Higher Ground
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On with the story!
The High Life
Chapter 10: On The Run
It was like any other day at Horizon, people sprawled out on the chairs in the mess hall, a couple of guys playing foot ball outside. Everything felt normal, except for Charlie, it felt like she had to start all over again. Even after winning Peter over, she knew that she still had a long way to go with the Cliffhangers. Damien was a big part of the Cliffhangers and now that everyone thought that she had screwed him over, she was all alone again. Maybe that wasn't entirely true, but she still felt like she had no one. Patrick and Kat had stood by her, not wanting to get in the middle, but she knew that they didn't approve. How could they?
So she sat in the gazebo, all by herself, ready to defend herself with sarcasm, just like she had all those months ago when she first came to the mountains. But she was not alone. In the bushes she heard a scuffling of the feet as Cristina came out of the clearing, carrying a suitcase, and looking very suspicious. Charlie thought about letting it go. She wasn't in the mood to stir the pot. But then she couldn't help wondering, 'What was Cristina doing with a suitcase?'
"Princess Peg", she yelled. "Where d'ya think your going, huh?"
Cristina was startled. It was obvious that she didn't do subtle well.
"Oh uh… Peter wants me to go home for a while. You know, see my mother", Cristina said in a not so calm voice.
"Aha", Charlie nodded not buying her story. "That's why your sneaking around in the woods like a rat on steroids".
Cristina knew she was beaten. She was never a great liar.
"You cant stop me ok. I'm leaving", she said warning her.
"Relax, I'm not gonna stop ya", Charlie laughed eating this up. "You wanna run, run. Where you gonna stay?"
"I don't know. I'll find somewhere".
"Don't tell me you're gonna rough it Princess. You wouldn't last a day out there on your own", Charlie told her.
"How do you know? I've done it before".
"Yeah, and you couldn't hack it", Charlie mused. "Tell ya what. I'll come with ya".
"But you just got Peter to let you stay here", Cristina said.
"Forget about that. You need me".
"You're not even packed", Cristina pointed out.
"Doesn't matter. We aren't leaving till dawn tomorrow morning".
"What? I'm sorry but I'm leaving now", Cristina told her.
"You leave in broad day light, you'll get caught getting out on the main road", Charlie said wisely. "4 o'clock tomorrow morning. Don't be late".
"What am I supposed to do with my stuff?"
"Leave it out here overnight, it'll be fine".
Dinner was especially awkward for Charlie. When she walked in to the cafeteria she was positive all eyes were on her. She saw the Cliffhangers. While Ezra was busy slirping down whatever drink he had, the others were deep in some sort of argument with Ryder. But as soon as Charlie entered Damien looked up. For a brief moment she stood there looking back at him and wondering if she should sit with them or pick the empty table she had grown accustomed to when she had first arrived at Horizon. She decided to go and sit at the empty table in the corner. She put her tray down and as she sat down she saw Kat coming over
"Hey", Kat said. "What ya doin?" Kat was subtle.
"What does it look like I'm doing. I'm distancing myself off from all the people that cant stand me", Charlie said with a hint of sarcasm.
"It's not like that, Charlie. It's just that they don't understand what happened", Kat told her.
"Isnt that why I'm on the outer. Because they do understand? Look, Kat, thanks for coming over, but they have every right to feel the way that they do. I made my bed."
"So, how are we gonna do this anyhow?" Cristina asked sleepily. It was just past 6am and the girls were on there way. They had just walked all the way from Horizon to St Agnus' town centre. "You cant tell me where gonna be walking all the way".
"Jeez, you really would have been lost without me", Charlie said.
"Where are we going anyway", Cristina complained.
"California", Charlie said simply.
Cristina laughed nervously. "California? Ok news flash, we're in Vancouver, It's a whole different country".
"Smart girl".
"Well, how are we gonna get there, do you have a car waiting?"
"No, I got a thumb", Charlie held out her finger to hitch a ride.
"You cant do that, theres sick freaks out there", Cristina said,
"Yeah, I'm one of them, come on", Charlie said losing patience. Within a few minutes a truck stopped for them.
"Where ya goin", Charlie asked.
"Seattle, where are you ladies headed?" the truckie asked. Charlie smiles.
"Charlie, I am not going in there, I don't ride in trucks.. Can't we atleast find a Jag or something, it stinks in there", Cristina whispered.
"Life's a bitch, get in", Charlie demanded blandly.
"Hey guys, anyone seen Charlie?" Peter asked the group who were all slumped over chairs in the messhall. A few murmers signified no.
"Well, If anyone see's her, can you tell her I want to see her?" Peter said before walking out.
"You know, Charlie's wasn't at breakfast either", Pat pointed out.
"She's not in the dorm, she was gone before anybody even woke", Kat said.
"Maybe she's gone", Ryder said almost delighted.
"You mean like, run away, gone for good?" Mac asked.
"Makes sense doesn't it?"
"No", Damien said. "She just got permission to stay, don't be an idiot".
"Maybe she ran to get away from you", Ryder mused.
"Ryder, how do you like that face of yours, cos I can guarantee that in a few short minutes, its gonna be brutally disfigured", Damien was getting angrier.
"Maybe I hit a nerve", Ryder got up and walked out leaving Damien to stew.
Somewhere no where near Seattle, Charlie and Cristina felt like they had been walking for hours, ever since the trucker had dropped them off in a deserted town called Cape Burgerfriese.
"I am too tired to function", Cristina complained.
"Stop complaining, that sign back there said 6 miles to town, once we get there we can hitch a ride for the rest of the way", Charlie told her.
"Why couldn't we have atleast stayed in Canada", Cristina asked.
"Because Princess, if where gonna be on shuns for a month for running, I'm gonna do it properly", Charlie failed to explain.
"So we go to California?"
"Look, I got unfinished business there, alright", Charlie said.
"Unfinished business, you sound like one of those mafia movies", Cristina said.
"Surprised Peg. Here I was thinking you still believed the mafia was something made up by the same person who thought up the Boogeyman", Charlie couldn't hide that she was just as tired as Cristina.
"It's getting dark, we can continue tomorrow", she said, "we should find somewhere to sleep for the night".
"Charlie, sorry to disappoint you but do you see any establishments around here", Cristina said completely clueless.
"You wanted the Holiday Inn?. We'll go down that track, find a tree or something to shelter us", Charlie said wisely.
"I'm sorry, did you just say a tree", Cristina followed Charlie down through the track.
"You should be used to all the nature, being around Horizon for so long. Ah look", Charlie pretended to be absolutely delighted, "And its even got its own stump to lean on". Charlie sat down and opened her backpack.. "Here", she said handing Cristina a sandwhich "Eat this".
"Has that been in your bag since this morning?"
"Ah yeah, so?" Charlie didn't see the problem.
"Why don't you eat that, I'll just get something tomorrow when we get to the town", Cristina said.
"Suits me fine, but once your money runs out, don't rely on me", Charlie bit into her sandwhich. For a few minutes the girls sit there in silence.
"Hey Charlie?"
"Yeah, what?" Charlie finished eating.
"Why'd you come, I mean, I know you were happy that Peter let you stay, so why'd you leave?" Cristina asked in all seriousness.
"Cos you needed me", Charlie lied.
"Charlie, everyone knows that you cant stand me, don't get all moralistic now", Cristina told her. Cristina was right. Charlie sat there for a while pondering her thoughts.
"Don't you ever feel like you need to get away?"
"Yeah that's why I'm here", Cristina said. Charlie went silent again.
"Come on, lets get some sleep, where gonna need our rest for tomorrow", Charlie told Cristina.
"Soph, we got a problem", Peter told her as he walked into his office.
"What is it?"
"Charlie and Cristina are missing, nobody's seen them all day", Peter explained.
"You mean they've done a runner?" Sophie asked.
"Its strange, I mean, not only is it Charlie and Cristina together, but Charlie only just asked to stay".
"Well, why would Cristina go?" Sophie asked.
"Well, I knew she'd been having some problems with her mother, but I don't understand why she would run because of that", Peter said.
"You mean that phone call from her brother the other day?" Sophie pieced together, "Why? What did he say?"
"Apparently he told her that her mother wasn't going to come up for parents day next week because she couldn't get away from work, but, I don't know, I just cant imagine Cristina leaving Horizon because of that", Peter explained.
"Well, do the Cliffhangers know?" Sophie was trying to get her head around this.
"Ah no, not yet, but I know there wondering", Peter told her. "Well, I guess we'll call a search first thing tomorrow".
"Where do you think they may have gone?" Sophie asked.
"I'll give ya one guess", Peter said surely.
"California", Sophie chimed in realizing.
It was a fresh new morning and Charlie and Cristina had been walking for hours. Again, Cristina was complaining about her tired legs, her unwashed body and even the fact that her bare face had not make up on it.
"I'm so hungry", Cristina said.
"How much money you got left", Charlie asked. Cristina checked her pockets. Nothing. "Cristina, you had 15 bucks yesterday, what happened to that?"
"I was hungry", she cried.
"So you spent the whole 15 dollars? Now what are you gonna do for the rest of the time?"
"Well, you've still got some money, don't you", Cristina asked.
"5 bucks isn't gonna go very far between two people", Charlie explained. "Look, don't worry, we'll figure something out".
"Well, how'd you manage all those years on the streets with no money?" Cristina said naively.
"It wasn't easy, believe me", Charlie said avoiding telling her the truth. "Come on the next town isn't that far away".
Charlie was exhausted. Not only because she had been on the road for hours, she was beginning to get impatient with Cristina. The only thing keeping her sane was the knowledge that Cristina would get bored in a couple of days and decide to go back.
Ok thats enough for today. Please review.