On the way back to school, Tessa’s dad sent a message that Dave checked out. It reassured Ari to know she wouldn’t be walking off to accidentally join a cult. It didn’t make saying goodbye to her life any easier though. While Ari wanted to walk in silence, holding Reed’s hand and preparing for the next couple days, Tessa had other ideas.
“Are you planning to ignore all of our advice and still try to save your dad? Some people don’t want saving.” Tessa didn’t mince words. It was one of Ari’s most and least favorite things about her.
Ari continued walking. “I know you guys don’t agree with me, but I’m not asking you too.” She kept her eyes forward, not ready for Reed’s reaction. “I appreciate your help with Dave, but I think we all know I have to do the rest by myself.”
Tessa pulled her to a stop. “Whoa, chica. While we don’t think it’s the smartest thing to go in after your dad, it doesn’t mean we’re abandoning you.”
Ari wrapped Tessa into a tight hug. She couldn’t have asked for a better roommate.
“Calm down.” Tessa awkwardly patted her on the back. “I’ve had my share of stupid. We’ll just remind you of that when we’re all arrested.”
Ari turned back and forth between her two best friends. “I don’t want you to be arrested. I can do this alone.”
Reed grabbed her hand again. “You don’t have a choice. I’m staying with you Ari, as long as I can.”
“Thanks.” It came out in a whisper.
“It sounds like it’s road trip time.” Tessa began walking again, with Reed and Ari beside her. “Let’s grab our stuff and head out tonight. We’ll check out with campus security and stay at my condo for the rest of the weekend.”
“Sounds good,” Reed replied.
They didn’t have time to make any more plans as they approached the security checkpoint.
Tessa spoke to guard as she went through. “Hey, we’re going to head up to my condo tonight. I need clearance for one night.”
The young guard was about as tall as Reed with thick arms that appeared out of place on his smooth childlike face. “Give me a minute, and I’ll enter it in the system.”
Reed walked through the scanner, his ID bracelet lighting up.
Tessa continue talking to the guard, standing closer than usual. “Yeah, we wanted some space to study for finals and my parents got their own VR link up.”
“Impressive.” The guard smiled at Tessa and then turned to work on the computer.
Ari walked through the scanner and a beep sounded. She paused, unsure of what that meant. “I don’t have any weapons.”
“Not weapons, miss.” The guard read something on his computer.
“Well, you two are welcome to leave tonight,” the guard point at Tessa and Reed. “But your friend Ari is flagged to remain on campus for the time being.”
“What does that mean?” Ari asked.
“It means you have to report to your student advisor for permission to leave campus.”
Ari’s mouth went dry as she stared at the guard’s weapon on his hip, a stun gun on the lowest setting or, at its highest, a deadly killing machine. Reflexively, Ari stepped back, wondering how quick he was. Would he really shoot her? Even if she avoided him, there were others guarding the perimeter, and those guys had weapons as well. Was it too late for her?
“Ari, you must have forgotten another assignment,” Reed teased, completely out of character for him. He reached for her arm, pulling her towards the entrance and away from any chance of escape.
Tessa jumped into the conversation, ignoring Ari who was frozen with fear. “Yeah, if I didn’t live with her, I’d swear she was blonde. Let’s hurry so we can be on our way.” Tessa waved goodbye to the guard “Thanks.”
Ari continued walking, one foot in front of the other. She wasn’t going back to see Advisor Williams. She couldn’t.
“Relax.” Reed pulled her in closer. “There is more than one way to leave the school.”
Ari’s gaze flashed up to meet his. “Really?”
“Yeah. Tessa and I will have to leave through the front. The school won’t realize you’re missing by the time curfew gets into effect.”
“Okay, then. We better leave right away.” Tessa glanced at her bracelet. “That will give us a six-hour head start.”
“So how do I do it?” Ari asked. “How do I get out of here?”
“As much as I hate the idea of it, we’ll need some help.” Just as Ari got a sinking feeling of who he was talking about, Reed came out with it. “Garrett.”
CHAPTER 29
Ari and Tessa hurried back to their dorm to pack. Tessa packed Ari’s stuff in her large designer bags since it would be easier for Tessa to walk them out. Reed left them to go talk to Garrett. Ari hoped things went smoothly between them.
Reed messaged them.
Lucky break. Need to move fast. Meet me on the West side of the student union ASAP.
Ari hacked her bracelet, so it would keep playing the same loop of her reading on her bed. She prayed it still worked. Since they’d been caught at the VR party, the school had been tightening down, but it was worth trying. She slipped pliers into her bag, so she could take it off once she made it far enough away. Ari slung her father’s old leather bag across her chest and left behind anything she didn’t need. Tessa promised she’d send it to her mother.
They skirted the front entrance of the student union, avoiding people and sticking close to the trees and picnic benches. Garrett and Reed were waiting for them near a table, neither one smiling. Garrett was in the usual silver work uniform with an orange coat.
“You’re running?” Garrett asked as they approached.
She set the large bag on the ground. “Sort of my only option.”
“Why do your problems always seem to fall into my lap, like I have nothing better to do?” He raked a hand through his now short silver hair.
“You don’t,” Reed said bitterly. “And you owe me.”
Ari briefly wondered what Reed was referring to, but since neither guy seemed forthcoming, she let it drop.
Reed approached, pulling her into his arms for a quick hug. “We have to leave now, if we’re to meet up with you. We’ll follow you and be ready at the scheduled stop. Okay?”
“Okay,” Ari replied. It would take them some time to pick up Tessa’s car and check out with security for the night. She squeezed Reed tighter, not wanting to let go.
Garrett cleared his throat. “We’d better get moving.”
Reed leaned in and kissed Ari. It was rough and urgent and left Ari’s lips tingling. He took her bag as he pulled away.
“Catch up with you soon,” Tessa said.
Ari watched her closest friends walk off together. Garrett had better be true to his word and help her leave. She turned to look at him bundled in a thin orange coat as he stamped on the snow around him.
“Ready?” Ari asked.
“Waiting on you, princess.” He turned and walked off through a narrow passage between the older buildings, leaving only snowy footprints to follow.
Ari hurried after him, not surprised by his coldness. She finally caught up in the passage way.
“What is this?” Ari asked, her breath coming out in short bursts.
“Walkway used before they remodeled.” He kept it short and kept moving fast.
“So how is this going to work?”
He turned briefly, glaring over his shoulder. “Since I got kicked out of the Tech Lab, I’ve been assigned to receivables. I take inventory for the technical supplies that come in and out of our school. You’re going to catch a ride with a supply truck in a few minutes.”
“And they are okay with it?”
He approached the door and, after he punched in a quick code, it opened. “Not planning on asking.”
“I’m surprised they gave you this job after everything ...” Ari instantly regretted her words.
“Yeah, you mean after being put on suspension? Reed would never tell you, but we both g
ot in more trouble than you know. I don’t even think I got a ‘thank you’ out of it.” Ari followed him through the door, trying not to let her guilt distract her. They entered a storage facility with lofty ceilings and filled with boxes and crates.
“I am grateful. I’m sorry—” Ari said.
“For what?” Garrett cut her off. “For getting me suspended, for taking off and never giving me a chance, or for using your boyfriend to get me to do your bidding? There is a lot to choose from.”
His accusation struck her cold. He was right. He wasn’t a saint, but she should have handled things better. Her face burned in response as she tried to sort out what to say next. He stood facing her, waiting expectantly.
“I’m sorry for everything that happened between us. I hoped we could just be friends, but I didn’t know how to do that.” Ari forced her gaze up, to look in his eyes. “I’ll stay in contact and repay you one day.”
Garrett approached, stepping into her space, which made her nerves jump as if hot-wired. He had a way of making her uncomfortable. She had to tell herself to hold still as he tucked a hair behind her ear.
“I hope you’re right, but I won’t hold my breath.”
Ari would try, but she didn’t know where she was going or what her situation would be. She owed him enough to try. And for that reason, she didn’t slap his hand away as it lingered on her shoulder.
“We could have had fun.” He kept her gaze as he stepped away from her. “You were more to me than just another freshman girl. But we’ll never know. I wish you the best when karma finally comes your way. It always does.”
His dark expression soon vanished, and he patted her shoulder with a smile before backing away. The haunting feeling was fleeting, and she brushed it off to focus on the task at hand.
“Now, let’s pack you away.” Garrett wandered between the stack of crates leaving Ari to trail behind.
CHAPTER 30
Fingers numb, Ari gripped the nearby crates as the storage truck jostled her down the road. She had only ridden on electric trams or cars. The massive truck with wheels up to her shoulder, bounced along the road with constant vibrations and no heat. The truck ran quietly enough, amplifying the noise of boxes shifting slightly against their restraints in the storage section of the trailer. She clutched a plastic crate nearby to avoid sliding down the aisle.
She had to be ready when the driver, a friend of Garrett’s named Arman, made his stop. Garrett said Arman always stopped at a truck stop which had a good price on his brand of cigarettes. Putting this much faith in Garrett made her nervous. He had more than one reason not to help her.
Ari groped blindly in the dark for the large sliding door at the back of the trailer. It took her a few minutes, especially when her bag, slung over her chest and resting by her hip, kept snagging on boxes. Finally finding the door of the truck, she searched for release switch Garrett had pointed out earlier. No luck. It must be on the opposite side.
Stacks of boxes, like the old building blocks she and her brother played with as children, stood in her way. Finding a toehold on a lower box, she hoisted herself up and through a small space between boxes. Flashes of the traffic that surrounded her turned her thoughts to this huge box she was in becoming a dark coffin. A brief spout of claustrophobia motivated her to hurry. She crawled out the opposite end and found a small area to stand. The panel to open the truck was about the size of her hand and easy to find, even in the dark.
The panel manually opened the door. Arman reportedly had thrown more than one party in the trailer where they’d accidentally locked themselves in. Ari didn’t want to think about what had happened in the trailer.
Now, I wait. His stop was only a couple miles away from school, so she should only have to wait a couple more minutes.
A blue light flickered on her finger, and she unwound her ring and placed it in her ear.
“You okay?” Reed’s voice sounded a bit stressed on the other end.
“Besides being stuck in a moving tuna can, I am,” Ari replied, already missing Reed, his voice, his touch. She mentally reminded herself to focus if she wanted out of said tuna can.
“Good. Tessa and I are sitting at the shop, waiting for you.” Reed assured. “Well, it’s just me right now. Tessa ran in to grab stuff, something about a road trip and an escaped convict.”
Ari chuckled at the idea of her, an escaped convict. She had lived her life for so long as the perfect student, the perfect citizen, the perfect daughter. But she’d never had reason to rebel before. The thrill was actually a little exhilarating provided she didn’t think about the consequences for too long.
The truck slowed as if at a stop light, and Ari adjusted her footing, gripping a shelf for support. An alarm sounded outside the truck, a little way off, but close enough for Ari to freeze.
“What’s that?” Ari asked, not really expecting an answer from Reed.
“You hear that too? It’s an ambulance driving by. That means you must be close. Wait.” Movement sounded through the phone. “I see the silver truck ahead.”
Ari sagged against the wall. “Good.”
“Sort of ... but the truck’s not stopping. It’s continuing straight on the highway. He’s not turning. I’m going to kill Garrett, that—”
“Kill him after I’m out of here.”
“I’m coming. Damn.” A horn blared nearby.
“Are you actually driving?” Most cars were self-driving, but in this case, Reed would have to manually drive. She doubted he had ever driven before. No one in their neighborhood even had a car.
“Yeah, I’ve done it in a VR before.”
“I guess that’s better than nothing.” Ari tried to remain silent to let him concentrate.
A phone beeped. “It’s Tessa. I’m going to have her join in the call.”
Tessa’s loud voice joined the call. “What the hell, Reed? You steal my car the second I leave you alone with it? If you really wanted to be left alone with Ari, you could have told me. Not that I would have lent you my car though.”
“Tessa, quiet please.” Reed snapped at her. “I’m following Ari. The truck didn’t stop. It’s the same one Garrett described to us.”
“Ohhh,” Tessa said.
“I’ll come back to pick you up once I grab Ari.”
“Grabbing Ari is going to be the tricky part,” Ari said, referring to herself in third person.
“I’m actually only a few cars behind you.”
“Really?” Ari lifted the cover off the panel, readying to flip the switch. “Want me to open the back?”
“No!” Reed yelled, making Ari reach up to grab the device in her ear. Tessa swore, and Reed continued talking. “Ari, wait until you won’t get run over. Okay?”
“Okay,” Ari said, letting time pass as she waited in darkness for his word. It took longer than she thought, with only faint static to fill the line.
Tessa was the one who finally broke the silence. “Reed, what’s happening?”
The truck slowed.
“Okay. We’re close to the freeway and I’m not sure when he’s going to stop again. He’s getting ready to turn. Ari, open the door. I’m right behind you.”
She lifted the panel and flipped the switch. It hissed slowly. Ari jumped as an alarm rang loudly in the truck.
“Reed,” she yelled over the noise, but she couldn’t hear anything in response.
The back door lifted, and the truck pulled to the side of the road. Ari knelt on the floor as light seeped into the truck. In Tessa’s car, Reed followed on the shoulder of the road a few car lengths behind her. The door continued to climb up, and Ari sat down on the edge with her legs dangling below in the open.
Her heart raced as she watched the dark road beneath her. Other cars flew past, some honking in warning. The alarm still blasted overhead, and the wind whipped her hair wildly around her face. Before the truck could come to a complete stop or common sense could catch up with her, she jumped.
She lost her footing in the
jump and tumbled in a somersault along the rough gravel. She would have bruises to show for that tomorrow. By the time she got up, Reed was at her side, helping her up and rushing her to the car.
After a couple steps, Ari managed to steady herself. “I got it.”
With a worried look, Reed let go and went to his side of the car. Before she even shut the door, Reed spun out into traffic. Cars honked, blaring their annoyance as he cut across traffic headed in the opposite direction.
“What in the world?” Ari gripped the edge of her seat.
“Sorry. You didn’t see the size of the guy getting out of the truck.” Reed’s knuckles whitened as his eyes focused ahead. “Turn on the computer. I want to find the side streets in case that guy decides to follow us.”
“Why would he do that? I don’t think he even knew I was in there.”
“Maybe not. But that might be Garrett’s cruel idea of a joke to let that guy drive you to who-knows-where.”
Ari didn’t have a response as she wasn’t quite ready to believe Garrett did that to her. “Let’s find Tessa.” Ari turned on the car’s navigational system.
“And here I thought you’d forgotten about me.” Tessa’s voice amplified through the car.
Ari and Reed glanced at each other. A slightly guilty look crossed his face, mirroring how Ari felt.
She reached for his free hand and squeezed. “How could we ever forget about you, Tessa?”
“You better not.” The sound of Tessa’s voice, even if annoyed, made Ari smile.
With the help of the computer in Tessa’s car, which Ari drooled over, they found themselves back at the mini-mart. Tessa’s purple hair stood out amongst the older customers. Bags filled her hands, while she sported a large pair of obnoxious yellow sun glasses.
Tessa crawled into the back of the car. “Have the car drive for a bit while I go through my bags.” Tessa’s bags were filled with a wide array of clothes and food spilling out of them.
“I thought we were on the run,” Ari said, turning back to face Tessa. “Who knew it was a vacation.”
“Poor, Ari. You’ve probably never had a real vacation,” Tessa said the words with a sarcastic edge Ari didn’t like, but somehow expected from her. “I would feel bad for you if I hadn’t seen your contract.” Tessa stuck her tongue out, sporting an electronic ball studded in the middle of it.
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