Chapter 6

Dane smiled at me and said, "I almost thought you weren't coming!"  Before another word was spoken, he reached out, grabbed my hips, lifting me over the side, and set me on my feet.

"Wow, what a he-man!" I laughed, righting my clothing and hair quickly.  "Truthfully," I said, smiling up at him, "I almost didn't make it.  Rebecca looked everywhere for you, she said she could even smell you!"

Dane sniffed his pits and laughed.  "Did she like it?"  I grinned and play punched his arm.  "What's that?" He asked, pointing to the bundle under my arm.  I unrolled the package and held it out for inspection.  Dane smiled mischievously and said, "Good, I was hoping you'd bring that?  Now let's get out of here!"

"Where exactly are we?" I asked as he grabbed my hand and dragged me through the labyrinth of washing machines and laundry carts.  The steam made the room almost unbearably hot and I had to push the now damp hair off my forehead several times.  We crossed the room to a seemingly normal wall, and stopped.  "Dane, I don't think we can walk through walls, no matter how invincible you feel." I laughed.

He turned to me, smiled, and said, "Did you ever see that movie Clue?"  He started pressing gently on different areas of the wall.

"Yeah, so?" I replied, confused.

"Well, there were secret passages all through the house.  How else would the murderer get around unseen?" Dane continued.

"What are you getting at?" I snapped.

"Surprise, Elizabeth, we have a door!" He replied, stooping down and pressing a small board against the wall.  The stone wall slid aside, scraping against the surrounding walls noisily.  "How else would I get around unseen?  The dumbwaiter doesn't go everywhere." Dane said, taking my hand again.

"How did you find this, where does it go?" I asked, following him into the darkness.


"I found a passage upstairs, on the sixth floor, and this is where it led.  There were other turns and passages, but I followed the stairs down here.  I'm going to explore the other ones later.  I've got nothing else to do around here." Dane explained quickly.

"What good is getting to the sixth floor?  Besides, I don't even see the stairs, I don't see anything!" I whispered angrily.  A few moments later, I stubbed my toe on a massive slab of stone.

"Oh, sorry.  I was about to warn you." Dane whispered.

"What is that?" I asked, rubbing my sore foot.

"The stairs." He snickered.  "Come on, there's more passage this way, it leads out into the grounds behind the dorms.  From there we can stick to the woods around the buildings to get to my car behind the gym, where all the workers park."

"Oh, okay." I agreed.  Then a thought struck me and I said, "You drive?"

"Yeah, I'm sixteen.  Why, how old are you?" Dane answered.

"Fifteen." I sighed.  A long silence passed between us as I followed along dumbly.

Finally, Dane said, "I guess we don't know each other that well."  His words fell deftly between us and hung in the air.  I sighed and avoided his gaze.  "Hey," He said, lifting my chin, forcing me to look at him.  "That doesn't mean anything, just a thought, okay?  This place doesn't give us enough breathing room, that's all."

Dane gently pushed the long brown hair away from my face.  "That's why we're getting out of here, right?" He said softly.

"Right." I agreed, just as soft.  The tension melted between us and the air practically sizzled with the heat of his gaze.  Slowly, as if he was afraid of scaring me, he lowered his head, just inches from mine.  I closed my eyes and swallowed fast as the last bit of space between us disappeared.  Dane's lips were soft, but firm, gently pressing against mine.

I felt as if time stood still, waiting for our interlude to end.  He took the kiss a little deeper, firmly parting my lips and just barely touching my bottom lip with his tongue.  That wisp of a touch nearly made my knees buckle.  He must have known, because he wrapped one arm tightly around my waist, holding me firmly to him.  It seemed like forever before Dane finally lifted his head from mine.

Both of us gasped for air.  I smiled up at him and he smiled back, somewhat lopsided.  I sighed and said, "I guess we should keep moving.  After all, we're trying to get out of here, at least for a little while."

Dane cleared his throat and replied, "Uh, yeah, I guess you're right.  Come on, it's not much farther."  We walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence until I saw a speck of light up ahead.  "There, see, we're almost out now."  We did exactly as Dane had planned: we stuck to the forest and quickly made our way to the parking lot behind the gym.


Dane pulled a key out of his pocket and pointed towards a tiny black sports car, somewhat old, but still a really nice car.  I followed him to the car and waited as he unlocked the doors.  I sighed when he fumbled with the keys, and simply slid into the car through the low open window.  The seats were warm leather and I involuntarily closed my eyes at the feel of it.  The warm sun coming in the windows was just as divine.  He stood there a moment, slightly shocked by my simple solution, then he regained himself and ran around to the driver's side.

I sighed and opened my eyes to see him staring at me, a strange look on his face.  "What?" I snapped, embarrassed.

"You just looked so peaceful." Dane replied.  He started up the car and Metallica's "Unforgiven" blared from all sides.  He fumbled with the buttons and silence followed.  "Sorry," He said, sheepishly.  "I forgot it was on.  We can listen to whatever you want."

"Metallica's great, I haven't heard music since I got here." I replied, turning the music back on, a little softer this time, but just slightly.  Dane nodded and pulled out of the lot, heading for the gravel road running around the building.  "Uh, Dane, where am I going to change?" I asked, as we pulled onto the highway and speeded towards town.  He looked over at me, then the bundle in my lap, then the back seat.  "Oh, no, un uh.  I am not going to change in the back seat.  You've got to be kidding me!" I growled, shaking my head.

Ten minutes later, I was in the back seat of the car, flying down the highway, fighting a leather miniskirt.  "You better not be looking!" I hollered over the music as I pulled on my blouse.  "Okay, I'm decent." I said a few minutes later.  I adjusted my halter top one last time as Dane pulled over to the side of the road.  I hopped out of the car, smoothed my skirt down, and flopped into the front passenger bucket seat.

Dane glanced over quickly, then did a double take.  "Wow, that's exactly how I thought it would look." He breathed.

"What, does it look bad, do I look cheap?" I asked, straightening my hair and clothes again.

"No, no, you just look so different when you're not wearing all that snotty stuff.  It looks good." He explained quickly. Although, it'd be better if you weren't wearing anything at all.

"What did you say?" I snapped.

"Nothing, it's a compliment.  I like you better in normal clothes.  Don't jump down my throat." Dane laughed.

I had been positive I'd heard him say I'd look better if I wasn't wearing anything, but that must have just been my own wishful thinking.  I shrugged and laughed, "Well, if you like this, you should see me when I get to be myself.  I hate being confined to polyester and paten leather.  My hair used to be purple, and I wore jewelry and jeans.  My mother made me dye it back, though, before I came here."

"Purple hair?" He asked.

"Yeah, it was this perfect shade of purple the bottle called African Violet.  It was totally me." I sighed, lifting a chunk of hair and seeing the boring brown I now wore daily.


"I don't know, I like your hair the way it is." He laughed, ruffling my hair.  I smoothed it back down and smiled.

"Yeah, you say that, but you never saw it when it was purple." I replied.  "It was really sexy."

You're sexy." Dane laughed, grabbing my hand and kissing my knuckles.

"Yeah, right." I snorted, but I didn't draw my hand back right away.  It was nice to have someone to myself, no matter how selfish that sounds.  I pulled a lipstick out of my blazer pocket and flipped the visor mirror down.

"Where did you get that?" He asked, as I carefully applied the hot pink color.  "I thought they didn't let you wear make-up in that clone machine.

"They don't.  I snuck it from home.  I figured if anyone could get kicked out of a reform school, it's me, and make-up is a good place to start." I explained, putting the lipstick back in my pocket.  "But I haven't had a chance to test that theory."

I like the natural look myself, especially yours.  Anyways, this may sound like a stupid question, but why do you want to get kicked out?" Dane asked.  "I mean, if my mother stuck me in a place like that, the last place I'd want to be is home with her."

"I agree.  I wouldn't be at home with that traitor if my life depended on it." I responded.

"So where would you be?" He asked, looking quickly back and forth between the road and me.

"Well, one of the girls told me, and this is top secret, that there's a building in South Carson where they don't ask for anything but your name."

"What, what kind of place is that?" Dane asked, looking nervous. 

"It's an apartment building that takes rent in cash, and doesn't care who you are, or where you're getting the money as long as you pay up." I explained.  "I could get a waitressing job and go to school with you."

"They won't let you in without any info, Liz." He replied.

"I can give them info.  Forget my mother, if she wants me to stay at Harper Hall, she's just going to have to chain me to the wall!" I huffed.

"You're really going to do that?" Dane asked quietly.

"Why, you find something wrong with that?  It sounds like a decent plan to me," I answered.

"Well, you'd be working most of the time, and then how would you go to college?" He insisted.

"I wouldn't.  I mean, I'd like to, but I'm flexible.  I can be anything I want.  I'll be alright." I sighed.

"You couldn't possibly enjoy a life like that, could you?" Dane asked.


"I don't know, maybe, I'll just have to wait and see." I sighed.  "Let's talk about something else for a while, okay?  Let's just enjoy what little time we have before I have to go back."

"Alright, I like that idea." Dane said smiling.  We talked about music, past experiences, and his car.  "One of the few things me and my dad did together." He explained.  "We bought it off some guy who was desperate for cash for a cool grand.  It took us three years to fix her up, but isn't she a beauty now."    

              "So, what do you want to do when we get to town?" Dane asked.

            "I don't know, eat fast food, meet your friends, see the town." I replied.

                        "There's not much town to see." He laughed.

            "I don't care, just anything to keep me out of Harper's Hell." I laughed back.

            "Okay then, Carson here we come!" Dane hollered out the window.  The ride was maybe five minutes longer to the city limits.  "Welcome to the fair metropolis of Carson." He laughed as we rolled into town.  He pulled up to the curb in front of a little fifties style diner.  "Last stop, Martha's Malt Shop."

          Dane hopped out and, sliding across the hood of the car, opened my door for me.  "A lovely lady should be treated as such." He said, bowing formally.  Funny, I thought no one ever accused me of being a lady before.  I smiled and tried my best to get out of the car gracefully, and without flashing half the town.  "Allow me, milady." He laughed, offering his hand, which I gratefully took for balance.  I played along, nodding as I took his hand, then the crook of his elbow, then waiting as he opened the diner door.

            The laughter in Dane's eyes faded as a large blonde guy in a letterman's jacket swaggered up to us from the diner's bar.  "I thought I told you to get out of my town, we don't need any queers around here." The guy spat.  He was obviously a jock, with an obvious beef with Dane.  "Who's your little friend, Dane?  You know, around here, damn near everything's community property, so how's about sharing?" He laughed, swaggering a little closer to me.

            The guy obviously survived high school on his athletic abilities, not his smarts.  He looked, acted, and smelled like the classic teen movie villain.  On different circumstances, I still wouldn't have liked the guy.  He was too stupid for words, even with my high vocabulary.  I certainly hoped he got what anyone disserved for talking about a woman like that.

            "It's a free country, Brock.  I can be where I want to be.  This is Elizabeth, and she doesn't belong to anybody, not even me.  Furthermore, I'm not from around here, I'm not a citizen of your precious little town, so she's not community property if she's with me." Dane retorted coolly, getting right up in Brock's face, blocking me.  Someone hollered to take it outside, so we continued the conversation on the sidewalk out front.

            "Come on, Dane, a little tart like this," Brock said, grabbing my wrist and wrenching me forward.   "She'll taste every guy in town without a second thought.  It won't hurt nothin' if I'm first, so what's the harm?" He drawled, grinning.  I tried to pull away as Brock bent forward and practically licked the side of my face.  "Mmm, mmm, good." He sneered.  I looked at Dane, threatening all sorts of pain if Brock hurt me, and that was it, I had had enough.  If he was just going to stand there and act tough, I was just going to have to be tough. 

            "You know what, Brock?" I said, twisting my left wrist so I could face him.  "I ain't anybody's property, not Dane, not my mother, not Ms. Harper.  You see, I'm a Harper girl, which means I don't like rules, and I have a nasty habit of breaking them, and anyone who gets in my way.  I especially don't like people tryin' to control me, like I'm some little puppet to play with.  You sure as hell ain't an exception!" I spat in his face.  Before he could retaliate, I kneed him in the groin and popped him in the nose with the heel of my right hand.  Brock impulsively grabbed himself, releasing my sore left wrist, and doubled over in pain.  Blood dripped from one nostril and splattered on the concrete as I quickly put distance between him and me, just to be safe.

            A couple of lettermen stepped in front of us on their way out the diner door.  "Hey, where's Brock?" One of them asked.  I jerked a thumb in Brock's direction and smiled.  They rushed over to him and I overheard them say, "Yo, Brock, dude, what happened?  What'd they do to ya?"

            "That little bitch, I think she broke my nose!" Brock roared.  Dane smiled at me and we started busting up laughing.  I just had one more thing to say.

            "Hey, Brock!" I called, turning around.  "You think I'm bad, you should really meet the others."

            "You can keep your goddamned girl, I wouldn't want that fat bitch if she threw herself at me!  Hey Dane," Brock called as we walked away, "I'll see you at school." 

            "That girl did that?  Jeez, Brock, don't be such a baby, it can't possibly be that bad.  I'll bet you fifty bucks she's not a hundred pounds!" One letterman laughed.

            "I thought those girls were supposed to be all snooty, cause it's a private school.  She didn't seem snooty to me, Brock." The other replied.

            "Yeah, I thought they were all easy, you just had to get in there to get to 'em.  She didn't even kiss you!" The first chortled, punching the second.  "I think it'd be a waste of time if you ain't gettin none, son!"

            "Just shut up and get me in the car." Brock commanded.  His friends snickered, loaded him in the back of a red van, and peeled out.  Dane and I went back inside the diner and sat down at the bar.