Fox Fire & Friday Nights

The old Mustang sat in Leo's driveway like a sleeping beast, its oxidized red paint earning it the nickname "The Fox" three summers ago. Before senior year happened. Before everything got weird.

"She's not starting," Leo said, kicking the tire. Classic Leo move—blaming the car instead of his own cancelled plans. "Guess movie night's off."

I checked my phone. Three notifications from Jenna: *U coming??* *Party at Kyle's* *Helloooo??*

"Or," I said, sliding onto the Fox's hood, "we could fix her. Like old times."

Lightning cracked across the sky, purple veins threading through storm-heavy clouds. Perfect timing.

Leo stared at me. "Since when do you care about The Fox? You're too busy with theater crowd now."

The words hung there, electric and uncomfortable.

"Since when do you assume you know me?" I shot back, but softer than I wanted to. "Leo. We used to spend every Friday working on this car. Remember?"

"That was before," he mumbled, already popping the hood.

"Before what?"

"Before you became someone who doesn't have time for grease and rusty engines."

Another lightning flash illuminated his face—the hurt he'd been hiding all semester. While I'd been chasing new friends and trying on different versions of myself, Leo had been keeping the Fox alive alone.

I jumped off the hood and grabbed a wrench. "Teach me the starter again. Like you did when we were fourteen."

For ten minutes, we worked in that weird golden silence where everything important gets said without words. The storm built around us, rain finally breaking as Leo tightened the last connection.

"Try it now."

The Fox roared to life, engine growling like she'd never quit.

We sat in the front seat, listening to the rain hammer the roof, neither of us mentioning the party. Neither of us needing to.

"Movie night?" I asked finally.

Leo grinned. "The Fox has working AC now. No way I'm sitting inside."

Sometimes friendship is like fixing an old engine—you have to get your hands dirty, but she'll start again if you're willing to do the work.