Chapter 2 Part 1

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The car trundled along with a new wheel, axle, and words of wisdom they'd not understood, at all. It didn't matter, cards were swiped, insurance paid.

It left a rather despondent mother, cruising at a newly cautious speed.

Mansfield Metro welcomed them. A city so filled with structures it spilled into itself.

The massive tilt of the land made the Jet-black skyscrapers surround the car like a hug. The entire city was carved into Mansfield Mountain, which was in the shadow of the far larger mountain, the Bolton M.

Massive metal pillars reaching into infinity lined the streets to compensate. They glowed, soft and dim, but in their thousands, the combined light shone like a beacon.

Griff snored, his legs on the dashboard, his chair fully reclined, forcing Kate behind her mom.

Before the city's 'hug' was an air freighter where hover jets rose constantly. A ten-lane road opened into a massive circle with as many exits. They spun around it, the late night leaving them with a dozen cars to contend with as they spiralled to the centre.

"Food?" Mother asked.

"Sure, I'm sugared out." Kate said, shaking a half empty bag of Jamal's Jumbo Jelly Snakes. It was one of the few consolations of road trips, the massive pre-buying of sugar. 

"I'm going to Uber." Mother said.

"Seriously mom?" Kate complained.

"Look, I'm tired and it's too dark to go around confused so yeah... We're going to rest and eat, and I'll think about the money another time."

"What an example. I am inspired." Kate said with a snort.

"I can still spank the shit out of you."

"Yeah, yeah. Just call the food."

The car turned towards the centre which looked like an airport with half a dozen cars creating small groups like puddles of vehicles. The directionals on the window led them to a pair of sleek sedans next to each other. She parked behind.

A few buttons were pressed on her mother's wrist, and metal rails rose around them.

"So…" Her mother began, the caution in the tone born of a concern. "Boys…"

Her mother began. Kate rolled her eyes, realizing where everything was going.

"Don't," Kate warned.

"You're fifteen."

"I'm actually sixteen, turning seventeen."

"Yes, darling, that's how the concept of time works." Her mother said, droll.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Are we going to talk about safe sex?" Their mother asked in the same tone a policeman would ask a car jacker: 'Can I help you' mid break in.

"Am I allowed to have sex?" Kate returned.

"You're not allowed to drive, but I bet if I offered the wheel, you'd take it. And I promise. Some boy out there is gonna make the offer. You're a cute girl, and this is a big city. If even 0,1% of boys pay attention, that's tens of thousands of boys. The idea that one won't hit you right in the heart means you're either an egomaniac or a frigid bitch. And you're too sweat and thoughtful to be any of that. But please baby. Your first thought should be no. That should be what you hold onto, no matter the pressure you're under. Because, it's like killing in a hunt. Once the first one's done. The rest become too easy. And you always remember the first."

"What are you most worried about? Me getting sick?"

"Nope, you've got health insurance. I'm worried about you creating life and then ending it. Which you WILL be doing! I'm not becoming a grandma. And, like losing your V card, you don't ever forget what happened. And when it comes to your V Card, don't lose it, give it away."

"Will you say this to Griff?" Kate asked.

"You think I haven't thought of that? Look at that boy, he's adorable and the way he eats… It's like he doesn't know the food on the plate is his so he just swallows it. There's no restraint!" She shook her head and sighed, "I plan on telling him every day! If you think I'm going to let him bring some other woman for us to look after. You're insane. She and Griff will be having an 'accident'."

That was funny enough to make Kate laugh.

A fourth car appeared, and the railing glowed. Snow shifted dramatically and soon all four cars were lifted by the hover jet leaving the city below.

A drone locked onto their window and their nostrils were drowned in red meat, fried onion and deep friend potato wedges no one considered to be chips. The heat was mouthwatering enough to wake Griff, he grabbed his bags like a blackout drunk.

"We there?" He garbled.

"Yeah, we've landed, sort of." She said as they started dropping into the roof of a parking lot.

Soon they were spinning down past Mansfield central and into a quiet suburb, the car quickly crossing large home after home. They got smaller, the closer to the mountain.

They stopped ahead of a five-floor home with a downwards sloping parking lot. The walk led to an elevator to a three-floor apartment. Theirs was the second floor, putting them in the middle of the middle.

The door opened to find furniture, a large passage and a collection of balloons spelling 'welcome' floating ahead, their helium weakened from time, and the weight of the many welcome cards. They were all bypassed, Kate entered her room and winked out of consciousness as she sunk into her bed.