A Hero for the Night

My heartbeat rang loud in my ears as silence filled the other end of the line. I pulled my phone back from my ear and saw that the connection had been lost due to a lack of service. Tears welled in my eyes as I started to panic. What was I going to do? I held my phone up to the sky in a desperate attempt to pick up a signal. I scoffed at myself. This is what all of the desolate characters abandoned in the middle of nowhere would do in the movies. I was better than this. I knew waving my phone in the air would only be in vain. Yet, I still found myself taking several steps in every direction just to make sure I couldn’t get a bar anywhere. Sure enough, it was to no use. Now, not only was I standing in the pouring rain next to a car with only three wheels intact, but I had no way to call anyone to come get me. 

Headlights beamed in my direction and I hoped that the tears on my cheeks looked like raindrops. Relief overcame me when the lights passed me by, only highlighting myself and my misery for a moment. I pulled my rain coat’s hood more snugly onto my head. Why do I even bother? I was dripping wet from head to toe, and my jeans clung to my body so tightly I wondered if I would need scissors to remove them. I kept my arms crossed over my chest as I quickly stomped my way through the puddles to the driver’s side of the car. Chills went up my spine as cold water seeped its way into my rain boots and took hold of my unsuspecting socks. I closed my eyes. I knew I should’ve bought those pair of rain boots I saw on sale last week. Mine had had holes in them for as long as I could remember, but for some reason, I resisted throwing them away. Brandon had told me I had a hoarding problem, which I had strongly disagreed with at the time. He had no problem tossing out old clothes or birthday cards from ages past. He saw no sentimental value in things that didn’t serve a purpose anymore. I, on the other hand, must hold on to every little trinket and gadget I have ever owned. They each mean something unique to me or remind me of a memory of days that are long gone. Sometimes, they don’t even hold a memory, but a feeling. A feeling once felt long ago, something I can’t put into words. But it’s there, and the feeling is as real as this uncomfortable sensation down in my boots. 

I slid into the driver’s seat and gripped the steering wheel with both hands. I clenched my eyes shut as I laid my forehead in between my hands. Tears streamed down my face as a quiet sob escaped my lips. I could do it. I could fix it with Brandon. I had said some horrible things, but getting over hurt feelings isn’t something we haven’t done before. I just needed to figure out a way to get out of this situation so I could meet up with him and tell him how sorry I was. I sat back in my seat and looked around my car. There wasn’t much in here, I liked to keep it that way. I checked my phone again just in case a miracle from above decided to come down in the form of cell phone service. Sure enough, still no bars. I clenched my phone in my hand and threw it in the passenger’s seat. My fists beat against my temples as I urged myself to think. My heart beat against my chest as another wave of tears welled up within me. How had I gotten into this situation? Why was I so idiotic to drive all the way out here by myself? Of course, these questions were purely rhetorical, and I was perfectly aware of how my self-destructive tendencies led to my current predicament. 

I took a deep breath in, held it for a couple of seconds, and released it slowly. I was going to be okay. Brandon and I were going to be okay. We had been down this path before, and we made it just fine. I just needed to figure out a way to get to him and make this all go away. First and foremost, I needed a phone to call Jessica back. I was just about to tell her my location when the connection had been lost. I closed my eyes as I replayed the conversation in my head. I had stupidly been so hung up on the reason why I had to call her instead of Brandon that I didn’t cut to the chase and tell her I needed help. She probably didn’t even understand half of what I said as I babbled between tears. My eyes opened with refound determination. I could do this. I took another deep breath and wiped the final tears from my cheeks. I reached over to grab my phone before sticking it in my backpack and grabbing the door handle. Cold rain pelted my face as I pushed the door open and stepped back out into the flooded shoulder. No cars had passed in a while, but maybe I could flag the next one down. I knew taking a ride from a stranger could be dangerous, but I didn’t have much of a choice. I was miles away from any civilization or payphone. I hadn’t driven on this road often, but I knew enough to know I had picked the worst spot to blow a tire.

I slung the backpack straps over my shoulders and locked my car as I started to shuffle my way down the side of the road. I could practically hear Brandon making a sarcastic remark of how futile it was to lock a car with nothing in it and only three working tires. The corners of my lips lifted as I orchestrated a fake joking argument between us in my head. He would have looked at me with his big green eyes and his smile would have shown off his slightly crooked teeth. I would have lovingly shoved him and told him how much I didn’t appreciate his sarcasm. Then we would’ve kept on walking together down this flooded and curvy road. We might’ve even held hands, but usually, we didn’t do stuff like that. Brandon said couples who are too clingy in public have something to prove to the rest of the world, but we didn’t. We were rock solid.

Bright headlights snapped me out of my fantasy world and I quickly turned around and started waving my arms. Is this what I was supposed to do? I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to make the classic hitchhiker’s thumb or if that was just a thing from the movies as well. I flailed my arms about as I tried to get the driver’s attention. Please don’t be a serial killer, please don’t be a serial killer. My heart sank a little as the car drove past. I kept walking as I glared at the car’s rear. Jerk. Maybe next time I would try the thumb thing. 

It’s probably a good thing that my phone call with Jessica got caught off, I needed time to process everything that had happened. I really only called her because I needed someone to talk to after me and Brandon’s big fight. It seemed like she knew something was wrong before I even mentioned his name, but I guess that’s what happens when you’re friends with someone since elementary school. They start to know you better than you even know yourself, and they can tell instinctively when something is off. The rumble of a car behind me caught my attention, and my heart leaped inside my chest as I saw a car that resembled Brandon’s. I caught my breath as the car passed and realized I had forgotten to extend my thumb. The car had passed so quickly I couldn’t tell if it was him or not, but reason started to take over as I reminded myself that Brandon’s house was almost an hour away and that he never came in this direction. I was just being obsessive. I needed to chill and just focus on getting a lift to the nearest gas station or payphone. I shoved my hands in my raincoat’s pockets and made my way down the dark and ill-lit road. I had left directly from Brandon’s house when I drove my car down this road in an attempt to try and clear my head. Being pretty hot-headed, I always needed time to cool down after our arguments. At the time, driving down this road had seemed like a good idea. I grimaced as my drenched socks squished in my boots. Wonderful idea.

I checked my phone that still claimed “No Service” at the top. I stopped in my tracks. Over an hour had passed by. Had I really been walking for that long? Just then, a car rounded the corner and slowly approached where I stood. My heart beat fast as the passenger side window rolled down and a woman in the driver’s seat leaned towards me. “Are you okay?” she asked. Her brown ponytail exposed her soft face and large hoop earrings. She had kind eyes that looked genuinely worried.

“Um, yes. I’m okay. I just need a lift, I blew my tire out a ways back.” I answered nervously. 

“Get in,” she said as she reached over to unlock the passenger door. “If you’re comfortable with it, that is.”

I hesitated for a second before pulling on the handle and climbing in. I really didn’t have much of a choice, it had been a while since the last car had passed by and nightfall was approaching fast. “Is there a gas station nearby that you can take me to?” I asked as she pulled back in between the lanes.

“There’s a diner up ahead. It’s nothing fancy, but they’ve got nice staff and good coffee. Can I take you there and buy you dinner?” She glanced my way as we made our way down the dark and winding road.

“Uh, no, that’s okay. Thank you, though. I really just need somewhere I can make a phone call and wait for my friend.” I looked out the window, hoping the diner would appear soon. This lady seemed nice enough, but I wasn’t stupid. I had seen the movies.

“Are you sure? I really don’t mind. Good grief, you’re soaking wet! You poor kid, you sure you don’t want me to go in with you? I’m friends with the owner, Earl. Just tell him Delilah sent you and you need to borrow his phone. I’d offer you mine but the signal is pretty spotty out here. You’re better off using his landline.”

I nodded my head and smiled at her. She was trying to help me. As much as I appreciated her kindness, relief swept over me as my eyes spotted lighting from the diner in the distance. As the diner grew in size, I read the sign: Earl’s Diner. Creative.

I thanked Delilah as she dropped me off in the small gravel parking lot. I felt a little bad I had gotten her seat all wet, but the excitement of being inside a nice warm diner propelled me forward in my mission without looking back. The car that resembled Brandon’s caught the corner of my eye at the far side of the parking lot. I took a double-take as I opened the door to enter, but didn’t have a chance to analyze the situation before a round balding man with a greasy apron asked me if I’d like to try their pie of the day. With a couple of questions, I discovered that this man was Earl and he would be very much obliged to let me use his phone. I guess he had seen me slightly shivering because he told me he’d be right back with a warm cup of coffee before taking me back to his landline. I thanked him before he disappeared behind the swinging doors.

I blew air into my cold hands as I tried to get warm. I then realized my hood was still over my head, so I removed it before taking a couple of steps towards the barstool I had been eying. However, before I could even complete those four steps to the checkered metal stool, I stopped dead in my tracks. My gaze rested on big green eyes and slightly crooked teeth. However, instead of being exposed by a smile, they were exposed by a look of astonishment. A couple of words were whispered and the person sitting across from him turned in the booth they both occupied. I felt my own jaw drop at the sight. My love, my Brandon, sat across from the very person I was about to call to come get me and save me from my horrible situation. The person I thought would always be there for me no matter what. Just then, Earl swung through the doors with a steaming cup of coffee. "Call Delilah," I told him. "I need a new hero for the night."