Update again?! Worrrrrd. Thank you to insert psuedonym, jumelles0131, MissG2020, and child who is cool for the reviews! Baww, ya'll say such nice things. I just read them and get that warm, tingly feeling inside. You know, in the non-perverted way. Because the way I worded that sounded terrible.

That or I just have a horrible mind...

...I'm just going to get to the disclaimer now...

Disclaimer: I don't own the Boondocks

Little Girl Lost

"She's really upset, isn't she?" Brandon asked the next morning. Cindy, who was sitting beside him on the steps, nodded.

"Uh huh." They both continued to watch Jazmine, who had been staring at the back of her car for a good hour. "I think yesterday she was so relieved to be alive still that she didn't think too much about it. But you know what they say about what happens in the dark coming out in the light. Well…it's seriously bright out here, so-"

"I get it." Brandon smirked, shaking his head and giving her a sidelong glance. "How's your side feeling?"

"Fine." Cindy waved her hand. "I'm not the one who looks like his face got attack by a lawn mower."

"Funny." Ray came out of the hotel room, flopping down on Cindy's other side with a large bandage covering his nose. "Go sip ya haterade."

"Because I really aspire to look like my face got shoved into a meat grinder."

"Keep sippin'."

"Chill, Ray. She's playin. You really don't look that bad." Brandon shook his head, turning back to Jazmine. "Someone should really talk to her."

"I don't know." Cindy winced. "Her and her dad had this huge deal where she couldn't get a scratch on her car if she wanted to take it to DC for school this year. And that?" She pointed to the car. "That is far from a scratch."

"Well, just get it fixed."

Cindy batted her eyelashes. "Oh, I'm sorry. Do you have the money for repairs? Because we don't. At least not if we don't want her dad to figure it out. We can't exactly use his credit card to pay for it because it'll show up on the bill. And Jazmine and I don't have enough money combined to cover it."

The three glanced back over to Jazmine, who looked as if she were fighting back tears. Ray frowned.

"I feel so bad."

"Why the hell do you feel bad?" Cindy asked. He shrugged.

"Well, they was looking for my cousin. I feel like I'm somewhat responsible."

"Speaking of that…" Cindy snapped her fingers. "I didn't know you were adopted."

"How would ya know if I never told ya?"

"Okay, smarty pants." Cindy rolled her eyes. "Well, why don't you tell me about it?"

Ray rolled his own eyes, resting his elbows on his knees. "I was adopted when I was four. I don't remember much before then. I never really think 'bout it. I never wonder where my "real parents" is or whatever. My real parents is the ones who raised me."

"Aw." Cindy smirked. He snorted.

"Whateva. So, Arizona's from Georgia. I was up in Tennessee so I ain't seen her much. I could prolly see her on a street corner tomorrow and not recognize her. My moms and her moms were sisters. Unfortunately her mama won't the best mama out there-"

"Why not?"

"You know. Not being around. Drugs. That sorta thang. So, Ari got emancipated, moved to tha northwest, got married to that Mark guy…I guess that ain't last." He shrugged and glanced at Brandon. "What I ain't got is how damn Isabella plays into this entire thing. That was weird, man."

"You're tellin' me." Brandon snorted. "I knew she was with a married guy. I didn't know it was your cousin's husband."

"Ex husband," Cindy clarified. Brandon shook his head, sighing. "How did you meet her, anyway? Was she from Missouri, too?"

"Yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "We went to high school together and graduated together. We started dating our junior year. She got accepted to school up in Minnesota and I knew college wasn't my thing, so I hung back in Missouri. I offered to move with her but she told me we could overcome the distance. I guess we couldn't."

The three fell into a long silence. In front of them Jazmine was still sitting cross legged in front of her trunk, staring at the large, impossible to miss dent and broken taillights. Cindy sighed.

"Well, I know how you feel." When two pairs of eyes glanced her way her shoulders slumped. "My…ex boyfriend and I were supposed to go off to school together. And then out of nowhere he just changed his mind. A few days back I saw him kissing this other girl…I guess I just wasn't good enough anymore."

Brandon frowned. "I'm so sorry."

"Me, too." She gestured to Jazmine. "I…kinda dragged her out here because I did feel so bad about it. I didn't want to be there anymore. I just wanted to leave-"

"Oh, I can understand that completely." Brandon jabbed his thumb towards Ray. "That's why I wound up becoming his partner. We met in a diner, talked a bit, I grabbed my guitar, and I never looked back."

Cindy gave him a look. "I wish I could do that."

He shrugged. "Sometimes it's easier to stay for those who need you then to leave everything behind."

She snorted, flipping her hair over her shoulders. "My home life isn't the best, either. I don't have anything to lose."

"What about Jazmine?" Brandon nodded towards the sad mulatto. "She seems like she needs you."

Cindy shrugged. "I think I need her more than she needs me."

He smiled. "Maybe you need each other."

"I think what she needs," Ray interrupted, glancing at her. "Is some serious cheering up."

"Unless it involves dancing, cookies, her car being miraculously repaired, or Huey Freeman, it's not going to work." She shook her head. Ray blinked.

"Who's Huey Freeman?"

"Oh. Hey boyfriend." She waved her hand. Ray looked crestfallen.

"Aw, shucks. Really?"

Cindy gaped at him. "Wait. You like her?"

"Pssh. No." Ray snorted. "She's just got a nice smile. And similar interests as me. And a sweet disposition…"

"In other words," Brandon supplied. "You like her."

"Man, shut up."

Cindy shook her head, smirking. "Sorry. The day she and Huey break up is the day hell freezes over. Twice."

"Well, why ain't he out here with ya'll?" Ray asked, making a face. "It seems kinda wrong ta let two girls travel halfway across the country by themselves. Especially when they don't know where they goin."

"Well, he was supposed to go." Cindy cringed. "And…then I made Jazmine change the day we came without letting him know so that we'd leave him."

Ray let out a low whistle. "Whoa. Was she mad?"

Cindy bit her lip. "I…kinda haven't told her it was intentional."

Brandon and Ray both grimaced.

"Remind us not to be around for that conversation," Brandon mumbled. Cindy sighed.

"Noted."

"Well, do you miss him? The ex boyfriend?" Brandon integrated when she gave him a confused look. Cindy opened her mouth, then closed it again. Finally, she shrugged.

"I don't know. I haven't really let myself think about it much."

Brandon nodded. Ray sighed, checking his watch.

"It's ten minutes till eleven…Jazmine!" he called. She didn't even glance his way. He cupped his hands around his mouth, trying again. "Jazmine!"

She slowly looked up, her expression lost. He waved his hand towards her.

"We gotta go."

She stood up, dusting herself off and sighing. She nodded.

"Okay."

"Oh, my poor baby." Cindy pushed herself to her feet, walking over to her best friend and giving her a hug. "It'll be okay. We'll get yo car fixed fo sho."

"How?" Jazmine asked, sounding as if she were close to tears. "Cin, I don't have enough money."

"I know." Cindy squeezed her shoulder. "We'll find a way." She peered into her face. "Geez, Jazzy Wazzy. Sleep is your friend. You want me to drive?"

Usually Jazmine would jump through flaming hoops while balancing a spoon on her nose before letting someone else drive her car. Instead she nodded quietly, climbing into the backseat and promptly sprawling out on her stomach, closing her eyes. Ray blinked at her.

"I guess I'll just ride in the trunk…"

"There's enough room up front for three people so calm your nerves." Cindy climbed into the driver's seat while Ray plopped down beside her. Brandon opened the passenger door, sliding in to the seat and slamming the door. Cindy started the car before glancing into the rearview mirror.

"You okay back there, hun?"

"I hate my life," Jazmine mumbled audibly into the seat. Cindy shook her head, smirking.

"That's the spirit."

And with that, they were off.

"I cannot believe I'm doing this."

"A bet's a bet, son!"

"I'm confused." Eden folded her arms over her chest as she stood against the wall along with Cherry Anne and Arizona. Caesar and Riley were beside the table that Huey was currently sitting on with his shirt off, glaring daggers in his younger brother's direction.

"I still think we should have a do-over." When Riley shook his head in response to his brother's request his glare intensified. "We were being robbed, for god's sakes!"

"Dat's what dey all say."

"Nigga, who the hell is all?"

"Alright." The tattoo artist, a thick, bald white man that had different ink designs covering every visible inch of skin, examined Huey's back as he slapped on a pair of gloves. "Let me get this straight. You want a tattoo that says "R. Escobar" on the back of your right shoulder?"

"R. Esco."

"Nah, nigga, you gotta put the whole thing!" Riley snapped. "Don't try ta make dat shit shorter cuz you scurred!"

"That's not even your real name!" Huey argued. "Your name is Riley."

Riley stroked his chin, nodding. "You rite, you rite." He turned to the artist. "Put Riley Escobar."

Huey smacked his palm over his face. Caesar laughed.

"You do realize that's longer than the original proposed idea, right?"

"Caesar, shut up. Riley." Huey gave him a look. "Come on. I lost. I get it. But can we…I don't know, renegotiate?"

"Renegotiate? HA!" Riley shook his head. "The only thing you gon need ta renegotiate at this point is you and yo body's pain tolerance-"

"Riley, goddamn it-"

"Ooh, you could get "3-23-93" under thur."

"I'm not getting your birthday tattooed on my back."

"Oh, well." Riley shrugged, trying not to laugh. "Lay down, nigga!"

Huey groaned. The tattoo artist looked amused.

"Alright, just lie down on your stomach for me."

The eldest Freeman looked reluctant but slowly slid onto his stomach nonetheless, resting his chin on his hands and glaring at Riley, who was laughing. Cherry Anne smirked.

"You know, you look pretty good without a shirt on," she giggled. Huey rolled his eyes.

"I do what I can," he said sarcastically. "Riley, can we-"

"Nope!"

"Riley!"

"Nope! Dat's what happens when you underestimate a nigga!"

"Well, if I apologize for "underestimating a nigga", can a nigga do something else that doesn't involve a permanent inking on his skin?"

"Nah!"

"Okay." The tattoo artist turned around, rummaging through a drawer before emerging with a needle. "Now-"

"What the hell is that?!" Huey snapped, nearly jumping off the table. Caesar and Riley burst out laughing while the artist gave him a bored expression.

"It's called a needle." His voice was dry. "You heard of those before?"

Huey gave him an evil look. The guy grinned as he assembled his things.

"Now, this little thing?" He pointed to the needle. "It's not so bad. It only punctures the skin between fifty to three thousand times a minute."

Huey blinked at him. Then, before anyone could react, he was on his feet, heading for the door.

"Oh, hell no-"

Riley smacked his palm into Huey's chest, lightly shoving him back and laughing. "Bet's a bet!"

"This is some bullshit!"

"I told you not to bet, man!" Caesar insisted as Riley nearly wrestled Huey back onto the table. "I told you!"

"This is sad." Eden shook her head, smirking towards Huey. "A strong, six foot something black guy brought down by a needle."

"Aww. You scurred?" Arizona cackled. Huey shot them both looks.

"No," he snapped, his voice defensive. "I just happen to like my dermal layer of skin ink free, thanks."

"Just lie down, I ain't got all day." The tattoo artist grabbed Huey's shoulder, nearly smacking him face first into the table. "It's over before you know it."

"Oh, come on, Riley-"

"Nope!"

"Riley!"

"Can't hear ya!"

"Don't start all that crying and shit, either." The artist shook his head. "I charge extra fo that."

"Oh, my god."

"Huey? You look really green…"

"Shut up, Caesar!"

"Man." Eden broke out her cell phone, smirking and putting it in camera mode. Riley and Caesar did the same. "This is gonna be good."

"I hope hell's real just so all of you can burn in it!" The tattoo machine started up and Huey scrunched his eyes shut, burying his face in his arms. "You guys have got to be kidding me."

"Ooh!" Caesar held up his phone. "Here it goes!"

"Caesar, shut up!"

"He bout to do it, Huey! He bout to do it!"

"Shut the fuck up…HOLY SHIT!"

Everyone burst out laughing as the needle came in contact with Huey skin. He made to get up but the artist pressed him down with one hand, working with the other. Huey clenched his fist and grit his teeth, giving Riley a furious look.

"I am going to KICK YOUR ASS!"

"This is amazing." Caesar shook his head. "I haven't seen Huey filled with this much emotion since I beat him at FIFA World Cup South Africa."

Huey buried his face in his arms again, shaking his head. Caesar and Riley fist pumped. Eden kept taking pictures. Cherry Anne grinned.

"Yup." She elbowed Arizona. "He looks really good without a shirt on."

It happened so fast that none of them saw it coming. Otherwise, they never would have stopped at the damn gas station in the first place.

"Twenty on three," Cindy said to the cashier, fishing around in her pockets for her wallet. "Hey Brandon, is she still sleep?"

"Yup. She is knocked. Out." The boy sided up to her, dropping a jumbo bag of Fritos, a pack of Twinkies, some fruit roll ups and a Pepsi on the counter. Cindy blinked at him. "What? Lunch."

She rolled her eyes, retrieving her wallet and handing a bill to the cashier as the bell on the front door clanged, signaling someone's entrance. "Whatever."

"Yo! They got Dunkaroos!" Ray nearly shouted, running up to them and shaking a box. "These janks is old school! I ain't had me no dunkaroo since I was a littler boy-"

"Yeah, anyway." Cindy shook her head, glancing at Brandon. "How much longer do you think we have till we hit Pennsylvania?"

Brandon shrugged, watching as the cashier began to ring up his purchases. "I don't know." His forehead scrunched up in concentration. "I'm willing to say thirty, forty five minutes-"

"Hey!" Ray pointed out the store windows towards the parking lot, his eyes as big as dinner plates. "Is that our truck?"

"Huh?" Cindy and Brandon's heads whipped towards the road, where a red and white semi was beginning to pull out of the lot. "What, that huge thing?"

"That is our truck!" Brandon and Ray exchanged looks, their heads hipping towards Cindy. She blinked back, her eyes wide.

Then, they were tearing out of the store as quick as they could, Cindy jumping over the door into the driver's seat while Ray and Brandon threw themselves in beside her. She quickly cut on the car, the engine roaring to life. She threw the car in drive, speeding after it.

"When you two said you were trying to get back your truck I imagined a four by four. Maybe an SUV!" she shouted over the wind. "But not a damn eighteen wheeler!"

"I told you, we're truckers!" Brandon yelled back. She blinked, pushing her hair out of her eyes.

"No, you didn't!"

"Whoops?"

The car caught up to the truck within moments. Cindy tailed behind them while glancing to the other two habitants of the passenger seat.

"What am I supposed to do now?" she asked. Brandon shrugged. Ray stroked his chin before snapping his fingers, grinning at her.

"Cut em' off!"

Cindy snorted. "Fuck no! I ain't getting crushed to death messing around with your trucker…truck!" Her nose scrunched up. "As a matter of fact, how the hell did they get it in the first place?!"

"It's a long story, just get them to stop!" Ray shot back. Cindy rolled her eyes, checking the opposite lane to make sure no one was in it before merging into it, speeding up so that she was beside the truck. The driver had on a pair of sunglasses, his dreads were pulled back, and he was singing along to Bob Marley.

"Hey!" she yelled, waving her right hand to get his attention. "Hey!"

"Aye, yo! You jive ass motha-"

"Shut yo mouth!" Brandon gave him a look. "We have to handle this situation like adults!" He shook his head before glancing towards the man, who still hadn't noticed them. "HEY! GIVE ME MY TRUCK BACK OR I'M TELLIN!"

"Ooh. Reeeeal mature," Ray mumbled, rolling his eyes. Cindy shook her head, picking up an empty soda can and chucking it towards the truck. Since the window was open it flew in, smacking him in the side of the head. He glanced around, his eyes falling on them.

"Hey!" Cindy gestured to the side of the road. "Pull over!"

He blinked, giving her a look. "What?"

"Pull…over!"

"Huh?"

"PULL YOUR DAMN TRUCK OVER!"

"Wait…" Brandon gave Ray a look. "Ray…I don't think this is our truck."

Cindy's jaw dropped. "Say wha?"

"Of course it is!" Ray threw his hands up. "It's the same color, the same make, the-"

"The license plates are from California, not Tennessee! You dumbass!" Brandon plucked Ray in the head, glaring at him. Ray shrugged, cringing.

"Anyone…could have made that mistake?"

"Man, fuck you."

"Are you kidding me?" Cindy let the car slow down so that she could merge back into the right lane. She quickly pulled over to the side of the road and parked, cutting the car off and whirling around in her seat to glare at them. "I wasted twenty dollars on gas, nearly got pulled over for reckless driving, hit a random guy with a damn soda can…and it wasn't the right truck?!"

"I'm sorry!" Ray wailed as both Brandon and Cindy glared at him. "I got excited! I thought-"

"You thought wrong!" Brandon yelled. "Damn!"

"Whatever." Cindy shook her head, going to start the car again. "It is what it is, I…guess…" Her eyes widened as she tried to cut the car on and nothing happened. "Oh, no."

"Uh, oh." Ray cringed as she tried to start the car again. "What does that sound mean?"

"It means-" Cindy hissed, her teeth clenched and her eyes closed. "That we're out of gas."

Brandon smacked his palm against his forehead. Ray let out a low whistle, shaking his head.

"Man. It's a good thing Jazmine's still sleep cause she'd be pissed right now."

Cindy snorted, glancing in the backseat. "Yeah, she'd be…oh-my-fucking-god-she's-not-there."

"WHAT?!" Ray and Brandon shouted, their jaws dropping. The both of them spun around to stare into the empty backseat. Cindy put a hand over her mouth.

"I thought you said she was still sleeping back at the store?!" she wailed, giving Brandon an exasperated look.

"She was!" He threw up his hands. "I swear! When I came inside she was still back there!"

"Oh, my god." Cindy ran her hands through her hair. "We left Jazmine. We left Jazmine at a fucking gas station!"

"It's fine! We'll go back!" Ray tried, but Cindy smacked him in the chest.

"How? We don't have any gas, stupid!"

"Then we'll walk back!" he shot back. "We didn't drive too far! Maybe a mile! It ain't like she's gonna be gone nowhere when we get there! It's the middle of nowhere!"

"You don't understand." Cindy shook her head. "She's going to freak the hell out. She's probably freaking the hell out now!"

"Then let's go!" Ray shouted, knocking Brandon aside and throwing open the passenger door. Cindy opened her door as well, the three of them running back in the direction they'd come from. She shook her head, groaning.

"She is going to kill us."

"Ahhh," Jazmine sighed as she left the bathroom, drying her hands with her paper towel and chucking it in the trash. She wiped her eyes, yawning. "That's better."

She hated public bathrooms. But when she'd woken up and realized that they'd made a pit stop, she also realized…her bladder was nearly begging her to go find a bathroom or a can or a tree to use. So as strong as her disdain for weird restrooms was, her urge to go had won out.

She smiled at the cashier, who was reading a newspaper. He nodded back as she pushed open the door, bright sunlight pouring into her eyes. She blinked, stretching. As upset as she was about her car and everything that had happened recently, her nap had helped her get some optimism back. She could fix this! She fixed everything. Smiling to herself she started towards the gas pumps…

…and stopped dead in her tracks.

Her eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat. She rubbed her eyes and stared again in disbelief.

It was really funny, but…the car seemed to have mysteriously vanished.

The funny part? There was absolutely nothing funny about it.

The disbelief faded. Her jaw dropped. Her eyes filled with tears.

And Jazmine, being the mature girl she was, stomped her foot and screamed.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THOSE BITCHES LEFT ME!"

Well. So much for the optimism.

She spun around on her heel, running back into the store and stopping in front of the counter. The man lowered his paper.

"My friends left me here!" she wailed, trying hard not to cry and failing miserably. She hated being alone. She hated being alone in strange places. She hated being alone in strange places when other people were in possession of her already damaged car. "Do you have a phone?"

"Sorry, hun." The man snorted, lifting his paper again. "Some nuts destroyed the power line last night during the storm. No phone."

"Oh, my god!" Jazmine yanked on the ends of her hair, letting out a sob. She couldn't help it, she was sensitive! So sue her! "I'm going to die! They abandoned me and I'm in the middle of nowhere and I'm gonna die!"

"Tell you what." The man gave her a sympathetic look. He folded his paper, sticking it underneath his register. "Business has been slow today. I'll drop you off at Youngstown; it's the closest city to here and it's right on the border of Pennsylvania. Their phones should be workin' just fine." He shook his head. "I hate seeing young ladies lost by themselves."

Jazmine sniffed, rubbing her eyes. "I don't know…" She blinked at him. "Are you a rapist?"

His eyebrows drew together. "What?"

"Have you ever gone to jail?"

His response was sarcastic. "Have you?"

She stopped, wincing. She couldn't really use that question to weed out the bad guys anymore, could she?

"Good point. Okay, I'll go." He grabbed his keys, walking from behind the register. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." He flipped the sign to Closed on the door, holding it open for her. "Just, I've got some advice."

"Huh?"

"I mean, you said your friends left you?" When she nodded, sniffling again, he shook his head. "Well, you know those friends of yours?" When she blinked up at him with big, curious eyes he rolled his own irises. "Get new ones."

"Okay." Cindy took a deep breath, the phone out in her hand and her thumb poised over the talk button. "So, this is my excuse. Um, we were getting robbed, we drove to try and catch the perps, Jazmine was in the restroom and we didn't even realize it."

"I really don't think you should tell him anything until we get back to her," Brandon suggested, shaking his head. They moved over to the side of the road as a car drove past. "I'm pretty sure he'd be ready to track you down and kill you for losing track of his only child. I know I would."

"It was an accident!" Cindy screamed. Brandon shrugged.

"And will he see it that way?"

"Uh…" Cindy winced. "You're right. He really doesn't need to know."

"It'll be alright anyway." The gas station came into view, causing all of them to exhale in relief. "We're already back. We don't have to involve anyone else."

"Thank god." Cindy began jogging, the other two doing the same. "I hope she's not throwing a fit-"

"It looks like there's not anyone doing much of anything in there." Brandon frowned as they reached the parking lot. "Was the place this dark when we were here last?"

"I wasn't really paying attention."Cindy strode up to the door, tugging on the handle. "Huh?" She gave it another angry tug when it didn't budge. "What the hell?"

"I think it has something to do with that." Ray pointed towards the closed sign that hung on the door. Cindy's eyes widened.

"That's impossible!" She pulled on the handle with both hands, shaking the door. "What the…no!"

"Do you think she tried to walk somewhere?" Brandon asked staring around for signs of life. Cindy shrugged.

"I don't know!" She threw up her hands. "But it ain't like she knows where we are! She slept the entire way through Ohio!"

"You don't think that cashier like, killed her or nothin', do ya?" Ray asked in a low voice. When Cindy let out a cry Brandon punched him in the arm.

"Why the hell would you even come out your mouth with something like that?!" he yelled. Ray shook his head.

"Man, I don't know! I ain't the one who said she was in the damn car when she won't!"

"I told you she was when I went inside!" Brandon snapped. "Don't try to blame this on me!"

"This isn't anyone's fault," Cindy managed weakly, massaging her temples. "We just…" She let her words trail off and let out a low groan. "Oh, my god." Her cell phone suddenly started ringing and she pulled it out her pocket, glancing at the screen. Her face fell. "Shit."

"What?" Both boys leaned over the screen to glance at it. Ray's eyebrows drew together.

"Huey F?" His eyes widened. "Oh!" He winced. "Oh."

"I can't answer it." Cindy shook her head. Brandon snorted, sighing.

"You're going to have to. Maybe she's gotten in touch with him."

Cindy sighed, grimacing as she slowly pressed the talk button, taking her time with putting the phone up to her ear. She swallowed and took a deep breath.

"H-hello?"

"Well, you actually answered." Huey's voice was filled with sarcasm. Cindy sighed again.

"Hey, Huey."

There was a pause. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing." Cindy shrugged, giving Brandon and Ray, who were staring at her with expectant expressions, a nervous look. "Um…what's up with you?"

"I…really don't want to talk about it." There was loud laughter in the background. "Shut up!" he shouted towards it before his voice was back in the phone. "Anyways, is Jazmine there?"

"Um…" Cindy shot Ray and Brandon a panicked look. "She's…not really available right now…"

"Cindy." Huey sounded tired. "I really don't feel like doing this right now. Can you just put her on the phone?"

"Not…really…"

"Cindy!"

"I can't!" Cindy squeezed her eyes shut, grasping the phone so hard she could feel blisters forming. "She's not here."

There was a pause. "Not there? What do you mean she's not there?"

"She's not here. As in…" Cindy let out a low whistle. "Huey, you remember when Mr. Freeman let Riley bring that puppy he found to your house when we were thirteen? And how when you both went to school he took it to the pound? And how to this day Riley still thinks it just up and ran away?"

There was a long, tense silence. Cindy cracked an eye open.

"Um…you still there?"

"Cindy." Huey's voice was low. "Are you trying to say that Jazmine's not with you?"

"Well…" The blond gulped. "She is in spirit?"

"CINDY!" Huey shouted so loudly that she had to hold the phone away from her ear. "IF SHE'S NOT WITH YOU THEN WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?!"

"I don't know!" she finally wailed. "She was upset over her car being rear ended by these people that were trying to kill us last night-"

"WHAT?!"

"I mean…she was sleeping and then got out the car but we didn't know and we went chasing this dude who stole Ray and Brandon's truck but it wasn't him and we left her behind-"

"WHAT?!"

"…Can you not hear?"

"Okay." Huey's voice was lower, but it didn't make it sound any less menacing. "Who the hell tried to kill you, who in the world are Ray and Brandon, and how the fuck could you not notice a five foot six female's absence from the back of her own car?!"

"We were in a hurry!"

"Well, you'd better hurry the hell up and find her!" Huey snapped back. "Where are you even at?"

"Um…" Cindy stared around the empty space. "Ohio?"

"Ohio. Ooh. That's not vague."

"Well why don't you stop being such a smartass and try to help me?" Cindy yelled.

"Because I have no fucking clue where you are!" Huey shot back, making her hold the phone away from her ear again. "You're going to fix this shit because it's your damn fault!"

"How-"

"You forced her to go early because of your pathetic breakup, you don't know where the hell you all are and you're the one who left her at a gas station!" His voice was sharp. "So you'd better find heror I'm going to kill you!"

"I already feel bad!" Cindy yelled, tears springing to her eyes. "You can stop yelling now!"

"You should feel bad!" he shouted. She sniffed. "You always drag her into your bullshit and this is how it ends up!" He paused. "If anything happens to her then it's gonna go on your conscience."

Cindy put her hand to her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut. She felt someone take the phone from her ear and opened her eyes to see Brandon holding the phone up to his ear.

"Hello? Um, hi. My name's Brandon…okay, you ain't gotta yell at me, man…yeah, I know I should have noticed if she was in the car or not but I didn't. None of us did. It's done, so we've just got find a way to…how did I get with them in the first place? Well, it's a long story. We kind of got out of jail at the same time…why were we in there? Woooo." He glanced towards Cindy. "You're real behind on the times."

Ray shook his head, resting a hand on Cindy's shoulder. "It's alright." They watched Brandon walk away, still on the phone. "We'll find her."

Cindy shrugged, sniffing and wiping her eyes. "He's right. It is my fault."

"It's not-"

"It is." Cindy shook her head. "If I wouldn't have forced her to come when we did-"

"Well, I don't think she dead in some field somewhere, so it ain't no point in gettin' all crazy." He pat her shoulder. "She can't have got that far."

Cindy sighed.

"Well, I'm pretty sure we're near the Pennsylvania border, so…you're in Canton? That's not too far from here…" Brandon listened to something, nodding. "How were we almost killed? Eh, it was just a fender bender. Crazy ass hillbillies…yes! Perfect! Okay, stay on sixty two and you should run right into us. Awesome. Right, okay. Bye-" He stared at the phone, shaking his head and walking back over. "Man." He handed the phone to Cindy. "That is one angry boy."

"He's always angry." Cindy sighed. "Alright, so what did he say?"

"Well, once I got him calm enough where he wasn't screaming for blood, he told me him and his friends were passing through Canton, which I believe we left a good twenty five minutes ago." Brandon shrugged. "He's on Route sixty two, which is exactly what we're taking. He's going to catch up to us."

"Ah. So he can kill me where no one will ever find me." Cindy groaned. "Great."

"Nah. Too many witnesses," Ray pointed out, rolling his eyes.

"Well, this is what we're going to do." Brandon pointed to the closed store. "As bad as this is going to sound, we're going to bust in that door. We're gonna get a gasoline can and we're gonna fill it with gas. And we're gonna hurry up and get it in that car so we can get to looking for her."

"But if she would have went that way we would have seen her!" Cindy pointed out. Brandon shrugged.

"We missed her before. It isn't impossible that we missed her again."

"Okay. Break door, pump gas, get tha fuck out." Ray cracked his knuckles. "Let's do it."

By the time Jazmine reached Youngstown, Ohio, she had gone from being scared, to sad, to mad.

More than mad, actually. It was more like furious.

How dare they leave her in some strange place, driving off in her car? Jazmine kept trying to keep her cool but every time she thought about it she got even angrier. By the time she made it into the first store she can to, a Party City, she was practically seething.

She stomped up to the counter where a girl was smacking on a piece of gum and twirling a fake magic wand in between her fingers. The moments she saw Jazmine she rolled her eyes.

"What do you want-"

"Let me use your phone." Although Jazmine was usually polite as they came, she just wasn't in the mood. "Please."

The girl sighed. "Gotta buy something."

Jazmine blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Only customers can use the phone." The girl shrugged, not looking the least bit sympathetic. "Sorry."

Jazmine glanced around the register, spotted a fake, plastic ring, and slammed it on the counter. "There."

The girl scanned it, smacking her gum. "One twenty four."

Jazmine nodded, digging into her pockets. When her fingers brushed against empty fabric she groaned.

Her wallet was in her purse. Her purse…was in her car. The car that she somehow wasn't in!

"I don't have any money." Jazmine glanced at the girl, who shrugged and leaned against the counter.

"Sucks for you."

"You know what's gonna suck for you?" Jazmine suddenly snapped, standing on her tiptoes to yank the girl forward by her collar so that her nose was inches from her own. "If you don't let me use your stupid phone! I almost got ran off the road, I almost got sent to jail, I just got stranded in some weird ass city and I don't have time to play games! I will beat your ass!"

The girl's eyes widened. Jazmine let go of her and she quickly ducked under the counter, popping back up and handing the angry girl a cordless phone.

"Here." The girl shook her head. "Just…get away from me. Please!"

"Thank you." Jazmine snatched the phone, turning on her heel and walking towards the front door, dialing Cindy's number and putting the phone up to her ear. It rang exactly one time before being picked up.

"Hello?!" Cindy's frantic voice made her anger fade, even though it only lasted for a second. Then it was back with a vengeance.

"It's me." Jazmine leaned against the wall, glaring out the door. "Just in case you haven't noticed yet that I'm gone."

"Jazzy, I'm so-"

"Save it," she snapped, cutting Cindy off. "I'm at a dumb Party City in Youngstown, ten minutes outside of Pennsylvania. So, come pick me up."

"Are you okay?" Cindy, for her credit, did sound worried. "How did you get way out there? How'd you find a phone?"

"Without your help." Jazmine shook her head. "Come get me. Right. Now."

She heard Cindy sigh into the phone. "I know you have every right to be mad, but-"

"I do not want to hear you talking right now." She didn't care how mean she was being. She was tired of this. "The only thing I want from you is my car keys when you get here, which had better be in the next twenty minutes."

"We're on the way." There was a long, tense silence. "I'm really sor-"

She hung up the phone, shaking her head and walking back up to the counter to hand it to the girl, who eyed her. "Thanks."

"No problem." The girl pointed to her hair. "I like your hair. It's…big."

Jazmine blinked at her. She winced, jabbing her thumb behind her.

"I'm just gonna go…anywhere but here now."

"That would probably be best." Jazmine stalked back outside the store to sit on the steps, folding her arms on her knees and resting her chin on them.

If Cindy thought that she was going to be forgiven so easily, she was in for a rude awakening.

I'm sure Jazmine's not the only one who's been left at a store before. lol. (The sad part is it's definitely happened to my ass. TWICE.)
Thanks for reading! Feel free to share your thoughts!

-Kelsey