On The Run: Part Two

Chapter Six - "Breaking Pattern"

Chloe

“I call shotgun,” Ricky called, as we made our way downstairs.

“That means I’m driving,” Trey said, grabbing the keys from Fitch’s hand.

Fitch rolled his eyes and grabbed his jacket, “Whatever.”

I trailed after them wordlessly, wondering where we could possibly be going – all packed for what seemed like a very long weekend – at this time of the day. The sun was setting and shops were closing up. Even for January and it’s early nights, it was late.

“Lock up, Kayla,” Trey called up the stairs as a frazzle-headed Kayla emerged from behind the front door. I stared at her curiously, but said nothing.

Fitch opened the trunk and peered curiously inside at all the coolers, bags, blankets and jackets.

“Where are we going?” he asked in exasperation, voicing my feelings out precisely.

“You’ll see,” Trey muttered, “Just get in the car.”

Kayla climbed into the back and lay flat across the back seat, leaving Fitch and I to take the two separate seats in the middle, and I couldn’t help but cringe.

For some reason, we weren’t talking. Well, he wasn’t talking to me, and I’d replayed the last few days in my head, but I still had no clue why. I’d have blamed it on our magically titillating night together, but it had been two whole weeks ago, and we’d had plenty more since then, so I doubted that was it. But, for some reason, he was avoiding my gaze and my presence and had barely said a word to me for about three days.

I tried to make conversation, but he seemed to bolt any chance he got, so I stopped trying. Inside, I was breaking apart.

The way I saw it, this was the ending. The tragic and inevitable ending of a beautiful romance. I just wished I knew why. For the first time, I knew it wasn’t me.

“After you,” he muttered, and I climbed in, curling up in the seat, and hoping that I could hold myself together like I’d always managed to do.

“Chloe, are you okay?” Trey asked, turning in his seat.

I think that was one of the reasons I wasn’t falling apart. Because usually, when everything came to a close, I was all alone. This time, I wasn’t. I smiled and nodded.

“Kayla? What’s wrong?” he called.

“Nothing,” she murmured, “I’m great.”

“Everyone set?” he asked, slapping Ricky’s hand off the radio.

When no one said anything, he started the car and drove on out of the garage. With all our foul moods, I couldn’t understand why anyone agreed to go on Trey’s spur-of-the-moment trip.

The silence stretched on for what seemed like hours, but what was really only about one. Trey concentrated on the road; Ricky focused on his texting; Kayla lay silently at the back; and Fitch and I seemed to be trying to pretend like each other didn’t exist.

“Can we have a toilet break?” Kayla called out, sitting up.

“Kay, we just left,” Rick replied.

“I have to go,” she muttered.

Trey sighed, “Fine,” he replied, irritated.

What I wanted to do as the car slowed and turned onto the road next to a Dunkin’ Donuts was get out and run. And just keep running until I realized I had nowhere to run to.