Smoky Second

I opened the door of my room. The light from the hallway slowly trickled through that blasted room. Walking in, I cradled my trophy proudly. The room was musty, and the feeling of constantly being awarded second place infiltrated my nostrils, but today, it all changed. There was a first place trophy in my arms. 

    Finally, I beat that snot-faced Micheal Gold. I smiled to myself, even though I only won because Micheal did not attend the competition. Micheal was missing. 

    I dusted my desk, accidentally knocking over some pens. They splattered across the floor, the plastic container rolling to a stop at the foot of my bed. I gently set the trophy on my desk, patting it with a smile on my face. My very first first place. 

    I picked up the pens from the ground, smiling happily. I think it’s about time I cleaned the place up. Start anew. Turn over a new leaf. Something should be done about the smell. I put the pens back in their container and grabbed my mom’s Ocean Spray air freshener, putting it in my room. It went to work immediately. The musty smell of second place and metal was immediately overpowered. Satisfied with my work, I began making my bed, turning on the lights, grabbing the bag I had from underneath the bed. 

    I then sat in my room for a very, very long time, until I was sure my parent’s were asleep. I grabbed the bag, slinging it over my shoulder. Going up to the bookshelf I so adored as a child, I painstakingly moved it aside. My parents are heavy sleepers. They wouldn’t notice. 

    A little door greeted me, and I opened it. The metallic scent was overpowering. I sprayed the entire bottle of Ocean Spray air freshener and grabbed the black bag, putting it at the edge of my door. The backpack was on my back, safe and secure. I opened my phone to see that they had texted me again. Just in time. 

    I dragged the bag out and closed my door. My parents knew not to disturb me when it’s closed. A black truck was parked under the night sky. The headlights were not on. The window rolled down to reveal a man in his early 20’s. His hair was slicked back, and he had a tired expression on his face. 

    “You better make sure no one catches you,” he said, lighting up a cigarette. He took a puff, breathing out heavily. His body relaxed in the seat as plumes of smoke drifted to the roof of the car. I wrinkled my nose. The smell would get on my clothes. This was something Ocean Spray couldn’t get off. 

    “I won’t. It’ll be my only time, promise,” I said. Alex raised an eyebrow. 

    “You’ve been working too hard. You should go out and see the world more, like your big cousin here,” 

    “And become the family disappointment? Please, the only reason why I called you is because you have connections,” I glared, narrowing my eyes. Alex took another long draw from his cigarette. This time, he blew it at my face. I stared at him. Alex was the type of guy to try to intimidate you, to see if you're weak. If I showed anything, he wouldn’t do this for me. I stood firmly.

    Alex seemed to be happy with my unwavering stance, because he pointed to the back of his black truck. My eyes watered while I grabbed the bag and tossed it into his truck. 

    “How will you get rid of it?” I asked. 

    “That will stay a secret, but hopefully this friend of mine will pull through. Don’t worry, I won’t let the family’s golden child suffer the blame though,” Alex said. The words “Golden Child” were pushed out in a mocking tone. 

    “Thank you.” I gave the bag to him. “That should be enough for you to be on the road for awhile, plus payment.”

    Alex opened the bag, whistling, “This is why you’re my favorite cousin. Well, can’t stay long though. See you on the flip side.” He drove off. The clock turned midnight. I went back into the house. The smell of cigarettes was still on me. 

    At least it’ll mask the scent of the dead body of Micheal Gold.