Part X
-
-
Ever lost someone important to you? That really mattered, like you thought that just that one person alone could change the world? I did.
We all did. We all die. Evolution. For our species to move on, we have to die. Death. It's the big question isn't? Right next to: how the hell was the world created and what are we doing here?
Is there a god? Does the supernatural exist? Are we gonnah evolve like those X-Men people..? Where do we go after we die? Alice asked me those questions a million times and every single time, I had no answer.
But, she still wanted answers. So did I. So did Shane. Jenny just wanted some peace. Alice came to me a week after Dana's funeral, convinced there was only one thing she could do.
I, on the other hand, was not convinced. Her plan was stupid, dangerous, and a bit of a health-hazard. But, knowing Shane, she backed her up. Jenny just went along with it for Alice and I was just going along with it because I owed her. I owed Dana. I let her die and I don't think I'll ever forgive myself.
School still wasn't back on so they decided it was perfect to leave tonight. Causley was still away, probably sharing a jail-cell with some enormous rapper called Tiny, no doubt... And Mrs. Watters had taken over from her Deputy Head position. She was nice. Fair. But personally I think the power is going to her head...
I naturally told them that the plan was irresponsible, stupid, irrational and that when we got caught, our asses were gonnah fry over a kitchen hob.
But no...
Nobody ever listens to me.
-
-
"This plan is stupid, irresponsible, irrational and when we get caught, our asses are gonnah fry over the school kitchen hob" I told them blankly.
Alice, Shane and Jenny looked up at me. Okay, maybe I was being a bitch. It had only been 10 days since Dana's death and I was already getting used to the depressed Shane, angry Alice and quiet Jenny.
In that time, Dana's social worker had visited us, let Alice keep Dana's personal belongings and written up a report. For a whole week, Alice stayed in Dana's bed, hardly ate and cried when she thought we were asleep. I told Shane I had burnt Jenny's Ouija Board and she smiled sadly.
I should have done it with her but I knew she needed her sleep. That had been the only time that Shane had gotten some proper rest after Dana's death. Things changed after Dana.
When we walked into the dining hall, there was a murmur but no lively happy chatter we were used to hearing. The teachers barely smiled anymore and P.E out on the field was changed to a damp gym hall they hadn't used for years.
I hated it. I hated Causley and I hated Cal. I guess that's why the only smile that came to my face was when Mrs. Watters told us that Cal had been found with his ex-cell mate in Spain. Dead.
Someone had taken a gun to his head and blown his brains out. I cried with Alice as soon as she found out. I think it gave her a sense of freedom. The ass-hole who had taken Dana's life was gone.
Rumour was that Causley had been charged with prostitution, drug-dealing, taking drugs and armed robbery. I was a bit shocked. She always came off as a nice woman.
Alice didn't care much, can't say any of us did, but it made her feel better that the people in blame of Dana's death were getting what they deserved.
About 2 days ago, she came to me and Shane, saying she had a dream of Dana. They were on the Titanic, enjoying a meal when Dana told Alice to go back to Gypsy Town.
I frowned.
Alice explained. A couple years back, the school had taken them all away for the weekend, to Gypsy Town. It was this little town half an hour from here, with amusement parks, Fortune-Tellers, Sooth-Seekers, Tarot-Readers, Witch-Craft Shops, she loved it, so did Dana...
I could see where this was going. I sighed as I listened to Shane come up with a way to sneak out and be back for morning. Once again, I warned them against this plan. But, Alice needed closure and since Dana wasn't around to give her it, she would have to go to Dana.
They knew I would be game to whatever they came up with, even Jenny seemed excited. It was good, to see at least one of us happy and smiling about something. It felt like years since I had ever really felt happy about something.
"Come on, Carmen" Jenny begged.
I pause. "Okay, what does this plan consist of?".
Shane smiled "Breaking into Causley's office, stealing her keys, busting out of here, stealing her car, driving half an hour south to Gypsy Town and then be back by 6am... Simple".
I wince "Simple? Simple? You call that simple?".
"I'm going with or without you all" Alice stood, folding her arms "Dana wants me to go and I'm gonnah...".
Shane and Jenny look at me.
I sigh. "Okay" I nod simply "Okay, when do we..?".
"Midnight" Shane replied quickly "Me and you can break into Causley's office, get her keys, Jenny and Alice can get the front door open and figure out which one her car is".
"Cool" I nod "Papi's got these pick-locking-keys... I ask her if we can borrow them—".
"No" Alice cut me off before Shane could "Nobody else knows... We stuff our beds with pillows and lock our dorm door".
"I made this tape" Jenny slots a CD into her pink radio "I've been working on it for hours..." she hit the play button and suddenly, our voices are heard.
Jenny's singing, me and Shane are having a debate about who is better; Bat-girl or Super-girl and Alice is saying something about the shower.
I frown. "How..?".
"I forgot I left this on record a couple days after you got here..." Jenny explained "I used the school computer and edited out Dana...".
Alice looked away.
"That's really clever" I nod.
"I know" Jenny smiled "We turn it up, put it on a timer and make sure that door is locked... It's genius...".
"Even for you" Shane teased.
"Hey!" Jenny playfully whacked her, smiling.
I stared. Everything was almost back to normal. Alice excused herself to the bathroom, to cry I think, Jenny got the radio set up and Shane went over the plan again. Apparently, we'd also need to 'borrow' a map from Causley's office as well.
When I was younger, I thought everything was going to be the same. Nothing would change. I used to dream that my mom and dad would come back for me. That they would take me back to their house, where I'd live with my brothers and sisters.
But, I'd always wake up. I'd still be living in my nightmare world. Bette was enough guilt on my conscience but now, I had Dana as well. I began to wonder how long it would be before I had a nervous break-down.
-
-
Shane and I watched in the darkness as Jenny and Alice opened the front door and disappeared outside. I turn to Shane, who is jiggling with Jenny's hair clip on the lock. It clicked and the door swung open.
"See?" Shane looks at me "We didn't need Papi's—".
"Got it, Shane" I interrupt her, shoving her inside. I close the door behind us and put the light on. Shane goes through her desk as I open the drawers. I see fluffy purple keys and hold them up.
"That's it" Shane nods. She holds up a map of roads as I close the drawer back over. We turn off the light and leave, Shane fiddling with the lock again.
Shane follows after me when she hears it click and we walk out the door. It's a struggle but we manage to shut it quietly. Jenny and Alice are standing next to an oval car that had purple stripes down and – Wait a minute, it's the car I saw when I first got here, right before a bitchy Jenny and her swanky friends interrupted me.
"Thank-god there's only four of us" Jenny whispered.
I froze. Alice looked like she was gonnah hit her. So did Shane.
Jenny realised "Oh no!" she shook her head "I meant, cause the car... It's only got 4 seats... No, I didn't mean—".
"We know you didn't" I cut her off and unlock the car, getting in the passenger seat. Shane takes the driver's seat as Alice and Jenny hop into the back.
"You ever driven before?" I ask.
Shane shakes her head.
"Better pray we don't crash" I hand her the purple keys. We all buckle up as Shane starts the engine.
I wince. God, I hope nobody heard that.
"That's reverse" Jenny pointed.
Shane nodded and hit her foot down. We didn't reverse, the car went straight forwards onto the field and when Shane braked we went flying forwards, our belts stopping us from bumping into anything.
"Okay" Shane breathed "Let's try that again then...".
She hit her foot down again and wheeled us around, facing the way out. She stopped and started until we got an easy pace down the path.
I was relieved that the gate had been burnt down to the ground ages ago and there was an open easy road in front of us. I was also glad that there didn't seem to be any other drivers on the road... That may have been a bit of a problem.
Shane turned a corner and we head off down south. Good thing I had the map open in my hand... Wait—Shit, the map!
"Stop!" I shrieked.
The car skidded to the side as Shane stopped "What?" she gasped.
"The map" I cried desperately "Where is it!?".
Shane frowned "The last time I had it was—... Shit! I put it down to make sure Causley's door was locked".
"Great!" Alice cried, angry.
"We could go back?" Jenny frowned.
"No" I shake my head "Too risky, we'll just have to chance it...".
"And I'm pretty sure I can remember the way..." Shane added quietly. She started the engine again and drove off down the road.
I knew it. I knew this was going to be a fucking mess-up. So, for the record, I was right.
-
-
If you're wondering how we ended up like this, I'll recap. Just for you. We drove for 15 minutes, turned random corners that Shane pretended she knew.
Then, Jenny announced she needed to pee. That's all we needed. We pull up at this gas-station and she takes 27 fucking minutes! She returns, twigs in her hair, her shirt ruffled and her tights ripped.
No fucking way. Did she just have it off with a freaking stranger? I give her a look but she smirks and shakes her head at me. This is Jenny's new way to cope: pretend she doesn't have feelings for Alice and shag random girls.
Shane went to start the car again and guess what? No fucking gas left! As bloody usual... Me and my bad-luck. So, recap: imagine it: Me; pissed off, Jenny; half-asleep, Alice; angry and Shane; bored and tired.
It had been 17 minutes since we had run out of gas and been stranded in the middle of nowhere.
"I knew it" I whisper "I said it! This plan is stupid, irrational and a health-hazard!".
"I'll get us some money for gas" Jenny sighed, getting out of the car.
"Don't you dare!" I hiss hotly "Stay right there!".
Jenny doesn't listen to me and continues to walk away from the car, heading for an alley-way. I unbuckle my seat-belt and get ready to drag her back, kicking and screaming but Shane grabs my hands and shoves me back into the seat.
"Shane!" I growl.
"Let her go" Shane shakes her head.
"Do you have any idea what she's about to do!?" I shriek "It's wrong and I'm not—".
Dammit. Everything went black.
-
-
I open my eyes, groggy and sore. My hand goes to reach out but shit—my hands are tied, along with my body to the seat. This isn't happening. I look up and see Shane; driving, Alice in the passenger seat and... Jenny sitting beside me. She looks up and sees that I'm awake.
"What the hell!?" I growl.
"Carmen" Shane breaks into a grin.
"Who the fuck knocked me out and why am I tied up!?" I shriek. Un-fucking-believable.
Jenny reaches out to untie me "Sorry... Alice's idea; we couldn't keep you still and the road had all these bumps in it... You kept falling out of the seat and hitting your head...".
I glare at her. She sits back.
"Who the fuck knocked me out!?" I demand.
"I only did it cause we needed the money and you were gonnah stop us from getting out there" Alice mumbles in lame defence. If this is what losing Dana had done to Alice, I don't wanna know her.
"What!?" I scream "You hit me—knock me out—because I was gonnah stop Jenny from selling her body!?".
Silence.
"Stop the car!" I scream; angry. If they even try to stop me, I'm gonnah to kill them. No joke.
"Carmen" Shane begins softly.
"Stop the damn car!" my throat is raw from the screaming and I hit Alice's seat, making her jump her. It may sound like I'm having a nervous breakdown... But it's really anger "STOP THE FUCKING CAR!" I scream again.
Everybody stares at me like I've gone crazy. Shane brakes suddenly and I'm already out the car, slamming the door shut. I storm along the road.
"Carmen" Shane drives along beside me on the road, window down and head hanging out "Carmen! What are you gonnah do? Hitch-hike back!?".
I spin around, eyes on Alice. "How fucking dare you!? You lost Dana, we get it! You're sad but that does not give you the right to knock people out and then tie them up! There are fucking laws against that!".
It all just comes out. There's no stopping me now "I was protecting Jenny, you're too fucking wrapped up in your own world to realise she did that for you! She sold her body for you! She's fucking in love with you and all you can do is let her sleep around with fucking random strangers!? Just so long as you get your fucking closure!?" I resume storming away.
Silence from Jenny and Alice but Shane moves the car towards me again. "Carmen! Get in the car! Don't be stupid, you can't possibly get back by yourself—".
I stop, out of breath from the shouting and screaming. Shane's right. There's no fucking way I know where or how to get back to that stupid school...
I turn sharply, glaring. I stand in front of the car, the car lights in my unaffected eyes. "We're through" I tell them "When we get back..." I pause "Stay the fuck away from me" I storm around to the back seat and get in, slamming the door shut with such force that the car shook.
Shane mumbled something about still going to Gypsy Town. I don't reply. Alice can get her fucking closure and then she can do whatever the hell she wants, and keep me out of it.
Shane turns a corner and I see a fence, going around in a big circle. Inside the circle there was a shut-down-run-down amusement park but lit-up shops and stalls.
"This is it" Shane whispers.
I get out before Shane can park and stride up, not wanting anything to do with them. I swing my leg over the fence and jump over, continuing to want to get away from them.
I hear the engine turn off and doors open distantly. God, this is so bad... I shove myself into a shop I hope they don't see me go in. A warm scent fills me up and I turn to see I've stumbled into some kind of Fortune-Handing-Reading Gypsy shop.
"How may I help you?" a voice jumps me out of my thoughts. I turn and see a middle-aged woman, standing in Gypsy clothes with retro jewellery and no shoes. She has a chain wrapped around her fingers.
"I...Uh... I was just... Looking" I mutter out.
"I'm Madam Teresa" the gypsy sits down at her desks and beckons me.
I shake my head "Oh no, I don't have any money".
"Then don't pay" Mother Teresa smiles "I know a good soul when I see one...".
I hesitate and then go to sit down opposite her. She takes my hands and closes her eyes, mumbling something in another language. Weird and cool at the same time.
"I see someone" she whispers "A good friend, a sister, Ben... Betty... No, it's Bette".
My heart stops. Holy shit.
"She has something to tell you" Madam Teresa opens her eyes and looks at me.
See? What did I tell you?
One big fucking disaster right from the very start.
A/N:
Soz I haven't posted in a couple days... I've been busy! lol How was everybody's friday 13th? Mine was total shit...
Unchiha-chan: how was your job interview? Good?
Oh and all mistakes are my own fault and I'll change them when I've had more than 4 hours sleep and it's not lyk 3am in the morning... :)
Reviews are my inspiration!
Love and Hugs
x