Chapter 2

It had been easy to sneak into Chloe's room. A leg up next to the garage made it easy to climb onto its flat roof and it was even easier to enter the room through the window. Chloe had sneaked out this way more than once. David's car was not in sight, too, so Chloe doubted he and Joyce were even home, but they didn't want to risk it. While Chloe searched for a few items and emptied her drawers of clothes into another travel bag, Rachel stood in the middle of her girlfriend's room and looked at the large number of posters hung up the walls. She was kind of fascinated by Chloe's room, but she also raised her eyebrow about the condition of Chloe's desk. She wondered if Chloe had ever done her homework, as not an inch of the desk was free from stuff. Definitely no school stuff though.

"I am ready.", Chloe whispered after a while. With no hesitation, they grabbed their bags and left the same way they came in.

That was kinda far too easy.

Chloe's street was very dark. Only a few lanterns lightened up the street now and then. Most of the time the two girls appeared as a shadow lovers couple. It took almost half an hour of walking until they finally arrived at the junkyard. Chloe noticed that Rachel steadily clutched her hand since they left her parents´ home. It was too dark to see further than a few feet.

Rachel stopped and searched for something in her travel bag. Seconds later a flashlight brightened up their surroundings. "I am glad I kept this hiking survival set all those years.", Rachel said while she closed the bag and stood up with the lamp in her free hand, "Although I never climbed any mountain again after my accident." She gave the light to Chloe.

"I thought you still like it?", Chloe wondered as she remembered Rachel mentioning she wanted to climb the Everest someday.

"Theoretically, yeah, but mum was concerned about what happened, so my dad and I never went on a trip like this again. And I have no one to come with me." She stuttered a bit while calling Mr. and Mrs. Amber "mum" and "dad", but she did.

"You never asked me."

"Fine.", she rolled her eyes dramatically, "I had no one who would join me. And in fact, I forgot to ask you the last two days we´ve known each other already." She gave herself a huge facepalm. "What a fool I am to not think of this!"

"Indeed!", Chloe agreed and Rachel linked arms with her, as she had no free had left now because of the flashlight, "I mean, you even stumbled into a relationship somehow in those last two days, so…" Chloe shrugged and they remained silent for a short while.

"Wait, what? You actually are into hiking?", Rachel interrupted the quiet.

"Nah, I dunno, but I guess this is what couples do, huh? Quality time activities?" Rachel bumped into Chloe while walking instead of giving an answer. "Hey, I won´t encumber you with the vexation of spending time with me.", she sulked and turned her head aggrieved away from Chloe with theatrical perfection.

"I can ensure you, that you would be the best part about it, though.", Chloe laughed. Rachel joined it and they continued their way through the junk until they reached the truck.

"So, this is the car you will take me on dates with?", Rachel joked and hit the hood with her hand after they stored the bags on the truck bed.

"I will see if I can rustle up a tandem for us if you'd prefer that…"

"What a great idea!", Rachel approved and made a move to sit down in the car, but the door was stuck. She knocked at the dirty window, but Chloe´s attempts to unlock the door from the inside also failed.

"It seems like you have to make a move on me then." Chloe said with a kinky smile.

"Not like I did that already today or anything…", Rachel gave back and walked around the car to enter it from the driver's side. She opened the door and climbed over Chloe´s lap, being more touchy than necessary. When she tried to go further to her own seat, Chloe blocked her way with her arms. "Why in such hurry?", she asked and wiggled with her eyebrows.

"Then, tell me, what´s the Price to pass? No pun intended, of course." Rachel winked at the end of her sentence.

"I don't know, try it.", she suggested shrugging her arms innocently. "I am on top, so better don't provoke me, Price." It took no full second until their lips interlocked again. And yes, Chloe could definitely get used to this.

"You see?", Chloe began after they separated and took her arms back, "I am cheap customs."

"You are unbelievable, that's what you are."

"That, too. But whatever – where do you want to spend your first night in freedom?"

"Drive me to a place where I can see the stars and the sea!"

"Thy will be done, Prospera."

"I give my thanks to Thee, Ariel."

It took half an hour of driving until they had to stop at a gas station to fill up the tank. It was already dark; a cloudless, clear night full of stars up the black sky.

"I guess we have to do something illegal. Otherwise, our journey to a pleasant beach will take a bit longer than night is left.", Chloe stated and turned into a parking lot at a gas station.

"Something illegal? You mean like…fill up the tank as full as possible and then – what a pity – forget to pay?", Rachel said with a dramatically shocked voice.

"I am afraid to tell you this is exactly what I meant.", Chloe nodded and turned towards Rachel, "And I guess we should make use of our enormous acting talent again."

"What do you have in mind, Chloe Price?"

"You will get out of the car, go into the store to buy a pack of gum or whatever and distract this young handsome guy in there", Chloe pointed at the cashier inside the small gas station shop, "So meanwhile I can get some gas inside our tank and he won't notice. Afterward, you come out here and I will pick you up and we will leave as if we did not come here to refuel at all." She ended her explanation with crossing her arms satisfied.

"Chloe Badass Price. I am flashed by your skills of making up evil plans. But can you stand seeing me flirt with this dude?"

"If it gets to hardcore I will come in and punch him in his face. He won´t ask for his money after that anyway." Chloe closed her hands into fists and demonstrated Rachel a few of her punches.

"Wooow, Chloe, I am glad I am not the air you´re fighting there!", she mocked and showed her respect with her facial expression. "You better are!", Chloe agreed and looked at Rachel in expectation for her to leave the car, which she did with an evil smile on her lips.

Chloe waited until Rachel entered the shop. Then she got out of the car and discovered something useful. She found a large box of jerry cans near the entry, so she could take them instead of driving to one of the fuel pumps, which would have been way more risky, although she trusted Rachel´s flirting skills. She sneaked crutched below the shop´s windows to the box, grabbed two of the cans and placed them on the truck bed when she returned. She made her way up to the jerry cans two more times and scammed six cans in total. She looked inside the shop and saw Rachel talking to the other guy. She bent over to him bracing at the counter with her elbows, probably presenting him her cleavage with a gorgeous smile. Chloe had to swallow at this, but she trusted Rachel and the fact that fuel worth more than a hundred dollars would be theirs as soon as they left the gas station made her cheerful. It took two more minutes until Rachel turned around and came out of the store. Chloe picked her up at the entry.

"So, did you made your first runaway-romance in there?", Chloe welcomed her and stepped on the gas. She held out the pack of gum to Chloe but instead pulled one out to feed Chloe with it when she realized she had no free hand to pull one out herself. "Next time you send me to flirt with a guy, better check if he's gay beforehand.", Rachel gave back and started laughing. "No chance! Are you serious?" "Yep, totally gay. He even wore a rainbow bracelet." "But how could you distract him then? I mean, you are gorgeous and everything, but…"

Rachel smirked.

"I told him I am, too."