Plot | Stevie Smart

Brock is driving back to Saint George from a weekend trip to Las Vegas. At a gas station, he notices a girl that he knows from high school, who also lives in Saint George. She is crying and talking to police. He asks her what’s going on, and she tells him that someone has stolen her car. He tries to comfort her, and offers her a ride home. She’s a very attractive girl, and he’s been trying to impress her since seventh grade. On the way back, she spots her car with different plates on it and the man who stole it. They follow the car, and it takes them off of the freeway and on to an abandoned, empty stretch of road. The criminal notices that they are following him, and speeds up. He takes the car off-road, and the girl begs Brock to follow so that they can get her car back. Brock reluctantly follows, not wanting to ruin his own car on the rough terrain. Eventually, the criminal hits a huge pothole and the car stops. The criminal gets out and starts running. Brock gets out, and is encouraged by the girl to pursue the man and “go beat him up,” even though he is twice Brock’s size. Brock gets shot in the arm, and the criminal escapes. Brock returns to the girl and hears her praise and admiration for getting her car back and pity for the wound. He stands and looks at the two messed-up cars, scans the deserted horizon, examines his bleeding arm and decides that maybe she wasn’t worth it.