A/N: Okay, so I didn't screw up (x2), classic, Steph, right. :) Well, this one is right for sure! (My friend finally finished the book, but now it's loaned out again!)
Oh, and forget what you read earlier, please (x2). ;)
I walked from my street to the firehouse, being sure to avoid town hall, and constantly looking over my shoulder, Caine had thought something about Drake leaving, and my paranoid side said it had something to do with me. My power said it wasn't anything good.
I got to the firehouse and yelled up fireman's pole, "Sam! Sam are you up there?"
"Back up," a voice said. I did what I was told, and a second later Edilio was standing in front of me.
"Where's Sam?" I asked.
"He's supposed to search houses today. No telling where he is right now."
"Oh," I said, looking around the garage awkwardly.
"Hey," he said as his face contoured into a quizzical look, "Are you okay?"
I looked him up and down. Edilio wasn't a bad looking guy, and he had a voice of concern that I had never heard in anyone before.
"I..."
Just then Quinn ran into the garage looking frazzled.
"What's the matter?" Edilio asked quickly.
"A-Anna, E-E-Emma... They- they poofed."
"What?" I asked quickly, trying to make sense within the confusion of his emotion. Fear mixed with anger and sorrow.
"T-today was their birthday, and they...they poofed..." he said distantly. His eyes were glazed over, looking at something far away.
"That's... nuts, man," Edilio said. I continued staring. I could feel it in me; Quinn and Edilio were calculating how long they had left. I knew: one month, eight days.
I walked out solemnly. No one needed to know how long I had left. No one really cared anyways.
I walked home to gather my thoughts. Part of me wanted to head back to Astrid's house and get all of the new developments in my head straight, but a part of me kept telling myself that I was becoming a burden to her, so I stayed home.
The news of Anna and Emma was spreading quick. Panic was in the air as the fourteen-year-olds stressed over how long they had to...
To what? Live, care for their siblings in the FAYZ? No one knew, yet they were all afraid.
I grabbed my stomach, trying to think of the last time I'd ate, and to change the topic of my thoughts. "Wasn't it yesterday afternoon?" I asked myself, "No, this morning. I was hungry because I'd been in Astrid's head for so long the night before..."
I decided to detour and head to the McDonald's. A nice visit with Albert would be fun. Maybe I should mention the cat.
"Maybe not," I told myself.
The door dinged when I walked in. Albert looked up, the scratches on his face looked a bit better now that they'd been cleaned up.
"Hey, Leslie," he said. He had finished the McDonald's manual earlier on the week, and was running the place better than any manager in Perdido ever had.
"Hey, Albert. What happened to your face?" I half-faked concern. It's not that I didn't care, it was just that I knew.
"Oh," he said, his hand going instinctively up to his face, caressing the scratches. "A cat got me," he said nonchalantly.
"Oh," I said, looking away from him to not give anything away, "that sucks."
"Ya..." he drug out he word, looking down at the counter, probably for the same reason in was. Or he though it was too dirty.
I stopped the awkward silence, "Can I get a number one?" I asked.
He looked up, "What? You want food?"
I gave him a look, "Well this is a restaurant, right?"
He smiled playfully and asked, "Waffle or croissant?"
I thought this over theatrically, putting a finger to my chin and looking to the ceiling: "I think a waffle," I said.
"Daring, not many have had the waffle yet."
"What can I say?" I lightly joked, "I like trying new things."
I didn't stay to eat it, instead I went out into the plaza and sat on one of the benches. I looked around at the silent town. It was kind of peaceful really, though most would describe it as borderline creepy.
I sighed, feeling relaxed as I cleared my mind of all thoughts. I picked up my waffelburger and took a bite. I closed my eyes as I chewed, savoring the flavor, even though it wasn't the best thing I'd ever tasted, it was the best thing I'd tasted in a while.
That's when life started to suck again.
I saw the crowd first, so I got up to see what was going on. It horrified me.
Sam with duct tape over his eyes and a Mylar balloon duct taped around his hands, was being pushed in a grocery cart down the street by non other than Quinn. I felt disgusted as he pushed with shame.
Astrid and Little Pete were being pushed by one of the Coates kids I didn't know. Orc, Mallet, and a few other bullies from Perdido and Coates alike were walking around the percesion, like bodygaurds. In the middle stood Drake and Diana; one smiling wickedly, the other completely bored.
I followed them like the crowd. The led up to the school. I watched as they non to gently tumpped the trio out of the grocery carts, then led them stubbling up the steps.
The crowd departed back to their houses, worried and confused. I sat down a block away and wated, praying they'd be okay.
It seemed like forever, but I knew it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. All of a sudden the silence on the block was broken by the slam of the doors opening. Drake emerged from the school, fuming.
The look in his eyes scared me. Murder. He wanted murder.
I turned off my mind and pressed my palm to my face.
Caine. He was watching as Orc and Howard pulled away a broken Sam, fuming as well that his barganing ticket had disappeared.
Sam. Fear filled him, but he focused on how to get out of his situation. He tried pleading with Orc and Howard, whom just shook their heads and left him to die.
Quinn. He shook as Sam was taken away. He knew what he had to do, he couldn't have Astrid's blood on his hands.
I pulled away. "Astrid's blood?" I whispered in fear to myself.
I ran to Astrid's. I hadn't run so much since track season, still, once I got there, Astrid was already gone. I was in her front yard trying to decide where she would be when I saw Drake on his way over; gun in hand.
My heart stopped with fear but my feet started moving. I ran home. I ran home, slammed the door behind me and went to the couch to cry. I sat with my face in my pillow on the couch for a while, just sobbing.
I could have cried myself to sleep, but I was interrupted by loud banging on my door.
"Crap," I thought, "I hope they didn't hear me cry, and I especially hope that isn't Astrid; I still haven't chosen what side I want to be on..."
The person at the door banged loudly again. I picked myself up and headed to the door.
