The timing of this couldn't be better thought Derek as he watched his parents drive off. He was finally old enough in their eyes that they were willing to leave him on his own while they got away for a weekend. Additionally, they had entrusted him with keys to his mother's car, and while it wasn't much to look at, a beater was better than no car at all. That would come in handy for him later, and even he was a bit surprised at this sudden level of responsibility they thought him capable of. After all, they hadn't always been so trusting of him, even a few years back they had insisted he spend a weekend with an aunt instead of on his own when they went away. But, he was over eighteen now, if just barely, and his license still had 'Under 21' stamped all over it in bold red letters. He guessed that was one reason he was now deemed trustworthy, and as the exhaust fumes from their car finally cleared, he headed back into the house.
In years past, 'house party' would have been all that was on his mind, but as soon as he discovered that he'd be on his own, Derek had made some calls. Unfortunately, most of his friends had gone off on their own this weekend, and there weren't enough to make a party worthwhile. Besides, one of his friends had pulled off such a stunt and they weren't able to repair the damage caused before they were found out. Derek wasn't interested in getting into that kind of fix. So he figured he'd be able to stay up late, drive around a bit and do all those things his parents didn't really approve of. As long as they didn't find out, then there would be no problems for him later. He made his way back in the house, musing that if he at least had a girlfriend, he could have her over and really have some fun, but alas he had broken up with his sweetie from high school, or she had broken up with him. Well, she had been fun while she lasted, and despite the fun they had together, there was something that just didn't feel right when he had been her.
Those thoughts lingered with him through the night, leaving Derek completely frustrated by the next morning. Like it or not, he was still in his teens, and his hormones were raging whether he had an outlet for them or not. It had been only a few weeks since he had turned eighteen, and typical of most boys, Derek had completely forgotten that there was something he could do about his situation. It wouldn't occur to him until later that day, but when it did it sprang Derek into action. He was cautious about what he was about to do though, and more than a little nervous. So while the idea had come to him that afternoon, it was well into the night before Derek made up his mind to do something about it.
Even after he was behind the wheel of his mother's ancient Buick, Derek was still apprehensive about what he was going to do. His mind was made up though, and he easily made his first stop at an ATM machine. He wasn't sure how much to withdraw, but upon realizing that this was his entertainment for the night, Derek pushed the appropriate buttons. Cash in hand, he was back in the car and made his way towards town. That wasn't his ultimate destination though, and while the bright lights of the mall beckoned, Derek drove on. It had always been his hangout, but now he was old enough to try something a little different. For the past few years he'd tried to sneak glances at the place he was driving to whenever he had been past it, and he always made sure he wasn't too obvious. There was no way he could ask his parents if he could go there, he knew better than to do something that stupid, and with them out of town he realized that he could do what he would. That included finally venturing into the adult bookstore on the far side of town, and nothing could distract Derek from his final destination.
It was a fairly long drive as Derek picked his way through traffic in town and found the lonely highway that would take him where he wanted to go. His surroundings changed from the business district to some low rent housing, and finally an industrialized section. The Buick sped on down the road, passing warehouses and junkyards until Derek could see the faded sign that announced he had arrived.
With great trepidation, Derek pulled around behind the dilapidated structure and picked his way through the crushed stone and gravel that served as a parking lot. When he finally got his car to a stop, he peered at the place through the windshield. From the highway it hadn't looked quite so run down, but up close was a different matter. It appeared as if the junkyard next door would burst over the fence separating the two lots at any second, and if it were to happen, the end result might be an improvement. The faded paint and crumbling exterior of the place almost led Derek to abandon his quest and leave, but somehow he worked up the courage to step from his mother's car and make for the door. When he got there, he looked back at the car one last time, as if it might be the last time he'd ever see it, and considering the neighborhood, it might. But there were several other cars parked beside the faded brick building, and most were nicer than his mother's beater. He turned to enter, making sure that the warning sign posted on the door said 'No one under 18' and not 'No one under 21' before giving it a tentative shove.
The door swung open, and Derek was greeted with a blast of stale cigarette smoke, and worse. Bravely, he stepped into the dark interior, and was greeted with a harsh voice. "Let me see some ID" spoke a man to Derek's left. He turned to see an older man scowling at him with his hand stretched out. Without a word, Derek produced his wallet and fished out his driver's license. He turned to the man and offered it, only to have it snatched from his grasp. The man studied the picture intently, matching the face on the plastic to the figure before him. It was a pretty close match, Derek's sandy blonde hair hadn't changed a lick since the photo was taken, and the only real difference was that he didn't have 'Under 21' stamped over his forehead. Satisfied that Derek matched his ID photo, the man checked his date of birth, doing mental arithmetic until he was satisfied that Derek could enter. Once that little ritual was completed, he handed Derek back his license and told him that if he needed change, to come see him or use the machines scattered through the building. Derek replied that he didn't need any yet, for he wanted to look around, and the man explained that if he made his way through the maze of video booths, live girls were available in the back. With that, he turned back to his newspaper, leaving Derek to his own devices.