One Night at The Cliff

Candy admired her red toe nails as she tapped Mark's sneakered toe with her own bare foot.

"Why so serious?" she asked playfully.

Mark shrugged and took another swallow of his beer. He'd asked Candy to The Cliff because he knew he could get some, but now that he had the chance he wasn't into it. He thought about the downhill spiral his life had become. He had been living in his car for a week because he'd sold his mother's food stamps to help pay for his daughter's diapers and formula. His baby's mom had sold most of her benefits to get cigarettes and weed. He had been trying to find a job, but he was an eighteen-year-old dropout with no work experience and a felony on his record.

Candy threw her legs over Mark's, demanding attention. Even when she began rubbing him from his chest to his stomach, his eyes were fixed on the distant city lights. She finally gave up and slid off the car hood in a huff.

"What are you? Queer?" She yanked open the passenger door and landed heavily in her seat. Mark only moved when she honked the horn. He took a last swallow of the beer and pitched the can into a nearby mesquite bush. He planned take Candy home and then return to the canyon to camp out.

On the way back to the town, Candy was finally silent. He knew she wouldn't stay that way. She'd post about their pathetic date all over the internet. He would hear about this from all his friends forever. No one had ever hung out with Candy without a story to tell afterward. When he slid up to the curb, Candy left the car with a slam and went right into her apatment. She couldn't wait to start burning Mark.

Mark sat for a moment staring at the empty street. Next, his eyes drifted to the picture taped to his glove box. Kaylee's blue eyes, her daddy's eyes, smiled at him from the photo. He touched her little face with his finger tips before starting the car.