Part 434: Collison Course

January 12th, 2010


Eddie awaited his ice coffee at the counter of the Jittery Joe’s coffee shop. The young man briefly turned back toward his companions. At the far corner, among the other patrons was Bonnie, Maddie and Tristan. They were laughing about something but Eddie was beyond ear-shot to know what that could have been. After a few weeks of hanging out together, they were becoming closer to a inner circle of friends. Eddie smirked for a bit at the thought of such thing.

Because it reminded him of Mia’s Brat Pack.

“I guess something things come full circle.” He whispered.

“What did you say, man?” the coffee shop clerk said as he handed him his iced coffee.

“Nothing,” he replied, flopping a dollar in the tip jar, “Just talking to myself. Thanks.”

Eddie strode through the crowd of high schoolers as they talked among themselves. After weeding through them, he took his seat next to Bonnie. The redhead smiled at her boyfriend, leaning up a bit, then leaning back into him as sat down on the loveseat with her. “I heard you guys laughing from the counter,” he said, sipping his coffee drink, “What did I miss?”

“Oh, nothing.” Tristan snickered.

“It doesn’t sound like nothing,” the young man kicked the table to nudge his best friend’s leg, “Why do I get the feeling I am at the butt end of a joke?”

“And what a cute butt it is.” Bonnie giggled.
“Tristan was telling us a story about when you two were 13 years old. Something about defeating a vampire?”

“Oh, man!” Eddie said, closing his eyes, “Why the hell did you bring up that story, Tristan?”

“Because it’s my favorite one!” the Japanese teenager laughed.

“Eddie, what is Tristan talking about?” his girlfriend asked.

“You’re going to pay for this, dude,” he smirked at his best friend as he understood, he wasn’t going to get out of NOT telling the story, “Tristan and I became friends around the same age at 13, competing the same Jeet Kune Do classes. As we became friends, one Halloween he invited me to a haunted house at a Carnival. We walked in and this guy in a vampire suit jumps down, scares the crap out of me-“

“And he knocks him out!” Tristan burst out laughing, “ONE PUNCH!”

“Oh, my God,” Maddie laughed, covering her mouth with her hands.

“Whoa,” Bonnie said, rubbing his chest, “How many girls can say their boyfriends knocked out a vampire and be telling the truth about it?”

“You silly thing,” Eddie said, kissing her on the cheek.


Afterwards it became time for them to head home. The group stepped out into the cold January air. Bonnie tucked her jacket inward as Maddie stood by her side. Eddie patted her on the arm. “I’ll get Turk,” he said,” Be right back.”

“Okay,” she winked.

“Uh, Tristan?” Maddie said.

“Yeah?” the Asian looked at her, as he stepped off the sidewalk.

“Would you . . .would you give me a lift home?” she said, with a bright smile.

The Japanese teenager was a little taken back by the abrupt request. However, he admitted he was started to like Maddie as they continued to hang out. Plus, it had always been just them four, not alone. He figured this would be a good time to get to know her better. “Uh . .sure,” he smiled, shrugging his shoulders, “I’ll . . .get my car.”

“Cool,” she giggled.

Tristan walked toward his car in the parking log. Bonnie crossed her arms to keep warm and then looked at her best friend. “What’s up, Maddie?” she asked.

“What do you mean?” she said with an innocent look.

“Not that I mind you hanging out with Tristan . .but why not let me and Eddie take you home since you arrived with us?”

“I’m glad you don’t mind me hanging out with Tristan because if I am successful, I’ll be hanging out with Tristan more.”

“Maddie . . .are you . .gonna put the moves on Tristan?” the redhead giggled.

“Yes.” She said without hesitation.

“You are so bad!” she laughed as her and her friend briefly hugged.

“You got a great guy in Eddie, Bonnie,” her friends as she started to walk toward Tristan’s vehicle, “and since he doesn’t have a brother . . .I’ll take his best friend.”

Bonnie just shook her head in amazement. Tristan leaned over and unlocked the door for her. Maddie quickly got in and closed the door; flashing her eyebrows at the redhead. As they drove away, Eddie finally brought Turk up to the curb so she could get in. Bonnie opened the door and slid on the half cold vinyl seats. “Tristan decided to give Maddie a ride?” Eddie asked.

“Actually, she is the one who suggested it,” Bonnie giggled, “He simply agreed.”

“That’s interesting . . .I wasn’t aware they were getting closer.”

“Oh, they are not,” the redhead gave a smirk, “But if Maddie has her way . . .they will be.”

“Oooooooh,” Eddie laughed, “Man, he is in TROUBBLLLEEEE.”



The road back toward Bonnie’s house was near Eddie’s. The young man decided to take the scenic route to spend more time with his girlfriend. Bonnie didn’t mind. She rested her head on his shoulder as he wrapped her arms around his chest. He kept one arm around her and the other hand on the steering wheel. He gently stroked her hair as he kept his eyes on the near empty road in front of him; headlines shining the way. “What are you thinking about?” he whispered to her.

“Honestly?” she leaned up with a smile.

“Uh . .yeah.” he chuckled.

“Prom.” She admitted.

“Prom?” he laughed, “That’s over five months away!”

“I’m just imagining what our prom picture will be like.”

“Well . .I’m sure I’ll be dressed in a tuxedo, like a young James Bond,” he said, “And you? You’ll have your hair done up and be dressed in a light blue dress, just like Cinderella.”

“Does that you my prince charming?” she smiled.

“Yes it does and I promise you, Turk won’t turn into a pumpkin at Midnight.”

The young couple laughed. Eddie felt blessed that he had Bonnie by his side. He loved her deeply and was thankful she came into his life. He often wondered why he had the feeling that he met her before but like his friends keeping telling him; he must trust in Fate. Eddie then casually blinked into the rearview mirror. He then quickly looked back and saw a fast approaching pair of headlights. The young could tell from their speed and the sound of the engine is that the car was on a direct collision course. “I guess I’m thinking of Prom because I’ve been in a romantic moo-“ Bonnie tried to say before Eddie grabbed the steering wheel and lurched the into the other lane; forcing the car to scrape up against them.

Bonnie screamed at the noise of the scrape. Several bits of red plastic flew up around the car’s windshield. Eddie looked at the car as it screeched to a haul as they past it. Then it began up again and tried to ram them. The young man floored the accelerator on his muscle car, sending it down the street in a rush. “STRAP IN!” Eddie screamed as he clicked on his seat belt.

Bonnie grunted as she quickly got the seatbelt out. Eddie shifted the gears on Turk as they started to scream down the street faster. He kept his eyes on the rearview mirror as the vehicle sped along to keep up. The redhead tried to stay calm but she was so upset she was crying. “Who is that?” she cried, “what do they want?”

“I don’t know but they are suicidal.” Eddie held both hands onto the steering wheel.

“Wha . .what do you mean?” she asked.

“He’s in a Dodge Viper. It’s mostly made of plastic,” he grunted as the vehicle rammed them again, “Turk is a Chevy Nova, made fully of metal.”

Bonnie looked back and saw what Eddie meant. The newer car was falling apart at the seems but all Turk was getting was a few dents. Then as the car pasted under a few streets light; the inner part of the Viper was illuminated and she got her first look at the driver who seemed hell bent on wrecking them. “OH, MY GOD!” she screamed, “EDDIE! IT’S BRIAN!”

Eddie flashed his head back toward the driver saw it for himself. It was Brian Sage, the quarterback he beat up a few months ago for the snide comment he made about Jilly. Eddie felt he deserved it but now, Brian seemed eager to kill him. Or himself, he couldn’t tell which. Brian then jerked the Viper and rammed them into the guard rail near an embankment. Eddie screamed in defiance as small amounts of sparks were flying up from the side of the Turk they screeched on the metal. Bonnie was screaming for it to end and Eddie knew he had too. He looked over toward Brian who was holding the steering wheel as hard as he could toward the right. The young man looked ahead at the trees and saw his ultimate goal.

Shove them down the embankment and hope they get severely hurt in the process.

“Bonnie!” Eddie said, taking her hand, “HOLD ON!

The girl grabbed his hand and squeezed it. She knew he would do every he could to protect her. Eddie glanced back at Brian , who was laughing as they got closer to the end of the guard rail. The young man tilted Turk into the guard rail, giving into the momentum and causing Brian to jerk his vehicle. Then Eddie slammed both feet into his brake pedal, making the Nova stop in a dead lurch. Bonnie grunted as she was rammed forward but the seat belt held her back. The surge of momentum made the Viper screech it’s tires and hit the ledge of the guard rail first. As it did, it then twisted on it’s back access and tumbled down the side of the embankment.

Eddie leaned up enough to see the Viper go careening toward the trees. It twisted over and over, finally colliding with a tree. The young man then immediately checked on his girlfriend. Bonnie was more scared out of her wits than actually hurt. He held her in his arms as she wept heavily; with a tight grip on his arm. He stroked her hair, kissing her forehead. “You’re okay, Bonnie. You’re okay,” he whispered, “Please don’t move, I’ll be right back.”

“What?” she gasped, “Where are you going?”

“I gotta get Brian.”

Bonnie was in total disbelief as she watched her boyfriend leave the vehicle and then start scrambling down the hill to get the man who just tried to kill them. The redhead got out of the vehicle and looked into the distance. Eddie was stumbling down toward the crushed Viper in the hope that Brian was alive. She smiled as the tears ran down her face. Any other man would have let the person that tried to kill them rot. However, that wouldn’t be Eddie. That wouldn’t be how he was raised. It definitely wouldn’t be who he truly was. She wiped her tears, marveling how much he truly was her own Prince Charming.

Eddie landed on his knees as he finally got to the Viper. He opened up the door and saw Brian hang from his seat belt. He was bleeding badly as he had multiple cuts across his arms and face. There was a large amount of blood seeping from the dashboard as he hung upside. Eddie immediately guessed his leg was broke. “Brian, unhook your belt.” He told him.

“Uh . .?” he stuttered.

“Unhook your damn belt and I’ll pull you out!” he screamed at him.

Brian winced as he reached up and pressed the red tap on the seatbelt. The moment he did, he dropped and screamed in agony. Eddie grabbed his wrists and began to pull him out. The quarterback was continuing to scream as the young man pulled him up the hill. “I’LL KILL YOU, TRASCAL!” he screamed.

“YOU AND WHAT ARMY, YOU DUMB BASTARD???” Eddie screamed back.

“You never should have beaten me up!”

“You never should have insulted my sister!” Eddie screamed as he finally hoisted him up into a fireman’s cradle.

“Nobody will talk to me!” he screamed and the started crying, “My girlfriend dumped me! My friends think I am weak! You ruined my life!”

“Your life was already on the verge of ruin!” Eddie grunted as they got closer to the top of the embankment, “I only sped it up.”

“You got everything, and I got nothing!” he cried.

“How kind of you to notice!” Eddie said with a bit of a laugh as he dumped him on the side of the road.

Eddie then looked at his mangled leg, seeing how bad it was. The young man then removed Brian’s belt with a fast motion and then flipped it around it leg. He pulled it through the buckle and locked it, creating a tourniquet. He stood up and looked down at the weeping, bleeding quarterback. “I hate you.” He cried.

“Good news then, Brian,” he wiped his sweat, “I hate you right back.”

Eddie began walking over toward Bonnie who ran toward him. The young couple embraced. She laughed and cried at the same type; watching the young man’s sense of nobility and honor get displayed right before her eyes. “You are amazing.” She told him.

“No,” Eddie chuckled, “I’m better than that.”

He kissed her gently, to assure her everything was going to be okay. She held onto him, as he reached into his jacket to get his cell phone to dial 911. The redhead looked at the weeping quarterback, as he seemed more upset that Eddie saved him; rather than his mangled right leg. “Is Brian going to make it?” she asked.

“Yeah, he’ll make it,” Eddie said, trying to get a clear signal, “I don’t know about his prospects of football though.”

“Why did he try to kill us?”

“Because he said I ruin his life.”

“How stupid!” she scoffed.

“Stupid is as stupid does, sweetie,” he said, waiting for the operator to answer.

“He tried to kill us and you pulled him from the wreckage,” she smiled, “You are the better man, Eddie.”

Eddie smiled down at her. He was so happy she was all right. She got a little shook up but coincidentally, watching him rescue Brian made her feel even better. He had hoped little adventures like this would stop. The young man was just glad that technically all of them came out in one piece. Then abruptly, the Viper blew up. Bonnie squeaked as she held onto Eddie, seeing the red Dodge go up in flames. A piece of metal flew through the air and slammed into the ground about ten feet from them. The engine piece was poking out of the ground; it back end on flames like an ancient arrow used in combat.

“Well, Dang,” Eddie sighed, “We ain’t got any marshmallows.”