"Car Rides With Bonnie and Clyde" by Ella Wade

     I rushed outside. I heard the clattering of my keys as they hit my leg with each long stride I took. Beside me was my sister and my best friend, Kate, they too were walking with purpose as we stepped off the curb and into the chaos that is the after-school parking lot. We stayed close and were observant of our surroundings given the fact that we were walking through a lot full of inexperienced, impulsive student drivers. The day was chilly and we continued on as the strong wind pushed against us. The asphalt painted numbers ticked upward as we neared our parking spot. I pointed my keys in the direction of my car and pressed the unlock button twice. The familiar honk sounded that meant that both doors were unlocked, and we finally reached the car that was our escape from the wind. My sister paused at the trunk long enough to drop off her guitar before rushing to the passenger seat, and we all let out similar signs of relief as I turned on the hot air and we defrosted. Looking into my rearview mirror, I saw the line forming a blockade behind my car as parents and students alike tried to exit the parking lot. It was routine now that Kate would grab my phone from the center console and cue up our favorite playlist for driving to and from school. The nostalgic sounds of cheesy 2000s pop, old Just Dance and Rock Band songs bringing us back to the days when we were younger and we played the same songs on repeat.  The songs hitting our personal classics such as old Rihanna, Fergie, Lady Gaga, Adam Lambert, P!nk, Usher, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and so on. We were stuck in our parking spot until we found a space large enough for the mammoth of a car we were in, and we wasted time until that moment by reciting each song’s lyrics at the top of our lungs. Duran Duran’s "Hungry Like The Wolf" was our theme music as I finally began to reverse the car and edge myself into the line. Snacks were distributed around the car as we chatted about how our days had been. The crazy retelling of stories from the day kept us entertained until the line of cars ahead of us started moving forward. This had been our daily routine since the beginning of the school year, and it made me feel nostalgic to rehear some of the music that reminded me of simpler times without the constant stress of a school. I don’t generally listen to most of the modern music from those genres now, but I love being able to reminisce about some of my favorite memories I’ve made with my sister and best friend while listening to the older pop hits that defined our combined childhood together. I always look forward to our car rides together and it can turn my bad mood around instantly. I will treasure those childhood memories and reflect on them as I go out and make new memories.