Wednesday and Thursday came and went fairly uneventfully apart from one worrying incident on Thursday night.
"Juliet, Cara? Would you come here for a moment?"
Aunty Lin's voice had called out from the lounge room. She was sitting in front of the TV as a news outlet showed videos of a warehouse that had been broken into. I sat on the couch beside Aunty, a little anxious to get back to my homework which I had been neglecting.
Cara came in from the kitchen and perched on the armrest of the couch, phone still in her hands.
"What's up?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at our guardian.
Aunty presses the 'mute' button and turns to us. The image had just shifted to one of a painted emblem. I started softly tapping a finger against my thigh, trying to school my features back into mild curiosity.
"You might have heard on the news, but a group of teens calling themselves 'The Pack' have been breaking into places all over the city." Aunty began, looking as anxious as I feel, "I just want to make sure you guys know to be careful, especial since you're going out at night a lot more than normal." She aimed that last comment directly at me, though I knew she was talking to both of us. I had been going out more than, well, ever, I guess.
"Sure," Cara says shortly, but when I turn to look at her, she has a small smile on her face, "don't worry about it."
"Oh, you girls know I'll always worry!" Aunty says with a wide smile, and the tension of the room leaves in a breath. Or maybe not. It still feels like I have a tight knot in my stomach.
I glance at the television. The symbol is still there.
It's the same symbol I saw Monday evening when Jinn and Oliver asked me to be a lookout while they spray painted it onto a wall.
A white pawprint.
Friday rolls around and I don't think I can do this.
The Pack? Meta teens? What do you think you're getting into Juliet? This is nuts! My insides scream as I sit silently on the train. I haven't even got home yet and I can't help getting out my phone for what seems like the thousandth time to check the time.
3:40pm
I leave it out on my knee, not even bothering to put it back since I know I'll just check it again in a minute. It lights up with a text message, and I open it, desperate for distraction.
Layla: Hey Jules, I hope you're still coming tonight. I'll explain everything there. Jinn says he can pick you up if you need a lift, and I thought it was better if you didn't take the train so late at night again. Anyway, hopefully see you tonight!
I took a breath.
You can do this Jules. They're your friends and they say it's not what it looks like. Reserve judgement for after.
Letting the air slowly out of my lungs, I texted back.
Okay. See you then And please thank Jinn for the lift.
A few moments later my phone buzzed a second time.
Layla: Thank him yourself! You can tell him when you text him your address.
Oh. That's right. I do have his number. I let out a shaky laugh, telling myself to calm down. What's the worst that could happen? Be brave and give it a shot, Jules!
7:30pm
Jinn had been texted, dinner had been eaten, the dishes had been washed and I was trying to build up the courage to tell Cara I was going out.
No, I was not going to tell Aunty.
Yes, it started at 10pm.
Yeah…there's no way I can do this. She'd say no for sure, and then she'd tell Aunty.
Okay. So, no Cara.
Going out the front door might be an issue then.
I could wait until everyone had gone to bed, then climb out my window?
Out into what? Thin air? You're on the second floor, Juliet.
I walked over to the window, cracking it open to examine outside of it. There was a silver birch tree, but it was too flimsy and too far away to be any good for aiding my descent. There wasn't even a bush beneath the window to jump into. Not that doing that would be an option, even without the issue of my leg. I'd have to be very careful not to put too much weight on it, or it would start to hurt like…well, it would be a challenge to walk out and around the block to where Jinn would be waiting. And I didn't want to risk that again after that stupidly long walk home the other week had made it ache horribly. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure how I made it to the party and back without causing any more damage that night.
I was about to give up when I spotted a drainpipe right next to the windowsill. After a surreptitious glance around, I reached out and tested how far I'd need to get out my window before trusting my weight to it. Manageable.
Okay, that's one problem solved, now how are you going to make sure no one realises you're gone?
Well, faking sickness would only make sure someone checked up on me. And stuffing pillows didn't seem necessary. Probably the best plan would be to go up to bed at the normal time, turn off the lights and leave out the window at nine-thirty. Then there would be no reason for someone to check up on me and I'd be back before morning.
I got changed into my pyjamas and went downstairs for a hot drink.
9pm
It had been torture waiting long enough, but now I walked slowly up the stairs to bed. I felt like racing, taking the stairs two at a time, but I knew that would be a bad idea. And not just because of my leg.
Once in the seclusion of my room, I changed into some dark clothes and turned the lights off. I didn't want to set an alarm just in case it sounded too loud, but I didn't want to be late either.
I got out my phone and sat on my bed, deciding to play Big Belly Bust. I was up to level 92 now.
HA!
With a final power up, I completed level 101 and checked the time.
9:28pm
Sweet petunias! You need to leave now!
Inwardly groaning at how embarrassed I would be if I was late when Jinn pulled up, I stashed my phone in my jeans pocket and paused, taking a deep breath.
The shadows played across the walls as yellow headlights flickered across the back wall of my room.
Am I really doing this?
I didn't give myself time to form the next thought.
Trying to open the window as quietly as possible, I gave it a gentle shove, and when that failed, a harder one. It opened up a 'scroomph' and I winced, the noise seeming too loud in the quiet house. I listened hard and could still hear the distant sounds of Auntie's television show.
I gently placed my good leg on the sill, carefully shifting my weight onto it as I leaned out the window. Reaching with my hands, I grasped the cold metal and held in a hiss, taking my hands away when I my hands had gripped it no longer than a minute. It was like an ice-cream container and though it wasn't quite winter yet, Autumn was still not Summer.
Get over it. You just need to hold on long enough to get down, Jules. You can do this! It's hardly more pain than getting shot in the leg!
With these galvanising thoughts, I climbed out the window, grabbing the downpipe and clinging to it. *
I could almost hear it groan, and I froze, cold hands forgotten.
All I could think was, quick, quick, quick, quick,quickquickquickquick, as I half slid, half scratched my way down the fragile structure. Just as I was feeling it was too late, and the stupid pipe would tear off the wall of the house, I reached the ground, landing on my feet with a thump before falling on my butt. The wet grass began to seep through my jeans, and I scrambled up, feeling the new ache in my leg before I even fully put my weight back on it.
Fiddle sticks.
Scowling, I walked gingerly out of the backyard, aiming for the place I'd told Jinn to wait.
I'd just got there and spotted Jinn pulling up on his bike beside the curb when I heard the most horrible sound from behind me.
"Juliet. What are you doing?"
The voice was cold in a way I hadn't heard in half a year.
Maybe if you don't turn around, she wont see you? A stupid little voice at the back of my head said.
Fat chance. The savage voice that had been warning me all night that what I was doing was supremely stupid. Shut up stupid voice.
All of a sudden, my heart was beating fast and my breath was almost as fast.
"Jules, she's a fair way away, you wanna jump on before she gets here?" Jinn asked and I couldn't see his face underneath the helmet.
If you do that, the savage voice, which had NOT shut up, said viciously, that'll be it. You will NOT take that offer Juliet, or so help me… I tried to ignore it, but I knew it was right.
"Just go before you get caught up in this too." I said, hearing my voice as if from a great distance, "Tell Layla I'm sorry."
"If you're sure." He nodded, and pushed off, motoring into the dark.
Darn. Darn, darn, darndarndarndarndar- my thought was cut off by Cara, who had by this time reached us, well, just me now.
* So, I'm not sure how well a downpipe would hold the weight of a teenage girl, so after some fruitless research, I guessed "not that well, but maybe enough to get her from the first floor to the ground". Do you guys know more? If so, please tell me :)
Author's Note:
CLIFFHANGER ALERT - oh, I'm too late? Ah well. Complaints? Sorry, I can't hear you over my happy dance that I finished this in time to post it!
HA!
Take THAT crazy workload!
Anyway, speculation, thoughts, general musings are all welcome here! You'll find the review section right underneath this author's note and I encourage every one of you disgruntled readers questioning my capacity for authorial evil to use it :) And don't worry, I also invite All and Sundry, Every Man and his Dog, and all the other relevant idioms for everyone to also review! Please! It would be awesome to get some feedback, even if it is just to complain about the cliffhanger :)
Have an awesome day!
Trix