RIM OF THE WORLD

• [5] Change Of Plans

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I held my hand to my eyes, blocking out the glare from the sheriff station sign. This place - the city - is trashed. Everything was alight with fire or destroyed. Debris and trash scatter the abandoned road for as far as you can see.
"..shit." I say softly. In return, I get hums from the rest of the group.

"I don't think anybody is there.." Alex shifts on his feet.

"You guys uh... I don't.. nobodies..." Gabriel trails off. I walk up to him and quickly unclip my helmet, doing his next. I could see his uncomfortableness about being in this area.

"Hmm?"

"I'm going to stay out here. Watch our bikes.." He says loud enough for the group to hear.

"What? Yeah, cause' the aliens wanna jack our mountain bikes!" Dariush scoffs.

"Well... looters could take them!" I pipe up, hoping it'll convince them for Gabriel's sake.

"Whatever, man. Y/n, stay with Gabriel. We don't know what Chico is up to. And you could probably beat his twig-ass." Dariush says walking towards the door of the station. Zhenzhen and Alex follow him, leaving me with Gabriel.

"So.. you wanna talk about it?" I offer, leaning on his bike next to him.

"..not really," he sighs, "but I don't think I'll have a choice." He turns to me and gives me a small smirk. I grin in return. This dude knows me so well and I only met him like.. four hours ago.

"Correct."

He paces the grass infront of me, "my dad left.. when I was about ten. Money was hard and so I thought I should help out. I got a job as a bag boy in the grocery store my mom worked at. One day, she slipped away from the register so I took over. This dude thought I was robbing him. I must've gave him the wrong change - you see, I get numbers jumbled up in my head unless they're written down on paper.

"I told him that, and he didn't believe me. So.. I.. decked him. Broke his nose and mom got fired. I was sent to Juvie, Y/n. The reason I was out there on the mountain was because I escaped." He stopped his pacing and turned to me, his eyes watering.
I inhale a deep breath and walk up to him. I bring my hands to his jaw, he leans into my gesture. I wipe a tear that escaped his eye with my thumb.

"It's okay," I soothe, "I was expelled. For knocking out a little shit called Dotte. The principals daughter. I lost my scholarship. My mothers trust. But I would do it again if it meant I would get to meet all of you." I give him a weak smile. He wraps his arms around my neck and pulls me into him. I wrap my arms around his torso and melt into his scent. Sage, pinewood and lavender.

"Let's go, Jack and Rose." Dariush yells, running out of the Sheriff station. I let go of Gabriel almost immediately, in my peripheral vision, I see him wiping away remaining tears in a hurry.

"You've watched The Titanic?" I ask in disbelief.

"My mom made me watch it!" He says in a high pitched voice.
Alex and Zhenzhen tumbled out of the station. The key still rested on his neck.

"What.. the key.." I stumble on my words.

"There were no adults besides this guy named Lou who was in a cell. We have him the key to escape though. So let's go."
I let the words sink in and let out a dramatic groan. My legs were aching from all the pedalling and I stunk. I just want to sleep.

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If I had've known what was going to happen, I would've told them to stop. Turn back. Go back to camp.
Because after we left the station, everything went wrong.