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Andre had dealt with going out in the middle of the night, per Cal's request. He'd put up with listening to the poem the other delivered with dead eyes and a voice quivering out of thinly concealed giddiness. He'd tolerated the blonde dodging questions as he stuffed the poem scrawled paper into his mouth, maybe hoping to make him laugh. Andre didn't. Junked up on adrenaline from being on stage and showing off his nihilistic poem, Cal poked fun at the new duo on stage preforming their own poetry. Andre had already been nervous receiving attention from Cal's little show, and that anxiety quickly mounted as the other seemed keen on making enemies. Andre dragged Cal out of the open mic place after a quick apology, and into the muggy low lit night. Cars flew by, illuminating the road with their headlights. The two argued over the camera, Andre trying to make him take it but inevitably losing to Cal's childish stubbornness. He shut it off for a moment as Cal sat on a little brick wall by the building. Andre stood in aggravated silence for a moment, fidgeting uselessly with the camera as his anxiety boiled over into frustration. Why could Cal never just stick to his plans? He seemed to take enjoyment out of fucking things up. The blonde glanced at him a few times from where he was perched, toying with the piece of paper he'd previously bitten and was now rolling up. "I didn't think it'd be that big a deal." He eventually spoke up. Andre huffed. "Yeah, well, you don't seem to think at all."
Before Cal could reply, the two guys from the open mic place came out, this time with a third. Andre bristled. "You thought that was fuckin hilarious, huh?" One asked and shoved Cal, who had just stood up and didn't have time to react. "Dude, geez!" Andre exclaimed, trying to catch Cal with his free arm as he bumped into him. He bumped the record button on the camrecorder a few times during the scrimmage. Cal recovered and went for the other guy, trying to get a punch in but really just tussling with him until the guy tripped and hit the brick wall. His buddy fought Cal off while Andre froze up, eyeing the third guy in case he tried to join in. However, it seemed the guy was just as wary of joining as Andre was.
Eventually Cal stumbled away, walking backwards with his eyes fixed on the three boys and a wry smile on his smug face. "Hey, come back!" One taunted. "Bring it!" Andre snarked despite having contributed nothing to the fight. "Fuck you!" Was their last intelligent addition to the conversation. "C'mon, let's just go back to the car." Andre said, realizing the camera was still rolling and turning it off. Waste of damn tape. They walked in mostly silence, crossing the street and almost getting hit. Andre could tell Cal was pleased with himself and it pissed him off. Once they were in the parking lot again Andre made Cal take the camera, not taking no for an answer this time as he turned it on. "Dude, it was awesome." He laughed lightly, high off his own carelessness. "How many times do I have to explain this shit to you before you fucking understand?" Andre snapped back, clearly not laughing. "Im sorry lieutenant!" The blonde insisted as he recorded Andre, who fumbled his keys out of his pocket. "Quit rolling the seat forward when you get out of the fucking car." Andre began to complain about random things for a few moments as Cal got in. Eventually Andre sat with his head back against the headrest, thinking over the predicament as his anger fizzling back down to anxiety. Cal felt like a child with a disappointment parent as he was given the silent treatment. He caught Andre's dimly lit side profile on the viewfinder. Then he smirked and piped up. "Forgive me for speaking so bluntly, sir-" Andre interrupted him before he could continue his mockery. "And stop talking like you're in the fucking military..." He sighed loudly, tapping the steering wheel with his palm as he sat up again. Cal only half listened as Andre began a messy spiel about teachers and counseling and parents tightening down, watching the brunet hit his steering wheel much harder this time. He cooled off. "Now what?" Andre's voice was flat but much less aggressive, looking over to meet Cal's blue eyes. "Where d'you wanna go, what d'you wanna do?" Cal shrugged. "We're done." Was his quiet statement. There was a flicker of worry in Andre's dark eyes. "So.." he began. "We're done here or 'we're done' we're done we're done?" Cal smiled a bit in an exasperated way. "Here- okay, start the- start the- start the car..." Andre obeyed, leaning forwards to turn the key shoved into the ignition. "Pull up to the exit." Another calmly given instruction obeyed by Andre. "Okay, ready? I want you to..." Andre's head swiveled around to watch his surroundings as he pulled up to the exit. "Close your eyes." Cal decided, keen eyes fixed on Andre and waiting with amusement to see if he'd do it. He knew he would. "Okay.." Andre replied apprehensively, closing them, only to open again as Cal continued. "And drive. Go." Andre finally laughed, rewarding Cal with a swell of self satisfaction. "You're just gonna tell me where to go?" He asked, skeptical. "Yeah. Do it. Go." Cal was grinning. "Close your eyes." He leaned closer against the center console, his shoulder brushing Andre's as he continued recording. He vigilantly gave verbal directions for the boy to follow as he drove, insisting he go along with his game and keep his eyes closed. They were both smiling stupidly, Cal's previous sins forgiven in the wake of folly.
"Which way?"
"Uhh, left."
Andre switched on the soft "tick-tick" of the turn signal. They were out of the parking lot now, down the road and heading home to their neighborhood. More verbal directions from Cal as Andre began to laugh openly. "So fucking crazy..." He expressed, head tilting back again. Cal switched off the camrecorder. Andre's laughter made him feel something warm and stupid in his chest, he wanted that for himself. Not for CNN or Wolf Blitzer. "Ok, keep them closed though." Cal said, not wanting to let go of the control he held in the moment. Andre did, still smiling but more subtly now. The glowy street lights bathed Andre's side profile in gold flickers. "I don't think those kids go to our school. And I don't think they care about my poem anyways." Cal told him, knowing he'd be thinking about it for the next few days. Andre's smile faded down to nothing. he gave a brief scrunch of his nose as he thought. "Just- keep giving me, y'know..keep telling me where to go, man." Was Andre's response. "You're just going straight for now." Cal watched how Andre's hand gripped the steering wheel, fingers flexed and palms firm in their hold. Cal slid his thumb over the sleek metal of the camrecorder in thought. "Did you like it though?" He found himself seeking compliments from Andre regarding his poem. Andre knew what he wanted without elaboration. "Yeah, I did. You're good." He said. Cal was glad Andre didn't see the dark little smile that spread of his face. "Okay, take a right here. Slow."