Chapter 11
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Reggie was looking out the window. Once again they were driving along to find a new place to stay. Usually on Saturdays she would be hanging out with the guys skating, surfing or playing hockey. Instead she was on the road in Oregon in a car with a maniac and her best friend who was barely speaking.
"I want to go home." She blurted out. "I hate this, I want to go back. I miss Ocean Shores and we're not even in the same state anymore. How long can we keep running like this?"
"Nobody asked you to come along. Infact I believe I specifically told you not to." Sam said, with a surprisingly rough tone to his voice.
"I've already told you both that I'm sorry! Sammy, we can't keep running away, we have to go back!" Reggie was almost in tears. Ryan had not left her alone with Sam since he attacked her, so she couldn't tell him what was going on.
"Listen Reggie, you made a choice and now you're facing the music. Don't make Sam go back to a place where dad could easily find him." Ryan said from the front seat.
"But if he thinks we're on the run he wouldn't think of going back to Ocean Shores." Reggie suggested. "Atleast let us stop at this gas station. I want to call my dad, let him know I'm okay."
"No, we're not stopping. You can call later." Ryan said, silencing the conversation.
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Twister paced his floor that night, trying to find some kind of answers. He thought about Doug's fake death and Ryan being a maniac. He mumbled to himself. "Otto mentioned that Sam's dad had found them, but obviously Ryan didn't give them up, so they're not in this together. Then again, maybe it's a plan to gain Squid's trust and take him back to Kansas. But why would he pretend to be dead in the first place?"
Otto came through the door. "Hey Twist, you busy. Sorry, I don't think I'll be getting any sleep and you said it would be okay if I came over."
"I'm just trying to figure this stuff out. It's so complicated." Twister suddenly had an idea. He knew it seemed a little weird, but it made sense of everything. "Do you know who told Mrs D that Mr D was dead?"
"I don't know. What would that matter, I suppose the police told her or something." Otto shrugged.
"Think about it. If Sam's dad is dead it gives Ryan the reason to come down here, that way he can take Sam away, right?"
"I guess so. What's your point?"
"Ryan makes the call, saying his father is dead when he's not, comes down here, takes Sam away and gains his trust by acting like the hero. What if he is taking Sam because he hates him, because he....wants to get rid of him." Twister went quiet, he knew what he was suggesting to Otto, worried about how he would react. Before Otto could open his mouth though, he continued. "Then Sam's dad comes down here to warn everyone, which might explain why he grabbed me that day."
"I don't want to believe it, I don't want them to die, but the truth is it makes sense. Gives Ryan a chance to run, too." Otto sighed and sat down on Twister's bed. "I don't know what I'd do if they die, Twist."
Twister looked out the window and pointed to the Dullards house. "The lights are still on. She hasn't slept at all the past few days. Come on, we have to ask her who gave her the message."
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Ryan had finally found a place for them to stay that night. He went to have a shower, finally giving Reggie a chance to explain her intentions to Sam.
"I wouldn't have come up here if I didn't care about you. Please, we have to go home. Ryan isn't who you think he is. I know it sounds crazy but you have to trust me." She was glad that he was finally listening to her, but nervous at how he would react. "Ryan even told me last night, he's been in a mental hospital. I'm calling our parents and telling them where we are."
Sam shook his head seriously. "I never thought you could be so selfish. You want to see me, so you risk me going back with my dad and now you want me to go back home, so you can get what you want and I give up the one person who actually cares about me." Sam turned and glared at her.
The remark hit Reggie like a slap in the face. "I care about you. So does everyone back in Ocean Shores. This isn't just for my sake, I can't believe you would think that."
"Yeah, I suppose they do care, because caring about people means you make them feel bad and beat them. That's what my dad does, and he told me he loves me!"
"Well I'm sorry if my being here is making you feel bad." Reggie cried out, tears running down her face. "I'm sorry that I have done nothing but be there for you every minute of every day!"
"Go ahead Reggie pound me, you know you want to." Sam stared her right in the face, as if daring her to slap him.
"Then you obviously don't know me at all. I just want what's best for you. I care about you so much that Ryan even thinks I'm in love with you, weird as that idea is." Reggie turned away from him, hoping that he would show some sympathy, like he usually did.
"Yeah, it is a pretty stupid idea. Someone loving me, most lame thing I've ever heard. Wouldn't want Otto and Twister finding out that you care about a Squid!"
Reggie turned back around to face him. "That's not fair! I didn't mean it like that and you know it."
"What are the odds, the great Reggie Rocket is crying. Now you know how I feel every single day. But then again, I guess I'm just showing that I care about you. This is the way everyone else shows it!"
"Why are you acting like this?" Reggie sat on her bed and put her head in her hands. "Stop saying things you don't mean. I don't want to fight with you."
"Then call up Raymundo, tell him where you are and you'll never have to fight with me again." Sam walked over to his bed and lay down facing away from Reggie.
Ryan came out of the bathroom, he had been listening in to their fight, unknown to them. Reggie looked at him with teary eyes. Ryan flashed her a smile, showing that no matter how much she tried, he had won.
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"Ryan told me about Doug's death, explaining that he had to stay here for awhile because he couldn't financially support himself." Paula explained to the two boys. "Why are you asking me this?"
Twister and Otto looked down at the carpet. Niether of them wanted to say anything. Finally Twister spoke up. "Because...he isn't dead. Infact he's very much alive." He explained everything to her about what had happened and the theory he had. Hoping she could shed some light on the situation.
"Why would Ryan hate Sammy so much as to go to all this trouble?" Paula had started crying, she was relieved when the doorbell rang as she didn't want to hear any more. She figured it was probably Otto and Twister's parents wondering where they were. She walked out of the room and opened the door, paralysed with shock as she stared into the eyes of her former husband.
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Sorry I had to leave it there, I'll upload the next one soon. By the way, the whole Reggie/Sam stuff is not intentional, no matter how much it appears to be hinting that way. Just wanted to clear that up for the people that mentioned it.
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Reggie was looking out the window. Once again they were driving along to find a new place to stay. Usually on Saturdays she would be hanging out with the guys skating, surfing or playing hockey. Instead she was on the road in Oregon in a car with a maniac and her best friend who was barely speaking.
"I want to go home." She blurted out. "I hate this, I want to go back. I miss Ocean Shores and we're not even in the same state anymore. How long can we keep running like this?"
"Nobody asked you to come along. Infact I believe I specifically told you not to." Sam said, with a surprisingly rough tone to his voice.
"I've already told you both that I'm sorry! Sammy, we can't keep running away, we have to go back!" Reggie was almost in tears. Ryan had not left her alone with Sam since he attacked her, so she couldn't tell him what was going on.
"Listen Reggie, you made a choice and now you're facing the music. Don't make Sam go back to a place where dad could easily find him." Ryan said from the front seat.
"But if he thinks we're on the run he wouldn't think of going back to Ocean Shores." Reggie suggested. "Atleast let us stop at this gas station. I want to call my dad, let him know I'm okay."
"No, we're not stopping. You can call later." Ryan said, silencing the conversation.
-----
Twister paced his floor that night, trying to find some kind of answers. He thought about Doug's fake death and Ryan being a maniac. He mumbled to himself. "Otto mentioned that Sam's dad had found them, but obviously Ryan didn't give them up, so they're not in this together. Then again, maybe it's a plan to gain Squid's trust and take him back to Kansas. But why would he pretend to be dead in the first place?"
Otto came through the door. "Hey Twist, you busy. Sorry, I don't think I'll be getting any sleep and you said it would be okay if I came over."
"I'm just trying to figure this stuff out. It's so complicated." Twister suddenly had an idea. He knew it seemed a little weird, but it made sense of everything. "Do you know who told Mrs D that Mr D was dead?"
"I don't know. What would that matter, I suppose the police told her or something." Otto shrugged.
"Think about it. If Sam's dad is dead it gives Ryan the reason to come down here, that way he can take Sam away, right?"
"I guess so. What's your point?"
"Ryan makes the call, saying his father is dead when he's not, comes down here, takes Sam away and gains his trust by acting like the hero. What if he is taking Sam because he hates him, because he....wants to get rid of him." Twister went quiet, he knew what he was suggesting to Otto, worried about how he would react. Before Otto could open his mouth though, he continued. "Then Sam's dad comes down here to warn everyone, which might explain why he grabbed me that day."
"I don't want to believe it, I don't want them to die, but the truth is it makes sense. Gives Ryan a chance to run, too." Otto sighed and sat down on Twister's bed. "I don't know what I'd do if they die, Twist."
Twister looked out the window and pointed to the Dullards house. "The lights are still on. She hasn't slept at all the past few days. Come on, we have to ask her who gave her the message."
-----
Ryan had finally found a place for them to stay that night. He went to have a shower, finally giving Reggie a chance to explain her intentions to Sam.
"I wouldn't have come up here if I didn't care about you. Please, we have to go home. Ryan isn't who you think he is. I know it sounds crazy but you have to trust me." She was glad that he was finally listening to her, but nervous at how he would react. "Ryan even told me last night, he's been in a mental hospital. I'm calling our parents and telling them where we are."
Sam shook his head seriously. "I never thought you could be so selfish. You want to see me, so you risk me going back with my dad and now you want me to go back home, so you can get what you want and I give up the one person who actually cares about me." Sam turned and glared at her.
The remark hit Reggie like a slap in the face. "I care about you. So does everyone back in Ocean Shores. This isn't just for my sake, I can't believe you would think that."
"Yeah, I suppose they do care, because caring about people means you make them feel bad and beat them. That's what my dad does, and he told me he loves me!"
"Well I'm sorry if my being here is making you feel bad." Reggie cried out, tears running down her face. "I'm sorry that I have done nothing but be there for you every minute of every day!"
"Go ahead Reggie pound me, you know you want to." Sam stared her right in the face, as if daring her to slap him.
"Then you obviously don't know me at all. I just want what's best for you. I care about you so much that Ryan even thinks I'm in love with you, weird as that idea is." Reggie turned away from him, hoping that he would show some sympathy, like he usually did.
"Yeah, it is a pretty stupid idea. Someone loving me, most lame thing I've ever heard. Wouldn't want Otto and Twister finding out that you care about a Squid!"
Reggie turned back around to face him. "That's not fair! I didn't mean it like that and you know it."
"What are the odds, the great Reggie Rocket is crying. Now you know how I feel every single day. But then again, I guess I'm just showing that I care about you. This is the way everyone else shows it!"
"Why are you acting like this?" Reggie sat on her bed and put her head in her hands. "Stop saying things you don't mean. I don't want to fight with you."
"Then call up Raymundo, tell him where you are and you'll never have to fight with me again." Sam walked over to his bed and lay down facing away from Reggie.
Ryan came out of the bathroom, he had been listening in to their fight, unknown to them. Reggie looked at him with teary eyes. Ryan flashed her a smile, showing that no matter how much she tried, he had won.
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"Ryan told me about Doug's death, explaining that he had to stay here for awhile because he couldn't financially support himself." Paula explained to the two boys. "Why are you asking me this?"
Twister and Otto looked down at the carpet. Niether of them wanted to say anything. Finally Twister spoke up. "Because...he isn't dead. Infact he's very much alive." He explained everything to her about what had happened and the theory he had. Hoping she could shed some light on the situation.
"Why would Ryan hate Sammy so much as to go to all this trouble?" Paula had started crying, she was relieved when the doorbell rang as she didn't want to hear any more. She figured it was probably Otto and Twister's parents wondering where they were. She walked out of the room and opened the door, paralysed with shock as she stared into the eyes of her former husband.
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Sorry I had to leave it there, I'll upload the next one soon. By the way, the whole Reggie/Sam stuff is not intentional, no matter how much it appears to be hinting that way. Just wanted to clear that up for the people that mentioned it.