Run Bad Boy Run

Chapter 6

Gabby shows up just in time for dinner. My brother and mom, however, are still nowhere to be seen.

I settle onto the small window nook in my room and stare outside, waiting for a call—for something that'll calm my nerves. Corry still won't pick up his phone.

The law firm my mom works at has shitty reception. That could be it. Or he's driving home.

A catchy pop song hums in the background and Gabby rants about today's events for what feels like eons. How Principal Miller was stupid for giving us detention. How creepy and idiotic Coach Foster is for putting Hayden and I in a room unsupervised knowing our history. And how I'm irresponsible and dumb for playing the game with the toilet paper balls and going after him in class. I know most of this, of course. I'm still beating myself up over it.

"What are you going to do?" she finally asks when she's done speaking. Gabby's broken arm is freshly wrapped in a bright pink cast and supported in a sling. She still won't let me draw on it.

I fall against the decorative pillows of my window nook and stare helplessly at the stars that have begun to peak out from behind the clouds. "I have no idea."

"You have to have something." My best friend insists.

"Hide under my bed until graduation?" I suggest. A pillow smacks me in the face.

"I'm being serious!"

I sigh and crane my neck to get a good look at the driveway. No car.

Normally, I would have something up my sleeve. Hayden's time away at Westwood seems to have softened me. Every brainstorm session has turned into a migraine. "I'm serious. Nothing. Nada. I have no freaking clue."

Gabby shakes her head. "I know. I know."

"I guess, I'll just have to wing it for now." I tell her. I'll have to be more alert on what's going on and rely on my instincts if he tries anything.

Gabby looks at me with uncertainty. "Are you sure that's going to work?"

I shrug. Sometimes it has, sometimes it hasn't. I'll have to take my chances.

"I mean, if I'm right, Hayden won't be doing anything for a couple of days. Which means, I've got time. But if he does try to get back at me, I'll just wing it."

Gabby scrunches her nose. "I still don't like this war thing, Ember. Avoiding him at all costs would be better, you know that."

I rake a hand through my hair. "Maybe. But after he pulled that stunt I can't let him get away. He'll keep going at it and who knows what he could do! He thinks he can just do whatever he wants. But I have a feeling he'll learn that's not the case. And soon."

Movement in the yard catches my eyes and I hold my breath. Hayden wouldn't have the guts to come to my house, would he? There is a flash of white and Mrs. York's little white shih tzu pokes his head through the slits of the fence. I exhale slowly. There's a long silence in the room.

"I guess." Gabby pauses. "Hey, what's this?"

She pulls a small black rectangle from the remains of our food. I squint and Gabby tosses it my direction.

"I have no idea. Where did that come from?" It's a small 16 GB flash drive. "I bumped into someone earlier. It must have been theirs or something." I don't remember picking it up. But then again, my mind was so caught up in figuring out who that voice belonged to I barely recall the drive home.

Gabby moves to sit across from me and hauls my laptop in front of her. "Do you think we should check what's on it?" She sucks in a breath. "What if it's top secret military information?"