 |
|
Though I can’t
remember it happening.
Here’s what I do remember: |
|
I remember climbing into a limo
with my little brother Will to visit our mom
on the set of her latest film. |
|
It smelled
like someone had been
smoking pot in there. |
|
Or maybe drinking champagne.
Or throwing up.
Or all three. |
|
Sort of like
our living room
after one of Mom’s all-night parties. |
|
I remember
rolling down the window
for some breathable air |
|
while Will bounced around,
like he always does
when we’re in a limo, |
|
telling me
one goofy knock-knock joke
after another. |
|
I remember turning onto Sunset Boulevard,
and seeing a massive billboard
of a guy wearing nothing but jeans— |
|
his fly unzipped
just low enough
to make me look twice. |
|
Will saw it too.
He grinned at me and lisped through the gap
where his baby teeth used to be, “Thex thells!” |
|
Sex sells?
How does a seven-year-old even know that?
I was just about to ask him— |
|
| but I never got the chance. |
|
 |
|
It came out of nowhere
and latched onto our tail
like a rabid dog. |
|
I glanced into the rearview mirror—
our driver’s eyes looked like they were
getting ready to pop right out of their sockets. |
|
He started swearing
in a language I've never heard before,
then flung a package out the window. |
|
I began shouting at him,
telling him he better pull over
and let us out right now! |
|
But the guy just
whipped out a gun,
waved it wildly in our direction, |
|
then turned back around
and slammed his foot down hard
on the gas. |
|
 |
|
We were in
one of those high-speed chases
like you see on TV— |
|
zooming down one-way streets the wrong way,
careening around corners,
running red lights. |
|
Then there were two police cars chasing us.
Then there were three.
Then four. |
|
Will was squeezing my hand so hard it hurt.
But he was laughing and whooping and hollering
like we were riding a roller coaster. |
|
I was squeezing his hand too,
my heart kickboxing
against my ribs. |
|
Then I heard a rumbling above us.
I stuck my head out the window and saw
a helicopter with a cameraman hanging out of it. |
|
I pulled my iPhone out of my purse
and a second later my brother and I were watching
our own personal drama unfold on CNN. |
|
Will sucked in a breath.
“Colette…,” he said, in this real awestruck
voice. “We’re on…TV!” |
| |
 |
|
We looked up at the sky
and watched the guy
filming us, |
|
then we looked down at my phone
and saw the footage
he was shooting. |
|
For a few minutes,
we got so into
watching the chase, |
|
that we almost forgot
we were the ones
being chased. |
|
But then the camera pulled back
and Will and I could see
that there were six cop cars tailing us now, |
|
like we were all
in some crazy motorcade
rushing to get to a funeral on time. |
|
| I hoped it wouldn’t be ours… |
