I needed to find Dad, not goof around with stupid shopping carts. He was wasting time.
“Okay, suit yourself.” He whipped the cart around. “See ya on the flipside, kid.”
“Wait, Cole.” I dropped my bag. What am I doing?
“Yesss?” He turned the cart toward me and raised a brow.
“Even though I think we should be doing other things like gathering bottled water and trying to find a way to charge my phone, I’ll get in your stupid cart.” Being with him had better be worth it, but the longer I was with him, the more unlikely it seemed.
“Sweet!” A huge smile swept over his face, and his expression of victory nearly caused me to change my mind. I could be stubborn too.
He gave the cart a shove in my direction, and I took hold of it, stopping it before it crashed into the shelves and knocked everything to the floor. This is ridiculous. Sooo ridiculous.
“Go on, get in.”
“This is dumb.” I slipped a leg over the side into the basket. “I haven’t ridden in one of these since I was a little kid.” When was the last time I rode in a grocery cart? Maybe when I was three or four years old? There was a reason for that—carts weren’t meant for grown people!
“Really? I did this the other day.” He maneuvered the cart in the direction of the front doors and steered without regard to its passenger—me—forcing me to grip the sides to keep upright.
“Yeah, I kind of figured this was something you did on a regular basis.” I glanced over my shoulder. “You’re not going to do something stupid that gets me injured or killed are you? I’m still recovering, remember?” I didn’t want more stitches.
“Relax. You worry too much.” He pushed us through the broken door. The shards of glass crunched beneath the wheels and the cart skidded a little, but he managed to get us outside without tipping the whole thing over.
“Hey, wait! What about my cat? Where are we going?” He was a crazy man. I had no idea what his intentions were or whether we’d even be back. We would be back, right? My cat and my things were there. Why had I agreed to this? Because I’m a moron.
“Shhhh... everything’s going to be fine. Your cat has the best setup, toys, food, water, so she’ll be okay until we return. We’ll only be as long as it takes for you to liven up a bit.”
He steered us past the cars in the parking lot to the four lane, normally busy, street out front. “Hang on tight!”
“Wait just—”
But he ignored me and began to run with the cart. The wheels fought against the momentum, twisting and turning, but they handled my weight and his persistence. The air whirled around me and whipped my hair across my eyes.
I brushed the wild strands away, and gripped the sides tighter as Cole pushed the cart even faster. I was certain shopping carts weren’t meant for speeds higher than grocery store aisles allowed and Cole was going to get me killed. Stitches were the least of my problems.
He hopped on the back, adding his weight to the already burdened cart. He no longer steered the metal contraption on wheels down the precarious road, but threw his arms out to the side and coasted.
I gripped the cart as though my life depended on it, which at the moment, it did. This wasn’t fun at all and I wished I’d never agreed to his stupid games.
“Close your eyes, Tess. Enjoy yourself.”
“I can’t! Jeez. You need to stop!”
He jumped off the cart, but instead of bringing the whole thing to an end as I had anticipated, he started running again, adding more speed to the already out-of-hand situation.
“Stop it!” The cart wiggled and the wheels strained to keep up. I’m going to die. I’m going to die. Death by shopping cart.
“Close your eyes.”
“Heck no!” I yelled over the pounding of his feet on the pavement and the squeaking of the wheels. I needed my eyes to be open—wide, wide open.
“Close them.”
“No!” My knuckles whitened.
“Trust me.”
Trust you? Look what trusting him had gotten me into—careening down the street in a cart that threatened to collapse at any moment. “No!”
“I’m not stopping until you do.” With that, he jerked the cart to the right, nearly tumbling the whole thing over as it balanced on two wheels to take the curve in the road.
A few choice words flew past my lips, words I had never, ever, uttered in all my life, but were more than appropriate for this situation.
He laughed. “Seriously, I’ve run marathons—several of them—so I can do this all day.”
“Okay, okay!” Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name... I squeezed my eyes shut, prayed it would be over soon, and I wouldn’t have to add a nasty road rash—or worse—to my list of bodily injuries. This was complete insanity, but being trapped in a metal basket with a crazy man steering didn’t leave me with a lot of options.
He kept running, and the wind picked up around me, caressing my cheeks and messing my hair. Several times I felt myself floating, though the crisscross pattern of the cart never left my backside. The warmth of the sun bathed my face, and its light danced across my closed lids as we passed buildings and alleyways. It was almost like flying—almost.
Abandoned structures and the emptiness of my surroundings fell away, replaced only by the thumping of my heart, the sound of Cole’s breathing, and the rickety whirl of the wheels as they turned. I should have been terrified, but somehow the act of closing my eyes had the reverse effect, though I never released my grip on the cart.
I wasn’t that dumb.
I had no idea where we were headed or what dangers lay before us, but for a brief moment, it didn’t matter. For two very long months, my life had consisted of wondering, worrying, and crying lots and lots of tears.
Now, with my eyes closed I could imagine people strolling along the sidewalk, crossing at the corner to visit the post office or to sit outside the ice cream parlor, enjoying a root beer freeze or crème soda. Cars obeyed the traffic lights, joggers enjoyed a mid-morning run, and kids played in the schoolyard—shooting hoops, playing foursquare or swinging from the monkey bars. Birds sang from tree branches overhead, a dog barked in the distance, a car horn honked, the school bell rang... with my eyes closed, nothing seemed wrong. I wasn’t alone. Everything was normal.
And my family wasn’t missing.
I didn’t notice the slowing of the cart until it almost came to a complete standstill; I had been weirdly consumed by the moment. Cole stepped in front of me, his shadow falling over me, blocking the sun. I opened my eyes and the reality of my situation came into view—all too clearly. Closing my eyes, however briefly, wouldn’t change anything.
Cole smiled and leaned against the cart, his face only a few inches from mine. “You enjoyed it, didn’t you?”
Admitting my experience would give him power I wasn’t sure I wanted him to have, but the smile on my face made denial impossible.
“Okay, no more dilly-dallying. It’s time to get real now.” He waved a hand over his face, his happy-go-lucky expression changing to a sterner one. His effort to be more serious caused me to grin in spite of myself, and I wondered how long he could keep that up.
“We need water and supplies. Also, as much toilet paper and gum as we can handle.” Cole pushed the empty cart to me. “Never underestimate the need for toilet paper and gum. Both, very handy. So pack up fast, kid. We need to hit the road, put our feet to the pavement, and soldier on.” He gave me a salute, refusing to lower his arm or change his soldier-stance until I mimicked a salute—though I executed mine with exaggerated flare and I’d bent all my fingers except one.
Yep. His seriousness hadn’t lasted long.
I grabbed the cart and steered it away from him. He might be aggravating and totally immature, but he was right; we did need to hurry. Arguing or pointing out the fact that he had wasted most of our morning wouldn’t change anything, so I kept my mouth shut and my opinion to myself.
I packed everything
I could—toilet paper and gum too—using my Tetris-like skills to jam the cart as tightly and efficiently as possible. Heavier items on the bottom, lighter things on top. Amazing how much could fit in such a small space.
If Callie had any inkling Cole and I had left her earlier, she either didn’t care or had adjusted quickly. Like Cole had said, he’d set her up really nicely. A whole aisle was devoted to her with its array of pet toys. Not sure why he thought a rawhide bone would be appropriate, but he’d given her one. She had several dog beds to choose from, a litter box she’d taken full advantage of, and a bowl of wet cat food as well as a bowl of dry. In fact, he’d put together several leashes, giving her more area to roam, and she’d made her way to a middle shelf, pushed over items to make room for her fluffy body, and now slept peacefully on some dishtowels.
I hated to wake her and take her away from her kitty paradise, but it had to be done. Rite-Aid wasn’t my stopping point even if Callie had made it hers.
I added her things to the cart, tied her leash to the handle, and then perched her on top. She protested by swiping a claw in my direction, but I jumped out of her way before she was able to land a nasty blow on my arm.
She soon settled down as she realized that attacking me meant she’d have to let go of her grip on my duffle bag. She held on for dear life, as I had done earlier with Cole.
“You ready to blow this Popsicle stand?”
“Yeah, I think so. How about you?” I spun around to see Cole had packed his cart in the most impressive way. It would have put mine to shame had he actually filled it with essentials like water and food, but his selections included things I couldn’t fathom ever needing—not in a time like this anyhow. What was he planning on doing with a George Forman grill or a waffle iron? The guy was nuts. Again, I kept my mouth shut. I needed to charge my phone and starting an argument with him would only delay us further.
“Totally good to go.” He pointed a finger at me and cocked it like a gun. Why do people do that? Having someone cock an imaginary gun in your direction, even with a wink, was still a bit disturbing. You pretended to shoot me. How is that funny?
“What do you think we should do first?” I ignored the fact he had fake murdered me.
He shrugged and smiled. “Since we’re trying to find your dad, I think that puts you in charge. I’m only along for the ride, after all.”
O-kay. “Well, then I think the first thing we should do is charge my phone. Once I know where my dad is, we can head that way.” I dug into my duffle bag and held up the keys to the car back at the apartment building. “There’s a car several miles back—”
He held up his hand. “Too far.”
“But I have keys. Most of the cars around—”
“Really? I know I haven’t checked every car in the area, have you?”
I released my breath. “No, but—”
“I’d think you’d want to take a moment and look around, just in case, but”—he held up both hands and bowed a little at the waist— “this is your mission after all. Do what you think is best.”
“Fine!” I shoved the keys back in my bag. They would be plan B if all else failed. “I don’t want to waste all day looking, so we’ll look for half an hour and that’s it.”
He nodded. “But are you sure?”
“Damn it, Cole! I’m not sure about anything! All right?” Argh! He was so frustrating. “You tell me to be in charge and then you question everything I do!”
“That’s because leaders should be challenged every now and again. That’s how great leaders are born.”
“Well, knock it off!”
“Aye, aye, captain.”
I groaned under my breath, grabbed my cart, and pushed past him. And we’d only just begun. Fantastic.
The broken glass made it difficult to maneuver my heavy load out the door, but I shoved and forced the wheels over the shards, twisting and turning the cart, until I made it outside. The day before had been bright and sunny—a perfect spring day—but now the overcast sky looked as though rain could start falling at any given point. The last thing we needed.
Cole stopped his cart next to mine. “Do you know how to hotwire a car?” He glanced at me as he slipped on a pair of sunglasses, the UV tag still stuck to one of the upper lenses.
I shook my head. “Don’t you? You have that cool tool bag of yours. Couldn’t you use it to get a car started?”
“Just because I know how to pick a lock doesn’t mean I’m mechanically inclined. I’m the son of a locksmith, not a criminal. I was kind of hoping you might be though.”
“Excuse me?”
“Hmmm.” He ignored me and looked up one side of the street and down the other. “I guess it’s time for us to do a little Easter egg hunting. You take that side of the road and I’ll hunt over here? If it pleases your majesty, of course.”
I rolled my eyes but nodded. Why not?
“And to make it fun, because face it, this is kind of boring, how about the first one to find an open car with a set of keys is the winner and doesn’t have to cook dinner or do dishes tonight?”
Everything was always a game with him. He had to be the most immature adult I had ever met. “Fine.”
He lowered his glasses to the tip of his nose. “May the odds be ever in your favor.”
His impression, though spot on, ruined my favorite book, but it did cause me to grin—just a little. I quickly removed the smile from my face. It would only encourage his insane behavior.
I gave him a head start as I parked Callie and the cart in the shade and gave her a quick pat. “Stay here,” I said, though she didn’t appear to care one way or the other. Cats, so cute and yet, so indifferent.
I cast a quick glance at Cole—he had his back to me, looking inside the open window of a truck left in the middle of the road. He was an awful lot like a cat.
Okay, that was weird.
Cars had been left everywhere—some in parking lots, others on the road, and others at the street light as if people had been there one minute and vanished the next. But why weren’t there any keys? That part baffled me. Had people left their cars in the middle of the street, but taken their keys with them? As I peered inside vehicle after vehicle, I realized that, strange as it seemed, that’s what people had done.
Perhaps they thought all of this was temporary and they’d be coming back soon.
I sighed. Being one of only two people left in the world, made the whole situation rather frustrating. I promised if the situation was ever reversed, and if I ever owned a car, I’d leave my keys behind in case someone needed them. I wouldn’t be a selfish prick.
A car horn blared in the distance, and Cole waved at me. With one hand on the horn—so irritating—he used the other to cup his mouth. “Bingo!”
A smile spread across my face. I didn’t care if I had to make dinner and clean up afterwards—Cole had found a suitable car, and now I could hear the rest of Dad’s message and find out where he’d gone.
I could hear his voice. I could hear all their voices again.
The idea of listening to Dad, my friends, my grandmother, and yes, even my brother, created an emotional bubble in my throat. I swallowed it and ran toward Cole. I actually ran— something I never did unless there was some sort of edible reward at the end. But this was different.
I needed this.
“Does it work? Really?” I approached the old-looking station wagon with cautious optimism, though I had already let my emotions get ahead of me. If it didn’t run or if Cole was only messing with me, I’d be devastated. Really devastated.
He didn’t answer me, but reached inside and turned the key. The station wagon sputtered and kicked out a grey puff of smoke, probably from months of disuse, but eventually it roared to life.
I threw my arms around Cole in a moment of sheer excitement. “It works! It really works!” The hug lasted only a couple of seconds before I came to my senses and pushed past him to look at the gas gauge. A quarter of a tank. That would do.
“Turn it off, turn it off,” I demanded. “We can’t waste the gas.” But as he reached in to turn the key, I slapped his hand. “Never mind. Don’t. It might not start again. Leave it. Just leave it.”
He backed away. “Wow, you’re a whirlwind of craziness aren’t you?”
“I’m excited, and yeah, maybe it does make me a little crazy, but this is huge!” I squeezed his arm. The crazy man had called me crazy, but who cared? “It’s the difference between knowing what I’m supposed to do and not knowing anything and being alone forever.”
“Alone, huh?” He motioned to himself and widened his eyes. “Hello?”
“You know what I mean.” I glanced at my cart a block down the road. “I’ll go grab my stuff while you wait here. Then you can go grab your things. “
“How about you stay put, and I’ll go grab both our carts. It’ll be quicker.” He started off, then turned to me. “Not that I’m trying to step on your leadership toes, or anything.”
I waved him on.
I got the feeling no one could lead Cole.
Cole sat in the driver’s side and I sat in the passenger’s seat. Callie roamed the interior of the car, climbing on the backs of the seats and hopping up on her back feet to peer out a side window.
“So far so good.” He glanced at the battery icon on my phone. “It’s at eighteen percent. You want to give it a listen now?”
I shook my head. I really wanted to listen, but I also wanted the battery to be fully charged; I had plans to listen to the messages over and over and over...
“So you heard the message from your dad the other day, right?”
Why was he giving me that strange look?
“Yeah, three days ago.” Had it really been three days? Somehow, it felt so much longer.
Cole reached across me and opened the glove compartment. “Good. It means we’re not too far behind him.” He seemed too nonchalant. As if he was purposely tiptoeing around something. He removed several tape cassettes and held them up, smiling. “You don’t even know what these are, do you?”
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