Why Do You Get To Drive? (Chapter 2)

Chapter 2 - Interrupted Breakfast

Atz groaned, holding his forearm over his eyes as sun shone in through the open trunk. He'd fallen asleep and awoke to being prodded harshly in the side. He sat up, rubbing his neck. "That was the worst nap ever."

"Get out before people see you." He looked up. A man- he assumed it was the zombie man -looked left and right, watching for any passersby.

His hair was black and his eyes were a shocking shade of yellow. Not that Atz could say much. Having crimson red eyes wasn't really the norm either.

Atz climbed out of the trunk, stumbling over himself as his feet hit the pavement. His legs had fallen asleep and refused to hold his weight, causing him to fall into the man. He looked up to a very unpleasant face. He gave a nervous grin in return.

"Oh, hi."

The man shoved him off and walked away, with a disgruntled, "Don't touch me."

Atz leaned against the car, shaking his legs awake. He watched the man walk across the nearly empty parking lot towards a food establishment going by the name, 'Bebe's Best BBQ'. The exterior paint job was that of an unattractive, sun bleached blue, with large windows that had posters and decorations stuck to them advertising some of the best things on the menu.

Atz wondered if he should just stay in the car. Maybe attempt to hot wire it and get the hell out of there. But the obnoxious whale-like noises his stomach was making told him to do otherwise. He sighed and slammed the trunk shut before jogging to catch up with the man. "So, I never got your name."

The two walked up to the entrance and the man opened the door, practically shoving Atz in and following after. Inside, the walls were painted a darker shade of blue than the walls outside. The flooring was a checkered tile of black and white, and the seats were all white with red cushions. It looked like a cliché diner from a movie taking place in a small town. "Nefix." The man answered as they both sat down on red cushioned stools at the porcelain counter.

Atz looked at him. "Nefix." He echoed. Freakishly tall man locked in the trunk of a stolen vehicle with weird colored eyes and a strange name. Atz wanted to say there was something wrong about this guy. But it wasn't like red eyes weren't weird and his name wasn't the most common either... 'I'm not a giant, though.'

After that, the two sat together quietly. with the exception of when they'd ordered their food. Bebe's was only serving breakfast, so Atz had ordered himself a plate of eggs and a cup of coffee. While Nefix dissected a blueberry muffin and had already downed two cups of orange juice. Atz shifted and squirmed in his seat. The unnerving silence was making him profusely uncomfortable. And the stiff cushion of the stool was making his butt hurt.

"How come you were in the trunk of that car?" Atz blurted, desperate to talk about something- anything! Nefix looked up from his muffin, on his face was a small trace of... surprise, was it? Atz didn't have time to tell before it was covered up by a nasty scowl.

"I could be asking you that same question."

Atz raised an eyebrow. "I was in the trunk 'cause you locked me-"

"Not why you were in the trunk!" Nefix snapped. "I want to know why the hell /you/ took /me/!" Atz caught the woman in the kitchen watching the two. When their eyes met, she quickly looked away. Nefix seemed to notice this exchange of stares and sighed, going back to picking his muffin apart. "Just shut up and eat." He ordered. And Atz did as he was told.

Atz had almost finished off his plate of eggs when Nefix got up. "I'll be right back," He said, walking away. Atz nodded, not even bothering to look up from his food. That is until a piece of paper slipped over to him. Messy cursive writing in green ink was scrawled across an order sheet. 'Is it safe to talk?'

He looked up at the worried face of the woman from the kitchen, glancing around for who he assumed was Nefix. He nodded.

"I don't see why it wouldn't be." Atz said. She looked at him, nodding quickly and mumbling. She leaned forward.

"Is he some kind of criminal? A murderer? A terrorist?!" She asked in a hushed tone, looking over to where Nefix and disappeared. "I can help you get away from him. You're a hostage, right?"

Atz stared at her blankly. Was he a hostage? No. He was getting several opportunities to escape. "He's not a criminal." He answered dully.

"Is he making you cover for him?" The woman's prying was getting annoying. So Atz went back to his food without another word, and didn't acknowledge her when she spoke to him again. He'd just finished off his cup of coffee when something grabbed the back of his shirt, jerking him out of his seat.

"We need to go." Nefix hissed, pulling Atz to the entrance. Two large men were walking up from the entrance. When Nefix saw them, he turned around, ducking his head. "Just act natural."

"I don't think being held up and drug around by a hefty, angry looking guy is helping me achieve 'natural'." Atz laughed humorlessly. "Oh, and the cook thinks you're a murderer."

"What?!"

"Yeah, or a terrorist. She's on the phone in the kitchen at the moment. Probably calling the police."

Nefix let go of his shirt, rubbing his eyes and groaning. "Whatever. That doesn't matter, we need to go." He started walking slowly to the back of the diner, Atz following close behind.

"Are those friends of yours?" Atz whispered. Nefix opened his mouth, as if to answer. But he was cut off by the loud sound of gunshots, glass shattering and the high pitched shriek from the cook. Instinctively, Atz dived for the nearest thing that could be used as cover. He ducked his head as the gunshots continued, ringing in his ear. ‘Definitely friends of his.’