Free Fade by A.K. Morgen

turning the volume on low. Classic rock wafted from the speakers, low enough not to interfere with conversation, but loud enough to give us a little background noise.
    “So, how are you?” she asked.
    I looked over to find her studying me out of the corner of her eye in the passing shadows. I opened my mouth to give the stock answer then closed it without saying anything. For some reason, the stock answer didn’t seem right this time.
    “I have no idea,” I said instead. I’d always heard that sitting side by side in the dark made it easier to talk. Maybe the adage held a grain of truth after all.
    “It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it? Losing a parent, moving, starting at a new school …” She checked the rearview mirror and turned left, heading out of town. “I don’t envy you.”
    “It is a lot,” I said, thinking she hit the nail on the head. Add Dace to the equation, and things were too complicated to process. Nothing felt like my life anymore. That overwhelmed me.
    “If you don’t mind me asking, how did your mom die?”
    “Um …” I didn’t mind as much as I thought I would. Chelle made talking easy, or maybe I was tired of not talking about the things constantly running through my head. Even so, a lump formed in my throat. “A car accident.” I swallowed hard. “It was raining out, and a semi headed the other way lost control. She got trapped between the truck and a rock wall.”
    “I’m real sorry,” Chelle said, reaching over to squeeze my arm. “A drunk driver killed our mom when we were little. Beth and Dani don’t even remember her. I think I do, but sometimes I wonder if maybe I’m only imagining things.”
    “I’m sorry.” I couldn’t imagine losing Mom before I ever had a chance to know her. Hearing Chelle’s story didn’t make accepting Mom’s death any easier, but it did lend a certain perspective I’d been lacking. At least I’d been lucky enough to have nineteen years with her; Chelle and her sisters couldn’t even remember their mom. “Did your dad ever remarry?”
    “Yeah; he remarried six years ago. We couldn’t have asked for a better stepmom. She’s great.”
    “That’s good.”
    Chelle and I lapsed into silence for a little while, and the lump in my throat slowly shrank. I tried to figure out whether to ask her about Dace, or if I should leave him out of the conversation for now.
    “You seem different than your sisters,” I said, unable to decide one way or another.
    She chuckled. “I hear that a lot. Beth and Dani are more comfortable in groups than I am. I’m happier going my own way.”
    “Are you all very close?”
    ”We are.” Chelle glanced at me, a soft smile on her face. “Beth and Dani have a tighter bond to one another, but I don’t mind. Their personalities make them need that connection, I think. Does that make sense?”
    ”Yeah, that makes sense.” Mom had been the same way. She’d thrived on social interaction, and had several good friends.
    ”What about you? Are you and your dad close?”
    ”We are,” I said. “He moved here permanently after he and my mom divorced. He still came to visit every weekend, but we’re like you in a way. We’re more content doing our own thing.”
    ”Ah. I had him for Classic Lit last term. He did kind of seem that way. He’s a great teacher, real patient.”
    He was a great teacher. I smiled, glad she thought so.
    ”Were your parents separated long before they divorced?” she asked.
    ”I guess you could say that. They split up right before Dad started teaching here four years ago. When he’d come down on weekends, he’d stay at the house, but their marriage ended a long time ago. I’m not sure why they decided to make their divorce official when they did.” I thought about it for a minute. “They both seemed more relaxed once they made the decision, though.”
    I kind of figured they’d stayed together so long for me, but the situation hadn’t been terrible by any means. There had