The Ride Home Chapter 1

	Royal Woods is larger than most people seem to think. And like any other town, they can get dangerous if they are out too late. Of course, Mano wasn’t worried about trouble from the streets, but trouble from his parents. He knew that skating to the edge of town was a bad idea, yet he still went for it, and now, he was gonna pay the price when he got home.

‘It’s getting really late… still got about 4 miles to go, and I need to be home in 10 minutes… I’m so dead.’ Mano trudged down the sidewalk, feet screaming in exhaustion. Even for a town in the northern end of the US, it was hot as heck.

‘You know what, if i’m gonna get in trouble, I might as well do it rested.’ and with that, he plopped down on the sidewalk, no longer having the energy to walk. ‘Maybe if I tell them that I was at the skate park all day, they’ll be more lenient. I mean, it shouldn’t be closed yet…’

People WERE still out and about at the time, the occasional old couple walking down the street, and other people just going about their day. An excuse like that COULD work… but then again, his mom was a genius that would be able to detect a lie from 5 miles away, so it was a moot point.

As Mano was mulling over his odds of getting out of trouble, he was interrupted by the sound of tires hitting the brakes in front of him. He looked up, trying to see who stopped, when he noticed a familiar scooter, and a much more familiar person. It was the pizza boy, Langston.

“You seem tired.” He simply said, his signature bored look still permeated on his face. Seriously, does he ever change his face? Shaking his head, Mano answered: “Yeah, I am. What’s the haps pizza dude?”

“Nothing at all. Though I’ll ask: do you need a ride?”

Mano didn’t even need to think about it, he stood up, and walked up to Langston. “Dude, you’ve just saved my life. Yeah, I need a ride home.” Even though the scooter was tiny, he still had ample room to sit, though he did have to grab onto Langston a little more for security.

As Langston started to go down the street, Mano started to think about the one he was currently riding with. Just how much DID he know about the older boy? He was the pizza boy, yes, but that’s about it. They aren’t really friends, but he’s nice to him as if they’ve been for a long time. He doesn’t know why, but he trusts him in a way.

“Hey pizza dude.”

“Yes?”

“Thanks for giving me a ride man, I appreciate it.”

“Think nothing of it. I wouldn’t feel good seeing you just sitting there alone.”

This surprised Mano a little. Here was a dude that barely knows him, yet cares whether or not he gets home safely. Just who was this boy? He certainly wasn’t like one of those jerks from school…

He had nothing else to say though. That sealed the deal on whether or not the teen that was driving could be trusted.

“Alright.”

With that, a comfortable silence set upon the two boys. Mano reached home, and Langston left after a short farewell. As Mano opened the door to his home, his father Lincoln was waiting with his arms crossed.

“And just where have you been? Do you know what time it is?” His father said with a slight frown. Mano already knew that he would be in trouble, but now, he wasn’t really afraid. He got home, and that’s all that mattered.

“Sorry dad, I was skating and lost track of time.”

“Well… Alright then. You know, I was just like you at your age.”

And with that, another night passed in The Loud House.