Chapter Text
“So… you in?” Deran glanced over at his friend who was staring back at him somewhat wide-eyed. He waited a few seconds but got no response. “Well?” he huffed impatiently “Yes or no man?”
Adrian shook his head at him “You want me to drop everything and go to Belize? Tomorrow? That’s crazy even for you.”
He was right, it was a bit crazy, but Deran had had enough of Smurf and her constant demands. He needed to chill out somewhere far away. He’d always wanted to try out the surf in Belize, some guy he met at the board shop one day had raved about it, and it was far enough away that if Smurf found out where he was, she wouldn’t bother sending Baz to drag him back. “Come on. It’ll be fun. The other guys are down... We’re just waiting on you.”
Adrian flung his arms out “And how am I meant to pay for a flight? Have you thought about any of that?”
Deran hadn’t really. At all. He knew where Smurf kept her stashes around the house so he was intending to raid one in the night and buy a ticket at the airport. There were three flights from LAX the next day and he just figured they’d get on one of them.
“Its cool, I can cover it.”
Adrian snorted and shook his head again “Smurf is just going to hand you over the money to run off to Belize?” When Deran didn’t answer he rolled his eyes “No she’s not is she? You’re going to take it without telling her. No way man.”
Deran felt something curl up in his stomach. This was not how it was meant to go. He needed Adrian to agree to come. He wasn’t entirely sure why it was so important… but it was. Ox and Colby, they were fine, they’d have a good time… but Adrian had to come too. He had to.
“Okay … fine… we’ll drive then.”
“It’s a four-day drive Deran”
“Yeah that’s cool. I’m not in a rush. We can take the surfboards down, it will actually be better.”
Adrian ran his hands through his hair “Aaaah…. I don’t know”
This was good. This was Adrian starting to back down. Deran knew the signs - he almost had him.
“We can surf all day, party all night. No work, no Smurf, no family shit.”
Adrian was silent for a moment and then sighed “Let me think about it okay?”
Deran huffed out a breath and shrugged “Fine, but think quick yeah? Tomorrow.” He tapped Adrian quickly on the arm and made his way back out to the scout, nodding at Adrian’s roommate as he passed him at the entrance. He was pretty sure he had him, his friend’s ‘think about its’ were usually just a way of being stubborn and not giving in too quickly.
Sure enough two hours later Deran’s phone buzzed with a text
ADRIAN; Okay, I’m in. You’re driving though
Instantly Deran felt the knot that had been sitting in his stomach unfurl. He pushed aside the questions about why that was and what it meant and went to subtly pack some stuff.
The next morning he text the guys telling them to be ready to leave from the beach carpark at 8am. He was tired, having been up all night with Ox acquiring some essentials, but the thought of spending the next few weeks away from Smurf and all her shit was giving him adrenaline to run on.
Adrian turned up with his board and duffle bag at 7.57am. Always early. He looked at Deran and then moved his gaze to the jeep already holding Deran’s stuff, and then to the one next to it.
“Where did they come from?”
“Uh… I found them?” Deran replied with a smirk.
“Great so we’re going over the border in stolen cars. That’s bound to end well.”
Deran’s smirk grew in size “relax will you, I changed the plates already, we’ll be fine.”
Adrian rolled his eyes and threw his bag onto the back seat only then noticing what was on it. He rounded on Deran “Seriously? A stolen car AND a fucking gun?”
Deran moved to pick up the gun and stashed it under the driver’s seat “We’re driving through Mexico man, better to be safe than sorry. Your pale ass will stand out a mile.”
Adrian muttered something about Deran being unbelievable but climbed into the passenger side. Ox and Colby arrived and packed up the other jeep. Deran had thought about just stealing one, but there was no way they would fit all their boards and bags in with four of them. He was also looking forward to spending the drive with Adrian, not that he’d tell him that of course.
When Deran climbed into the driver’s side he looked across at his friend “Okay, you good?”
“Just drive man, before I change my mind.”