So they found the stupid mirror. They picked up BBA and drove all the way out to Gary and they found it. The six of were crowded around it, staring at it as if they expected Rachel to just show up and tell them what to do.
Steve leaned in close to the mirror. "When the sun goes down, Rachel will be back. I know it." He told them. Told himself?
"She might even say something." Buck added.
BBA sighed. "I guess I can wait." She said. "I'll have to call Amtrak about getting the next train." She turned to look at each of them as sternly as she could manage, which wasn't very. "And you have to call your parents, all of you." She demanded.
"Yeah, whatever." Steve said flippantly.
"Don't 'yeah, whatever' me, Steven." BBA said to him. "I don't go through all that with your parents again."
"Just screw his parents." Angie piped up. "We almost died. Everything's different now."
"I'm not sure everyone sees it that way, Angie." BBA told her gently.
"Well who cares how everyone sees it?" Angie asked her, looking around at them all. "We were there. When Steve stood up, when you all did, and then…" Her voice got shaky as she continued. "When the gun went off, I thought that-"
"It is weird." French chimed in for the first time. "That she was right there in that exact spot." Buck looked up at him to find French's eyes already on him. Buck furrowed his brow slightly, as if confused about French's sudden belief in OA. But it was more of an apology to Buck than it was an admittance of belief. It was weird. But that doesn't mean it wasn't happenstance. But he owed it to Buck to trust him in this, so it was time he started doing just that.
"Almost like she drew the bullet into herself." BBA added.
"And away from us." Buck said softly, looking down. French felt the loss of Buck's attention more acutely than he should have, but ignored the feeling.
"Look," Steve told them all, "We call our parents and we wait for dark."
That plan was quickly ruined by the small girl who worked at the Goodwill, but her offer for them to stay with her and her father quickly gave them another plan. It felt weird to be accepting a place to stay from a perfect stranger, but a church seemed like a safe a place as any to spend the night. Plus, it was free, and they were all together. So, it was easily decided that they would take her up on her offer.
Loading the mirror onto Angie's mom's station wagon was not so easy.
"Don't push so hard, I'll fall." French complained as Steve tried to walk French backwards off the curb. They were carrying the entire vanity between the two of them, and while it wasn't exactly heavy, it was awkward to carry.
Steve couldn't help himself. "That's what she said." He joked.
Angie laughed, but French just said "Seriously?" And the rest of the group ignored him.
"Take it easy, Steve," Jesse tried to help as Steve walked towards the curb. "It might be hard going down here."
Steve laughed. "She said that, too."
Angie laughed again.
"Wow." French said, making a face. "You two are made for each other."
Getting the vanity up on top of the car shouldn't have been that hard, but Steve of course had to argue. Angie was the one who pointed out that they only needed the mirror, and it did seem easier to just strap the mirror on top. So that's what they did, and then they were off.
French opened the back door for Buck, hoping for the boy to take the middle seat where French could sit next to him, but Jessie was the one who took the middle seat, Buck hopping into the very back. Buck was right behind him, but it wasn't the same, and French caught himself mourning the chance to have Buck's side pressed against his. He hated himself for wanting that from Buck. Hated that he even thought of Buck like that. It was easy to lapse into silence for the rest of the short drive. Nobody bothered him. Steve, Angie, and BBA did enough talking for the rest of them.
The Goodwill girl, French wasn't sure he ever caught her name, was oddly thrilled to have them there. Pilgrims of faith, she called them. French wasn't sure about that, but he didn't say anything.
When dark came, they lit candles and sat around the mirror as if for some creepy séance. They were quiet, staring, waiting.
"Give it time." BBA said softly.
French was the first to get up and leave. He couldn't handle the waiting anymore. Couldn't handle the eerie silence in the big church. Couldn't handle the fact that he was annoyed that Steve sat between him and Buck. He ignored Steve when he asked where he was going. Even ignored Buck's calling out for him as he walked away. He shut the door behind him. He needed to blow off steam, that was all. He would feel better after that.