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Chapter 7 a cop party

When we got to the hotel there were lots of cop cars in the parking lot. Mommy slowed down to look but didn't stop.

"Mommy what happened," I asked in wonder at all the flashing lights. She said the cops are having a party and we weren't invited so we had to go somewhere else. "But mommy I have to go potty."

She told me I had to hold it and I nearly cried. I tried to. I really did but by the time we pulled into a gas station I had to go so badly. When I tried to walk my bladder let go and I wet my clothes. This time I did cry. Over my sobbing, I could just about hear my mom lecture me about being too old to still be having accidents like this.

She grabbed a bag, asked for a key to the restroom then dragged me there by my arm. Once in the bathroom I took my soiled clothes off and gave them to my mom. She gave me a wet soapy rag we used to wash up. I cleaned myself off and sat on the potty. When I was done my mom gave me new clothes to put on.

I thought she would wash my clothes in the sink like usual to get them clean. Instead, she threw them in the garbage claiming she didn't want the car smelling of pee. Now wearing a nightgown we bought that day we went back to the car.

We drove for a while longer before mommy found a spot to pull over so we could sleep for a while. Remembering mom said that Mac promised us hotel rooms I asked where he was and where we were going. She said there was a change of plans. We were leaving for Mexico early and Mac would meet us there.

The next day we got changed in the car. Mommy said I could wear whatever I wanted. I dug through the bag and found my cleanest sweatpants and t-shirt.

Mom rolled her eyes at me. "Of course you would put that on instead of one of the many new beautiful dresses I just bought for you. I guess that's fine for now. We're going to be spending most of the day in the car anyway. You could be pretty another day."

I frowned. Was I not pretty today? I didn't know. What was it that made a person pretty? Why did it matter if you were or not? I shrugged to myself. I settled into the back seat with one of my books.

We drove all day with the occasional stop for bathroom brakes and food. When it got dark out and mommy was tired we found a place to pull over and sleep. We didn't bother changing our clothes.

The next morning we started driving again, stopping shortly at a diner. We ate and used the bathroom and then got right back on the road.

We didn't get very far before the car started making a sound like it was coughing. Mommy started yelling at it "NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!" Then there was a groaning sound before nothing at all. Mommy turned the key a couple of times. She hit the steering wheel when nothing happened. Then mommy started yelling a lot of bad words.

She didn't say bad words in less she was really really mad. I was never allowed to say bad words. One time I did. I got in a lot of trouble. It was the only time mommy ever hit me. I made sure to learn all the bad words so I never made that mistake again.

I didn't ask what they were. I watched and listened to people. At first, it seemed that people sounded different when they said bad words. Angry or mean, but then I heard somebody saying words I thought were bad while laughing. So I started watching people.

People, especially people with white or gray hair and wrinkles in their skin, faces changed. It was slight and quick but if you watched you saw it. It was like they tasted or smelled something bad for a second.

Mommy told me to put one of my new dresses on before she got out of the car. She started waving her hands in the air trying to get someone's attention. Another car pulled in front of ours. She went to go talk to the driver. When she came back she sat in the driver's seat.

Two large men got out of the car and walked behind us. One of the men winked at me as he passed. They put their hands on the back of the car and started pushing it. They did this till the car was off the road. My mom got back out of the car and was talking to the men again. It looked like she was nodding yes to something one man said.

That man walked over to the car and opened the back door. I jumped away from him. He squatted down in front of the door. "Hey, little one. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. My name is Aaron. That man over there is my friend Jeffrey. I was going to bring you over there while we wait for the truck with the big hook to come and get your car."

I looked at him for a minute then I asked shyly. "Can I bring my books?"

The man Aaron gave me a kind smile. " Absolutely little darling."