XXIX.

The suburban loser’s youngest son and friend are in the back seat, his wife in the passenger. They're heading home from hockey practice, but on the way they are going to stop at Red Robin for an early celebration of his youngest son's birthday. He'll get to order from the adult menu for the first time. The suburban loser's wife asks the boys if they both really want to be rappers for Halloween. A Toyota zooms out of the Burger King. The suburban loser slams his brakes and everyone jolts forward. Tight seatbelts cut into their necks and hockey equipment thuds against the back of the trunk. The suburban loser's wife asks everyone if they're okay, but the suburban loser doesn't hear her. He only hears the voice telling him to find out what the driver of the other car looks like. The suburban loser speeds up to ride the other car's ass. His wife reminds him that there are kids in the car. The suburban loser rolls the window down and sticks his middle finger out into the cool autumn air. At the red light, he lays on his horn and leans forward so the other driver can read his lips mouthing fuck you in the rearview mirror. His wife pleads with him to stop, the friend in the backseat is crying, and his youngest son looks out the window like a doll. The light turns green and the other car pulls into a CVS parking lot. The suburban loser follows. Before the suburban loser can get his seatbelt off, the other driver yanks his door open and pummels the suburban loser with blow after blow. The suburban loser fumbles with his buckle as his wife flails the other driver's back, crying stop, stop. The two boys in the back seat scream in horror. Then it ends as quickly as it began. The other driver goes back to their car and peels away. No one can say how old they were, if they were black or white, or if they were a man or a woman. A CVS employee says don't worry, they saw everything. They already called the cops. Morris Day and The Time play on the radio during the ride home. Red Robin would have to be another time. Before dropping the friend off, the suburban loser asks him not to tell his parents about what happened. He likes being able to do things for his youngest son and his friends, like taking them to hockey practice and treating them to dinner.