Rafael was bouncing violently in the back seat of the car. He and Thomas were on their way to school—or at least hoped to arrive there alive if his mom cooperated. He had managed to suppress his urge to give Thomas a facial realignment via punches after the lie about Cecilia. After all, he had to hold on to the front seat while his mother cursed and argued constantly with other drivers.
Maristela was a psychologist who insisted she didn't need to see one herself, so she used traffic as a way to vent her frustrations. Riding with her was always, at the very least, thrilling.
The car hit a speed bump, causing the two of them to involuntarily jump in the back seat. Rafael's groin took the brunt of the fall, while Thomas not only suffered the same fate but also smacked his head on the ceiling, producing a hollow sound. Rafael had always suspected there was nothing inside his head anyway. That's when Thomas' blue school bag flew up and landed on the seat between them.
Rafael recognized that bag. It was the same one his friend had used since kindergarten, the worn-out bag with the Blue Power Ranger on the front. It and Thomas were inseparable, like peanut butter and jelly.
"You said you were going to buy a new one!" accused Rafael.
"No," replied Thomas, curling up as they took another violent turn. "I said I'd think about buying one."
"We're in high school now!"
"So?"
"And what about all that talk about impressing the girls?"
"They're gonna love the Ranger!"
"Speaking of that, why the Blue one?"
"He's the toughest," answered Thomas as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Don't be stupid! The Green Ranger is the coolest!"
"Oh no, here you go with your twisted ideas again."
"Dude, he's got a white armor and a sword!"
"He's just hype!"
"What are you talking about? He's awesome!"
"You're delusional! The Blue Ranger is the best!"
"Why? Explain why! Because, you idiot, the Blue Ranger is on the same level as the Yellow one—nobody cares!"
"How badly I want to punch you right now. Because while the Red Ranger gets all the glory, who's always by his side?"
"The Pink one," interrupted Rafael, biting his tongue as they hit another speed bump.
"Exactly—the Blue one!" Thomas continued, completely ignoring the sarcasm. "He's the real hero."
"That still doesn't change the fact that it's ridiculous to carry around a kid's backpack now—unless it's Batman… Batman is awesome."
"Hype," muttered Thomas, seeing Rafael's enraged face, and quickly added, "Batman is all hype!"
Deciding to stay quiet as he felt his blood boil, Rafael turned his head and took a few slow breaths. In his years of dealing with that pest, he had learned the ten-breath calming technique. If it failed, they'd end up in a fistfight… it failed many times.
"I think it's cute!" Maristela chimed in from the rearview mirror.
Thomas, suddenly animated, leaned between the seats, elbowing Rafael's ribs to make room.
"I always suspected you were a woman of taste!"
"God have mercy," Rafael muttered under his breath.
"Only a true lady could recognize the mature charm I possess."
"You'd better sit back," Maristela replied indifferently. "Want a lollipop?"
And so they continued their ride to school: Rafael grumpy, and Thomas sucking on a lollipop, while flirting with the driver.