I may never know what fueled my actions as they came in the great heaving bursts that they did. I took my focus off of Erick and threw the car into reverse. While I spun around to see where I was going I stepped on the gas. The tires spun and the car fishtailed around. I shifted the car into drive and I could see Erick buckling his seat belt from the corner of my eye. I didn’t worry about any cars being on the Boulevard at this time of night so the car also fishtailed out of the driveway to the bus station. When the car straightened out I could see the taillights of the black truck at a red light. I was gunning it to keep up with the mysterious driver. I held the steering wheel with my thighs as I buckled my seat belt, but just as I did, the black truck made an abrupt right turn. I saw another set of headlights opposite us on the Boulevard; I just kept saying to myself, “Please don’t be a cop, please don’t be a cop, PLEASE…”
We fishtailed down Henry Avenue, a narrow street with lots of cars parked on either side. We kept a straight course but the truck driver was swinging his truck back and forth and stepping on the brakes on and off. He was playing with us. I looked over at Erick who was focused on the road, he saw me looking at him and tightened his body as he very sharply pointed forward to redirect my attention. The bright red taillights of the Chevy –I could identify the make by the large logo on the tailgate that I was now ever so close to- almost rested atop my hood, and they would have had I not stepped on the brakes. We could hear loud bass coming from the truck. As we came to nearly a complete stop the truck’s tires screeched fiercely, spitting dirt and smoke only visible by the yellow street lamps, as it spun into an almost ninety degree angle turn into an alley. We followed it down the narrow, unmaintained, hardly paved path. For the most part, the truck driver did a very good job about avoiding trash cans, using very well timed slaloming. I just tried to do my best as far as staying directly behind him. Needless to say, some trashcans and piles of junk were either smashed or knocked over.
At the end of the alley was Jupiter Avenue, a road somewhat wider that Henry but pack with middle class housing. The driver stepped on the gas once he saw that the road was wide enough for him to drift from the alley. The smoke from the tires enhanced the beams from the taillights. The truck took off down the curvy avenue, at this point I knew I would not be able to keep up but I would try. The wide curves of the avenue forced me to keep my eyes on the road rather than on the truck. The more curves we rounded the less visible the truck became until eventually I didn’t know whether it had turned or if it was still on the same road. I eased off of the gas and slowed to average driving speed. I felt frustrated, but as I pulled up to a stop sign I noticed that something was slightly off. Suddenly the brilliant red tail lights that I had been chasing for some twenty minutes now appeared from the darkness. I stepped on the brakes just in time to not slam into the rear of the truck.
The adrenaline came back just as it had faded. Erick and I sat in silence behind the truck as it… just sat there at the intersection. We could hear the loud heavy motor of the lifted truck over my own. An arm reached from the driver’s window. The arm was a black man’s arm, and it wasn’t scrawny either. A piece of paper fell to the ground as the hand of the arm opened up. The truck took off with staggering acceleration without spinning the wheels but a little bit.
I got out and walked to the front of my car where the paper had landed. As I crouched down to pick it up I saw Erick from my peripherals. I stood up and unfolded a sheet of paper. Erick stepped over to me to read over my shoulder.
