Glass Walls

Chapter 4

Libby managed to calm me down. It was still risky for her to be out in the open of my bedroom. My phone's camera reveals the redness on the side of my face. It's almost a perfectly shaped handprint. School would be fun tomorrow.
My face would be fine but the wall bowed slightly inward from the impact of the door. Not my problem. If dad wants it fixed he can do it himself. The clock on my nightstand read 9:36.
"You should probably get going. You still have to walk back to Charlotte's to get your car. Plus I can't have you here much longer. I can't have dad find out you were here the whole time."
The window is already unlocked so I open it. Cool air enters the room and wraps around my body. I look down and check to see if the coast is clear. Our German Shepherd, Jewel, was sleeping from what it looked like. That doesn't mean she won't wake up though.
"I have a plan."
Libby's attention is on me.
"Jewel will wake up if you climb out of the window. I'll go outside to feed her so if she barks dad will think she's barking at me. I'll give you a thumbs up when you should climb down. Got it?"

"Yeah I got it." she says.
I take the bed sheet and tie one end to the bed post. I tie three blankets together and tie them to the sheet. A chain-like rope is tied to my bed. To make sure it's secure I tug on it.

"Should be good and it should be long enough so you can drop from a safe height. I'm going outside. If you hear my dad, throw the rope under the bed and hide. It'll look suspicious but he'll never think it has something to do with you. I'm already in trouble, a little more won't hurt."

"I don't want you to get in any more trouble Olivia. It's my fault anyway. All of this is because of me." Libby looks down at the floor.

"It's not your fault. I could've said no to going down there." I say.

"But you did. You said dad didn't want you down there."
Her brown eyes are full of regret.

"No, you're not to blame. I agreed to look at the mirror. I led you to them. Now let's do this before we're both caught or we'll be in deep shit."

Once outside Jewel wakes up,  sees me and wags her tail happily. She strolls over to the side of the chain link fence I'm standing by and barks. The moonlight illuminates the sky with a magic kind of glow. It's chilly out here and everything feels strange.
      The cup I'm holding contains dog food. I open the fence and step inside to refill her bowl.
"Good girl." I pat her on the head.

Ok, now down to business. I lock the fence back up and look to my bedroom window. My hand is high above my head signaling her. The blanket chain flys out the window and swings to and fro. I'm glad he didn't hear that hit the side of the house. I sure hope Libby doesn't kick around as she climbs.
Feet first out the window, Lib hangs onto the blankets. She slides at first and then stops a third of the way down. Then she descends and swings side to side while doing so. It's like watching a circus act, except this could get my ass kicked.
Each time the blankets swing one way it brushes against the siding on the house and creates a little swooshing noise. I hope and pray dad can't hear this. She climbs down some more and she's out of rope. I'm glad she's taller because it's about a fifteen foot drop. I notice she's wearing her boots. They have a little bit of a heel to them. She might twist her ankle in those things when she lands. I'd warn her of that but shouting kind of isn't an option right now.

Libby is still hanging there with her arms and legs wrapped around the rope. I'm guessing she's nervous. When she looks back for support I motion her to just let go. She shimmies down further until her legs are dangling in mid air. Come on Libs you got this. She lets go and falls. Her feet hit the ground first, but the impact knocks her off balance. The ground catches her and she's laying on her back. I run over to her and help her up.
"We're stupid." I say laughing a little.

"I know." she says with a smile.
Then she runs off and I run back into the house.