“Nah, bro, I don’t do parties.”

A short sigh comes from the other side of the phone.

“Man, you don’t do anything. You aren’t going to Quin’s?”

I grip the phone, pondering my options. I could if I wanted. But it sounds like trouble. With parents who never come home because of work, it’s no problem to sneak out of the house. Cause of that reason, my friends bother me with random parties and celebrations. They were never for me, though.

“No. But you can come over to my place. I just got a new sports car,” I say while grinning.

I could basically sense the smirk on Jaiden’s face as I mentioned my shiny new Beamer. He falls silent for a second before speaking.

“You gotta point. How about we drive it around the city? Maybe throw some tp? Or some rocks?”

My expression sours. Is this dude for real? He can’t possibly live with himself unless he’s done something dumb. I’m mature enough to know that. I’m seventeen years old, living in Beverly Hills. My life is practically perfect. Why should I risk being arrested? None of my friends understand the gravity behind how spoiled we truly are. They think every kid lives with thousands of dollars in their bank account. Every kid has parents who are both still alive and thriving. It’s all fancy cars, diamonds, and parties. I never told them what my life was like before my family struck gold and won the lottery.

“Nah, just drive it around. And get something to eat,” I object casually.

Another sigh echoes from the other end of the phone. Around twenty minutes later, Jaiden rings my doorbell. I knew he couldn’t resist drifting in my car or doing donuts in parking lots. We greet each other with a made-up handshake.

“It’s cold as a motherfu-,”

“Aye, no cursing, man,” I interrupt with teasing intent.

He cringes with disbelief. “You aren’t my mom.”

I scoff at him. He can barely handle a joke. Leading him to the spacious garage, he lays eyes on my car. A smile develops on his lips; he looks like a child on Christmas. The polished, finished paint glistens under the artificial lighting. The piece of machinery is a stunner.

“Dang,” he glides his hand along the side, admiring every detail. “This is my kind of car right here.”

I shake my head. “Too bad it’s mine.”

Before I could say much more, he huddles into the driver’s seat, his body sinking into the cushioned leather seat. He extends his hand and snatches the keys from my hand. The engine roars as we accelerate from my house. I lean back in the passenger seat, preparing myself for what Jaiden might do.

“You wanna go to some restaurant?” He asks me as if he isn’t speeding.

“Heck nah. We’re going to In-N-Out.”

Jaiden nods, satisfied.

We zoom past neighborhoods, residential areas, and even our school. The Los Angeles skyline fades into view, the millions of lights illuminating the night. My hands accumulate sweat the second we enter traffic. Jaiden was maneuvering this thing like it’s a go-kart. The hum of the engine pollutes the city. We’re obnoxious. But it somehow feels liberating.

We park at In-N-Out. The best one in the city. The one beside the airport. Jaiden refused to even wait for me to slide out of the car. When I open the door, the aroma of fresh fries and burgers overwhelms my nose. It triggered my stomach. We both ordered and found a seat outside.

“Man, it’s cold. What time is it?”

I check my watch and answer. “Almost midnight.”

“Are they doing fireworks around here?”

I shrugged; my guess was no. They’d be in the airspace. The moment our food arrived, I dug in. It tasted amazing. I was so engrossed in the food that I jumped when a firework exploded in the sky. It startled me. Jaiden took a side glance at his phone screen, noticing what time it was.

“Happy New Year, man,” he exclaims.

I smile widely, “You too.”

I gazed at the firework explosion in the distance. They contrast against the hills and the buildings, making for a nice view of the city.