Mallory & Malloney

Yes, it’s a desert—but amid it, a couple is driving through in a champagne-colored 1989 Corolla. Inside: Mallory, a 16-year-old girl with blonde bangs, wears a leather jacket. Malloney, a 17-year-old boy, wears a sweater and drinks from a kombucha bottle. They were just there, watching the scenery, looks of wonder on their faces. — “What’s the next step?” Mallory asks. Malloney replies, “We need to stay away for a while, until things cool down.” Mallory says, “I hope we’re not going too far.” They pass a sign that reads: “You are now leaving home.” — “Don’t you remember what you told me yesterday? You were set on leaving those assholes,” Malloney says with purpose. She replies, “But... what if my mom never wants to see me again?” — “You won’t miss home.” They pass another sign that reads: “Maybe you’ll miss home.” Mallory then pulls a plastic gun full of candy from the glove compartment. — “Is this really our best shot?” she asks, raising an eyebrow. — “We’re talking about our independence,” he says. — “I don’t know, man. I’m starting to think this was a bad idea,” Mallory says, drinking from an almost-empty water bottle. — “You’ll see, you’ll come out stronger,” Malloney says with confidence. Mallory replies, “But we’re in the middle of nowhere. How are we going to survive?” — “We’re definitely not in danger, okay, Mallory.” As they continue driving, a sign reads: “Safety boundaries.” Mallory bites her nails and says: — “I feel like we’re being followed.” — “Oh, come on...” — “It’s the desert, we could be stalked, by wanderers, gas thieves, or worse,” Mallory reminds him cautiously. — “Seriously? Doesn’t look too busy out here right now.” — “Yeah, but things always change,” she says firmly. — “What do I have to say or do to convince you we’ll be okay?” Malloney asks. They don’t even notice, but a sign in the desert reads: “Maybe you’re in danger now, lol.” — “Well, you could start by finding a place where we don’t need Steamboat Willy just to get to the damn supermarket,” Mallory says. — “Can’t you just appreciate the... nature around us?” Malloney says, spilling a bit of his drink. — “Haha, very funny.” Obviously, there was no greenery around, except a few cacti. In fact, there was one cactus in particular. — “Oh my God, I’d kill for a Snickers right now,” Mallory confesses. — “We just need to find some shade and some... food,” Malloney says, scanning the area around the car. — “What are we going to eat, roasted cactus?” Mallory asks. As they speak, a kangaroo rat eats seeds from that very cactus. — “Why don’t we talk about something interesting? Like... in a chill way?” he tries. — “I don’t know, man. I just wish I were home doing something better, like watching shopping channels or Hallmark movies,” Mallory admits. — “Can’t be that bad.” As they move farther away, a rattlesnake slithers in and eats the rat that just finished eating. Mallory replies to Malloney, “No, it’s worse.” — “We’ll make it.” Mallory pauses, then asks: — “Can I ask you why you’re risking so much?” — “Sometimes you have to. We’re in this together,” Malloney says, gripping the wheel. She says, “Okay then. Let’s try to see the bright side,” as she looks around. As they get even farther, a roadrunner triumphantly devours the cocky rattlesnake, one bite at a time. — “It’s okay to hesitate, as long as you get back in line after, I guess.” — “I’m just so tired of being seen as weak and useless. I’m not stupid. And I’m definitely not a liar,” she says. — “You know how it is. The world can be awful,” says Malloney. By the time they’re far off, a red-tailed hawk suddenly grabs the content roadrunner. — “There’s gotta be a place. What if someone just showed up selling stuff right now?” he asks. — “Like a Bible salesman?” Malloney notices. “I don’t know what it is, but something about this place makes me want to buy things. Like, a lot.” — “Haha, I think you’re right. I don’t wanna sound desperate. It’s just... this heat is insane, dude! Like, what is this?” Mallory exclaims. Malloney replies: — “Look, I’ve been in the sun for an hour and I’m not peeling yet. I call that a win,” as he shows his arm. — “In the end, the world’s kind of cool, you gotta admit,” she concludes. They vanished into the horizon—even in a desert that seems uninhabitable to most life, a coyote triumphantly devours the self-satisfied but distracted hawk, relentless teeth crushing. And not a single drop was wasted.