"Some idiot bets Pink 3.5 mil while she's out shopping with Blue Pearl (when BP is like, 10?) To hotwire a police car and get away with it. Pink does it, leading the entire police department on a huge chase but they don't know who's driving the car so when pink and Blue Pearl get away they don't know who it is and everything is fine for about a month when White and Yellow find the cop car and the money XD"
It wasn't often that Blue was found without either Yellow or Pearl. Especially since the three of them were rather terrible at making friends. Today though Pearl was with Afina on a book signing a few towns over and Yellow had gone to Empire City with Ginevra and Zarina to sort out the last few matters of their move to Beach City. If Linnea hadn't been going crazy being stuck in the house, she probably wouldn't have insisted that she have some alone time.
Blue was the one person who wouldn't leave her alone though. Even when Linnea had first come back from the hospital she woke in the late afternoon to find Blue curled up next to her reading. It had been a few months since then though, and while Blue was bearable with searching looks and questioningly quirked eyebrows (that made her look much older than her eight years of age), Ginevra, Zarina and Afina had been positively stifling.
Pearl and Yellow had often followed Blue when Linnea had still been bed ridden. Surrounded by her three daughters chattering about their day, her eyes closed and either Pearl or Yellow translating for Blue had sent Linnea off to a restful sleep more times than she could count. Blue was always there when she was woken up for dinner though. Yellow normally was too, completing both her and Blue's homework - a habit they had never managed to stop. Pearl would be heard from downstairs, normally yelling at Zarina for trying to lift something heavy that might rip her stitches (even long after the stitches had been removed). For someone so young her voice could carry. Something Linnea was sure she had inherited off Ginevra.
With all the others gone, it didn't take Linnea much to convince Blue that they should go for a walk, or really anything to get out of the house. So, Linnea and Blue found themselves walking down Beach City's boardwalk, signing to each other as Blue filled Linnea in on some of the things she had discovered around Beach City with the help of Yellow and a whole lot of curiosity.
Of all the things that had surprised Linnea to find however (and it had to be pretty surprising to beat a giant fry mascot), was Gary. Linnea had met Gary several years ago in Las Vegas. She had seen him win and lose more money than was healthy, but it never seemed to bother him either way.
"Linnea? Is that you?"
Linnea turned, quickly signing to Blue.
'Wait one second.'
"Gary?"
"It is you? What are you doing in Beach City?"
Linnea accepted Gary's friendly handshake. "I live here now. The family moved here about a month ago. One of the wives got offered a job here. What about you? What are you doing in Beach City? I was sure you actually lived in Vegas."
Linnea took the effort to sign as she talked. All of them did really, and more often than not they'd start doing it when Blue wasn't around too.
Gary laughed. "No, but I do spend a lot of time there. I'm actually visiting a friend here. His name is Billy. We're both trying to become mayor in our respective towns. What have you been up to? Aside from the move?"
Linnea shrugged a little awkwardly. It was probably best not to mention the incident that had resulted in a stint in hospital.
"Not too much. Blue and I were just exploring town, and aside from that it's just been the same as normal."
Blue offered Gary a small wave.
"Oh, I did learn how to hotwire a car though. I got bored recently."
Gary grinned at her. "Want to put that to the test?"
"What were you thinking?"
"Steal a police car. If you can get away with that scott free I'll give you … oh, I don't know … thirty thousand?"
Linnea narrowed her eyes at Gary. "And what do you want with a police car?"
Gary held up his hands. "Nothing, I swear. I just thought it would add a little challenge to the deal."
Linnea turned to Blue.
'Want to help me steal a car?' She signed.
—
They picked Zarina's car for obvious reasons. The main one being that they the keys back at the house. Linnea was not above skirting the edges of a bet in order to win. Gary had never said that she had to hotwire the car. It was more implied. They only had two hours anyway, so any advantage was useful.
Only the keys weren't at the house. Zarina had apparently taken them with her, which wasn't exactly strange, just mildly irritating. Linnea stared at the cruiser for a second before shrugging. There was never a best time to learn how to hotwire a car, now would just have to do for Blue.
The hot wiring wasn't the tricky, apparently. If there was one thing Linnea knew, it was cars. High speed chases however were not quite her forte. Linnea was always open to new experiences though.
Everything had gone great, right up until Linnea pulled up at a red light next to one of Beach City's police officers waiting to cross the road. He waved. Linnea waved back. Then the officer started to frown and walk towards them. It wasn't smart, but Linnea had panicked. She floored it.
Then obviously it had been called in and suddenly Linnea was driving as fast as she could through the small town with Blue pointing in the direction she should go. It was only a hidden path that Blue insisted she go down that allowed them to get away. Hidden by low hanging branches, Linnea and Blue sat silently.
Slowly, Linnea started to relax as Blue let out a nervous giggle before offering Linnea high five.
'Don't tell your mothers.' Linnea signed before slapping Blue's hand gently. 'Like, ever. Good lord, that just happened.'
Gary greeted them with a lot more enthusiasm than losing thirty thousand dollars warranted. Considering the circumstances it was probably going straight into Blue's college fund.
They arrived home without meeting another police officer by some miracle. Now all Linnea needed to do was un-hotwire the car.
