7. Now what?
MPOV
I fell asleep on the plane ride, tired after my restless night. My mind was awake, however, thinking all the 'what ifs."
What if Mildred followed me to L.A? What if she found me?
What if I couldn't find Connect 3? How long would my money last?
And what if I wouldn't make it?
I woke up as the plane touched down. I looked eagerly out the window. I'd never been to LAX before.
It was the usual overcast. The palm trees swayed in the gentle breeze. There were some huge planes parked at the gates, and some taxiing to take off.
As I walked happily into the terminal, a huge 747 roared down the runway and took off. It amazed me. How in the world did it get off the ground?
"Where is that plane going?" I asked the lady at the counter.
"Japan," the lady said. "It's a long flight."
"Wow," I whispered, watching it fly off into the clouds.
I'd had a small load, so my bag was my carry on. I shifted through it to find my wallet. I wanted Starbucks.
As I took the first sip, I was reminded on how much I had been kept away from. Strawberries and Crème drinks, plane rides, sweets, chocolate. I began to hate my aunt and uncle even more.
I decided to walk to wherever I needed to go…wherever that was. Taxi fare was expensive. But then again…maybe the bus wasn't. I climbed aboard the one going into downtown. I think that was where Shane said he lived.
Down town Los Angeles turned out to be amazing! There were so many sights, smells, colors! A huge shopping mall loomed in the distance. I looked around and around.
"Amazing," I whispered. And now to find Connect 3's home. I pulled my cell phone out and turned it on.
Nothing happened.
I tried it again.
Nothing.
The battery was dead.
"No!" I whispered. How was I supposed to find my way now?
I groaned. Where was a pay phone when you needed one?
SPOV
"Shane, dude, get over it!" Nate exclaimed.
I looked up, startled. "What?"
"Say something once in a while! So Mitchie is being abused. We'll try again, man! Until then, stop being so… depressed. It's driving us crazy, right Jason?"
Jason looked up. "I really don't have a problem with that," he said.
Nate glared at him. Jason looked at me. "Yes, we have a problem with that…we do, right Nate?"
Nate sighed. "Yes. Yes we do."
We were sitting at the small table in our bus, eating breakfast.
In the very bus that would have given Mitchie freedom, if not for me.
Why hadn't I thought of bringing the car closer? Why didn't I just sneak back to get her?
Because you're an idiot, Gray. And the police were surrounding the house.
I pushed my oatmeal around the bowl, staring at the mushy mess. Jason and Nate looked at each other.
"Did you try calling her?" Nate asked finally.
"And risk having her perverted aunt hear the phone ring? And get Mitchie into even more trouble? No way," I sighed.
Jason nodded. "That's reasonable," he agreed.
I stood up and wandered back to my bunk. I was on top in a second, curling on my side. There was nothing else to do as we drove.
I pulled my phone out. No text messages. No missed calls.
Nothing.
Maybe I could text her…
I quickly wrote a text out
Call me ASAP
I sent it and put the phone down, rolling onto my back. My phone beeped. I glanced at it. A new text already?
I flipped open the phone and stared at the message:
Unable to send message.
I frowned and tried again.
The same thing happened.
My breath caught. Did her aunt find the phone and shut it down? Was it dead?
I groaned. Now what?
