Episode 6

Part 1

Daniel woke up from the floor in room 53. He grabbed a piece of chalk and tallied the wall. 10 days since they last saw Abby.
They had a new food tray in their room. Iris brought it up the night before. She wasn't asked to, she just did it. Daniel, Diana, and Serena ate up. They hadn't eaten for two days.
Daniel ate his breakfast then left the room to continue his search for Abby.
He walked down the halls as he did every day since his search began. Today, he heard giggling as he walked down the hallway. It got louder as he came closer. He found the source of the giggling. It was from a room with an open door. Room 64. He looked inside as he passed and stopped in his steps. He stared for a moment then took a step inside the room. "Abby?"
She was playing a board game with three pale children. All boys. She looked up and gasped, happily. Abby stood up and walked around the boys and over to Daniel. She embraced him and he hugged her back, in disbelief.
"Abby is it really you?" He asked, still holding her.
"Yes," she said, "It's me. I missed you." She pulled her head away slightly and looked at his neck. She smelled him and knew what she wanted.
Abby let go but they still stood closely to each other.
Daniel looked at her face and squinted his eyes for a second. "You're pale. Paler than me, and I haven't seen daylight for two weeks." He said. She didn't respond so he added, "Did you bleach you hair?" After a few second he finally asked, "Abby, where have you been?"
"Here. In this hotel. Oh, Daniel you must have been so worried about me," she realized. "After Brian-Did you ever find the killer?"
He shook his head.
"Everything is fine with me, really. More than fine," she lowered her hand and grabbed his.
Jory stood up and glared at Daniel. Holden and the other boy, Flynn, stood up too and circled Abby and Daniel. They hissed at him.
"Stop it," Abby scolded.
"What is going on here?" Daniel asked.
"Boy, go back to playing. Start a new game without me," Abby took Daniel's hand and led him across the main room. She opens the double doors to a bedroom and closed the doors behind her.
She looked at Daniel and then lips. When she kissed him, his confused expression left his face.
Abby placed her hands on the back of his neck then Daniel wrapped his arms around her back. She pulled out of the kiss and started to rip off his shirt.
"Woah," he stopped her, "Abby, shouldn't we slow it down?"
"I've waited so long to be with you," she said. "We've taken it slow for the passed year. It's time."
And with that, their love was consummated.

Eating their breakfast in Room 53, Diana and Serena didn't say a word.
When they finished eating, Serena huffed, "I need to say something. We can't just not talk. I can't stand the silent."
Diana coughed, "Well I can't say much."
"Do you ever think about going back?" Serena asked.
Diana shook her head. "But then I think, we can't. There is no going back. We knew what we were doing." She was really hoarse.
"Did we really? We didn't know some of us would die." Serena said.
"That's why I came," Diana said. "That was the plan for me."
Serena looked at Diana, "You had a bucket list. You had thing you wanted to do and see. You don't want to die here."
"Did you ever see my list?" Diana asked.
Serena made a face. "Well no-"
Diana grabbed her bag and pulled out a slip of paper. She handed it over to Serena. She read it and looked surprised and sad.

2015:
Three months ago

Diana and Abby spent their lunch together with Ashely and Bridget.
"I can't wait for the summer," Ashely said.
"Can't wait to be rid of us?" Abby said.
Ashely smiled, "That's right. You're all so tiring."
"She just wants to go Paris. Epic family vacation," Bridget said.
"I've always wanted to go to Paris," Abby said.
"Too you're not a Reynolds," Ashley sassed.
"I think it's clear who's going to have the best summer," Bridget looked at Ashely, "and who will have the worst," she looked down.
"Oh please," Ashely scoffed, "No one will have a worse summer than Diana."
Bridget looked up, and gave a small gasp.
Diana gave a fake smile, "Right, because I'm dying I can't possible have a good time."
"You're constantly suffering," Ashley said.
"Not as much when you shut up," Diana said.
Ashley gave Diana a sassy look.
"Do you have any plans for summer?" Bridget asked Diana.
"My parents want to take me to DisneyLand. Also Hollywood. And my mom asked-" Diana said.
"I'll get you guys all something in Paris. Maybe not you Diana, you may not be around." Ashley cut her off.
Abby glared a Ashely. "You're being really insensitive."
"I'm being honest. Why do still even go to school Diana? You're not going to graduate. You won't make it. You-"
"Stop it!" Abby shouted. Several student near them looked.
"You're right Ashely," Diana said after a quiet pause, "I'm dying. I won't make it to graduation. But I still come her because I school. I like most of the people here. I like seeing me friends and spending lunch with them. And maybe, I have hope that I will get through this and when so do I don't want to get held back because I missed school."
Abby and Bridget clapped for her little speech.
Across the room, Serena and her friends Vicky and Teresa were hanging out.
A few tables across them were Daniel and Brian, eating thief lunch with a few other guys.
The next day, Serena saw Brian walking into school holding his ribs. She ran over to him. "Are you okay?" She asked.
"I think my ribs are broken," he said.
"You need to see the nurse," she said.
"I can't. She'll call my dad and this will get worse." Brian said.
"You can't stay there," Serena said.
"I have no where else to go."
"You can stay with me."
"No, I can't. You know that won't work."
Serena lit her lip.

Diana came late to school that day. She showed up at her last class: Art. Abby was in that class with her. So was Serena. She was at the table next to them.
"Is everything okay?" Abby asked Diana when the teacher let them get to work on a collage.
"It's worse." Diana said. "The constant obsessing and nagging... It's like I don't have a say in anything I do. I have no control over my life."
"I'm sorry Diana, I can't imagine what Thai cancer is doing to you." Abby said.
"Not that. My mom. She took me to the doctor today, during school. I asked if we could go later but she wouldn't allow it. She won't let me eat any sweets. She made me a vegan sandwich. She won't let me stay up late or sleep in after 9am or let me take long showers or watch TV for more than two hours a day. She's so worried that I'll die at any moment. She won't leave me alone. I have no privacy."
Abby looked at her. "But what about yesterday?"
"I just said that to shut up Ashley."
"So you don't think you'll be better?"
"I did. I wanted to. But not if it is going to be like this. It's been getting worse. Why do you think I keep asking to come over to your house? I'd rather run off and be on my own. Die somewhere."
Abby looked down and wiped the tears from her eyes.
Serena listened to their conversation.
Abby thought of Diana's words the rest of the day. She was distracted trying to do her homework. She lied in bed and thought of a solution. She got up and turned on the light. She wrote her idea down. Her clock said it was 2:14am.
Abby ran up to Abby the next day at lunch. "I have an idea," she pulled her aside, in the hallway.
They kept taking about her plan during their last class together.
"So how long would we stay there?" Diana asked.
"However long we could afford to." Abby said.
"Or until..." Diana made a face.
"And while we're there we can go explore the place and do whatever we want." Abby said.
"It sounds great. A getaway. No more parents. No more worries."
Abby grinned.
"Okay, but how are we going to afford this?" Diana asked.
"I was thinking you pay half, I pay half"
"How am I going to get the money?"
Any made a face.
"I'm not stealing."
"It's the only way to get away from everything. We'll take a taxi all the way across the state. They won't look for us that far. This will work."
"Why do you want to leave so badly?" Diana asked.
Abby looked down.
Serena listened and smiled.
After school, Serena found Brian and told him, "There may be an escape."
He looked at her, hopeful.
Abby went to her house and was greeted with lots of shouting. They were fighting again.
"Abby, get your ass in here," the man called.
Abby entered the kitchen. "What Greg?"
"Don't use that tone with me. Where is your mother's wedding ring?"
"Which one?" Abby asked.
"Listen you little shit," Greg said, "Her ring, the one I gave her, is missing. Do you have any ideas where it is?"
"Maybe down the drain like your marriage." Abby said.
Her mom closed her eyes.
Greg grabbed Abby's arm and said, "Look at me when I'm talking to you. You do not talk that way to me or your mom. You will show us respect. Honor thy mother and father."
"You're not my father," she said, trying to pull away.
"I'm the closest thing you got. So show me respect. Or I will have to punish you. Again." He let her go.
Abby ran into her room and closed the door. She did her homework and thought of her plan. She played music at a regular volume and sang along.
At 5pm, Greg barged into her room and said, "Get dinner ready."
"Okay, just let me finish this sentence-" Abby was doing her English homework.
"Don't talk back, just do it!" He ordered.
Abby got up and started making dinner, while Greg watched TV with her mom. Abby made them salad, chicken, and broccoli. She served them and the three sat down together to eat. Greg complained about the broccoli as soon as he sat down.
"I don't like broccoli." He said.
"I didn't know," Abby said, taking a bit out of her chicken.
"I think you don't need all the meat," he looked at Abby.
Abby ignored him and kept eating.
"Stop!" He banged his fist on the table.
Abby kept eating.
After throwing away Greg's broccoli and clearing the table, Abby cleaned the dishes. Then, She went back to her room and finished her homework. After that, she went to sleep.
Serena lied on a park bench and smiled.
Abby woke up before the other two and got ready for school. While rushing out the door, she kicked the couch and it moved a few inches. She grabbed her foot and noticed something shining on the ground. She got closer and picked it up. Her mom's wedding ring. Abby looked down the hall and placed the ring on the coffee table, before leaving the house.
When Abby got to school, she almost bumped into Serena.
"Abby," Serena said, "I heard about your plan with the girl in our art class. I'm in."
"What?" Abby asked.
"I want to run away too and with Brian." Serena said.
"We're not inviting others to join us. It's just me and Diana going," Abby walked away.
"Need some help paying? You can't pay it all on your own."
Abby turned back.
Serena told Brian and he was relieved.
"Don't worry," Serena said, "I'll pay your way too."
The four met up after school and discussed it further. They gave each other suspicious looks in school, talons they were in a gang.
Daniel picked up on Brain and Abby's behavior and asked them about it. Brain wouldn't tell him anything. Abby tried not too but confessed.
"I'm not letting you all run off. My best friend and you." He said and paused. "Not without me."
Abby laughed and hugged him.
The five made the agreement. They all came up with the money. Abby did take her mom's wedding ring in a box and Greg's gold watch, laptop, tablet, and wedding band. She sold them that night and met the others at the park. Diana's mom gave her spending money for whatever she wanted. Diana pretended to spend it back actually saved it for weeks. She also had a yard sale and earned over $400. Daniel's parents gave him an emergency credit card with a $10,000 limit. He used it twice before but onto spent about $300. He used his card to withdraw all before his parents could cancel it. He took he money and met the others at the park that night. Brian snuck out of his house and met up with Serena at the park where she 'lived.' Serena stole from a few houses to get her and Brian the money. She and Diana paid for their first week at the hotel a month in advance. Their money wouldn't get them caught right away.
Abby called the taxi, when everyone got there. They all had their bags with them.
The taxi arrived late that night and they all got inside.
"Where to?" The taxi driver asked them.
"Hotel Cortez," Diana said.
"That's a long drive," the taxi driver said.
Daniel held up a few $100 bills "We can afford it."
The taxi driver nodded and started driving down the road.