Timothy and a sister who studies food science at NYU called Esther. Josh does not speak very fondly about his father the way he does the rest of his family so I can only imagine there's a little friction between them considering the senior Mr Bennett is a reverend and Josh is... Well, Josh. But there is obvious love in his voice when he talks about the rest of the family. Even his dead (a result of his carelessness) pet goldfish Bertie still has a place in his heart (and his backyard garden as well). 

I don't tell Josh the truth about my parents. It's too soon in our friendship for him to find out my dad is a r****t and murderer soon to roam the streets of New Jersey. He assumes they died a natural death or some horrible vehicular accident, that's fine by me. 

His favourite animal is a horse, the result of a summer vacation spent on his uncle's ranch in Maryland. 

Mine is a hummingbird. The hummingbird is the symbol of strength in life's struggle to elevate consciousness to follow your dreams. Lucas told me this, it's according to Mexican tradition. 

It explains the bird tattoo on the inside of my right arm. Josh wants to know the stories behind the other tattoos. So I tell him. 

The big poppy flowers crawling up my entire left sleeve is a symbol of my mother's death. Lucas once told me it was her favourite flower, I got the tattoo to honour her. I show him my mom's name which is hidden in the petal of one of the flowers. The flowers are a symbol of my mother's beauty, power and wealth. And the everlasting sleep she has succumbed to. 

The last tattoo is one he can't see so I have to come closer and show it to him. It's a small paw print tattoo behind my right ear. It doesn't mean anything. It was my first tattoo in preparation for the pain of the bigger ones. 

Josh doesn't have any permanent ink markings on his body. Though he does wear dog tags that belonged to his father while he was a serviceman in the army. 

At last, we run out of questions to ask and settle into silence as we finish off our burgers and milkshakes. We split the bill because neither of us wants to pay but we have to. I go to the bathroom before we leave and when I get back to our table, Josh is flirting with our server.  

"Do you have to flirt with everyone?" I ask when she is finally out of earshot.

Josh is still doing googly eyes at her and I have to snap my fingers in front of his face to get his attention. He answers after I repeat my question. "I don't flirt with everyone. Only with girls."

"So anyone that has boobs and a p***y between their legs is game for you?" I ask because I am genuinely trying to understand why guys like Josh even exist, amazing as they are, I need to know. 

"It's not like that. I judge girls by their looks first. If she's pretty that's a start. But she has to be other things too. She has to be funny, smart and understanding."

"Why is all that important if you're just going to sleep with her and kick her to the curb?"

"Because, " Josh sighs, rolling his eyes in annoyance though I can tell he is delighted at the opportunity to rant. "Not all guys are interested in bimbos. Even if I'm only in for casual s*x pillow talk is very important. And I can't have that with a daft girl can I?"

"I see your point, " I admit grudgingly. "But why string them along with the romantic nonsense?"

"No girl is going to want to sleep with a guy who walks up to her and flat out announces that he wants to have s*x. You have to woo her first. It's is never my intention for the women to grow attached. By I'm just so irresistible "

"Keep telling yourself that, " I chuckle. "Did you charms work on the waitress?" 

Josh wiggles his eyebrows. "They never fail me, babe. Her name is Cassie. She gave me her number. I've got a date with her tonight."

"Impressive, " I say with a smile. "So do you think you'll ever settle down?"

"Why?" He smirks. "You interested?"

"Not in the Blue Moon, " I laugh. "Just curious."

"Casual s*x wasn't always my goal. But after a while, you just give up trying to find the right girl."

"I guess that makes sense." I end the conversation there, stewing over everything Josh has told me. 

He leaves a to on the table for Cassie the waitress and we walk out if the diner together. 

We spent about two hours there and it's now the accursed three am. 

I get into the car and without thinking, tell Josh my home address. He's surprised at the part of town I live in. Though he really shouldn't be considering everything. 

We listen to songs by Pink Floyd during the ride. I am surprised by Josh's tastes in music. He looks like someone who would be more into trendy rap songs.

Josh parks the Corvette in the mostly dark parking lot of my apartment building. He turns off the radio and we then to face each other.

"Thanks for being with me tonight, " he says. "I really needed the company."

"Sure, " I shrug. Missing out on my shuteye really is not such a big deal. 

"No, really I mean it. Thank you. Not just for tonight but for accepting my offer of friendship. Before I planned on just using you to tick off Abe. But you're pretty cool. And I'm glad I have you got a friend."

"You're not too bad yourself, Josh Bennett, " I say with a smile. Although it takes more of my face muscles, it feels good to smile, so happily, so freely. I open the car door but don't actually step out. I'm reluctant to leave. "Cya."

"Hold on to Jasmine for me!" Josh hollers, head sticking out the car window when I'm almost at the front door.

I turn around on my hell and salute him. "Will do." 

Usually, I wouldn't mind taking the stairs to my room but I'm lazy so I decide to take the elevator even though it moves slower than a body stuck in treacle.

I unlock the door to my room and kick off my shoes and throw my jacket somewhere. I throw my body on the bed, expecting fatigue to immediately knock me out. 

But it doesn't. 

After fifteen minutes it becomes apparent I won't be getting any more sleep. So I drag my tired body off the bed and begin looking for my phone. 

I send Josh a good morning text, then make my way to my kitchen to get some cooking done. The  Lucas got for me is barely touched. Besides the cereal and orange juice which I quite literally live on. Seeing as I am bored but not in the mood to sculpt or get high, I decide to cook.

Grabbing ingredients for chicken chilli, I immediately reach for my phone when it dings with the announcement that I have received a new text message.

Josh: Good morning to you to Wilder Sanchez. 

The message is sent not too long after mine. 

Wilder: Can't sleep?

Josh: Yep, you too?

Wilder: Yeah. What are you doing?

Josh: Staring at my room ceiling and contemplating my life choices. Abe's asleep or I would have invited him to play Minecraft. You?

Wilder: Making chilli.

Josh: I'm sure it will turn out great. I'mma steal some pills to induce my slumber cause I need it. Good luck, Eli. 

Reading this very simple text makes me smile. I'm still smiling six hours later when I turn off the stove and text Josh a picture of the chilli I have made.

Boring as it was, this chapter is important to the development of the friendship between Wilder and Josh. Anyway, I hope you liked it. Please comment.

~Bye.