Road Trip (8 page)

“I don’t know if she’s right about you lying,” I tell Theo, “but I’ve got about a million pictures of you texting and you look more and more worried all the time. What’s going on?”

Theo fiddles with the piercing in his eyebrow. “I got in some trouble a while back and I gotta spend a couple months in the county jail.”

“No way.” I had no clue. He’d never mentioned this in all the time we studied together. How does a guy keep something like
this
to himself?

“Yeah, I talked to a couple guys I know who’ve been there and they said it’s all right, like a really bad summer camp. I’m scheduled to turn myself in a couple of weeks from now.”

“A couple of weeks?”

“Yeah. Because of overcrowding, they kind of stagger sentences in a low-security place like that.”

“Overcrowding. Like the dog.” Mia’s voice is soft.

“I’m in good company,” Theo tries to joke. But he doesn’t pull it off. He sounds sick.

“There’s more. What is it?” Mia’s forcing him to look her in the eye.

“I screwed some people over to get a better deal. I gave up a few names and got some time taken off my sentence. They’re not happy about it.”

“Bobby?” Mia asks.

Theo nods. “He’s one of ’em. I couldn’t believe when we ran into him this morning. What’re the odds of that? Forty miles from home and there he is.”

“Bobby’s the kind of guy who gets around.” Mia makes a face like she tasted something bad.

“He’s sending the texts?” I point to Theo’s phone.

He frowns. “He’s been following me. Us. Me. Whatever. Trying to freak me out so I change my mind, take
back what I said. That was his car back there, the one that was on fire. He must have lost track of us when we made a pit stop, got ahead of the bus.”

“And then burst into flames because he’s pure evil,” Mia adds.

“Yeah, but he wasn’t anywhere near the car. So where is he? And is he alone? He probably called someone to come get him once his car crapped out. I really don’t want to run into Bobby, especially not with any of his friends.”

“So that’s why your bag is packed?” I ask. “You were thinking of just slipping out of the bus?”

“Yeah. Thought it might be a better idea to take you guys out of the situation. I don’t know what he’s got planned if he catches up with me. Or if he’s going to handle things himself or turn me in to the cops.”

“Why would he turn you in?”

“I’m not actually supposed to leave home. Part of the deal was that I’d keep my nose clean and stick around the house until I had to turn myself in. I’ve been wondering … Bobby might think that would make the court think twice about the names I gave, maybe go easy on them or let them go. If it can be proved I wasn’t sticking to the deal.”

“So what if you got off the bus? You’d just disappear?”

“Yeah. I don’t know if I can make things right. I’m
thinking about a fresh start somewhere new. Like maybe the trip and running into Bobby on the road were signs I was supposed to clear out.”

“You should have told us what was going on,” Mia says.

“Because you could help?” Theo frowns. I can’t blame him; I’m skeptical.

“Yeah, matter of fact, I can. I knew someone needed to keep an eye on you if Bobby was in the picture.”

“So you’ve been here to, what? Protect me?” Theo almost laughs.

“Something like that,” Mia says.

“How’s that work?”

“Bobby wasn’t just going to walk away after trying to hit you.”

“What, you read
his
aura and knew his plans?”

“No, I’ve played poker with Bobby and I know he’s a cheating, thieving, lying snake who doesn’t have a good bone in his miserable body. When I saw him take a swing at you and then walk away without a fight, I knew he had something more in mind.”

“Oh.”

“And you’re not the only one who recognized Bobby’s car back there. But I
was
the only one who talked to Sergeant Laurence about the fact we were probably being followed, and got his direct phone number.”

“I wondered why you hitched a ride on a school bus with a bunch of strangers,” I tell her.

“No, you didn’t,” Theo says. “You were just glad the hot chick got on the bus with us.”

I turn red, but Mia doesn’t seem to notice and keeps talking.

“I read your energy fields outside the diner. I knew you were good people and that I was supposed to help you. Your energy vibed with mine. Didn’t you feel it?”

“Um … no,” I say. And the only thing I feel now is scared. “What are we going to do about Bobby?”

“We could both run,” Mia says, looking at Theo. “Just the two of us.”

Huh. Isn’t quitting your job and saving a dog enough for you? You want to run away and become a fugitive, too? And what about
me
? What’s this “two” stuff?

“What’s this ‘we’ stuff?” Theo asks her. “It’s my problem.”

“
You
might have gotten yourself in trouble,” she tells him, “but
we’re
getting you out. That’s how trouble works. Don’t ask me how I know.”

I’m dying to ask how she knows. But instead, I say, “We’ve got to talk to my dad. He’ll know what to do.”

“No,” Theo says. “I’ve already gotten you guys in way too deep. Next gas stop, I’m taking off. Bobby’ll figure out I split, leave you alone, come looking for me.”

“That’s not how it’s going to play out,” Dad says.

Dad. He and Gus are sitting across the aisle, leaning forward. For how long? How did I
not
notice the bus had stopped and Dad and Gus were listening to us talk?

Dad warned me when I insisted on bringing Theo that something bad was going to happen. He also said he wouldn’t lift a finger to help. I hope he’s changed his mind. I hope he’s got a good idea. And most of all, I hope he’s been right all along and that things really will all work out. Theo could use that kind of thinking right now.

“Mia’s right,” Dad says. “This isn’t something you’re going to fix on your own. We’ll figure something out. Together.”

I start to feel better. Until I hear honking. Somebody is laying on their horn. I look out the window.

Bobby.

He’s standing outside the bus next to a car, reaching through the open window to lean on the horn. Once he has our attention, Bobby gestures to Theo to get out of the bus.

Dad shakes his head. “No. You’re not getting off.” He takes a deep breath and starts to say more, but Mia waggles her phone at him and his face lights up. I don’t know what code they’re speaking that makes him change his mind, but he nods and says, “All right, let’s do this. We’re not sending Theo out there alone.”

“Keep calm,” Gus tells us. “Stick together. That guy’s a bully, and bullies back down if ya stand up to ’em, show ’em you’re not scared.”

I’m the second one off the bus, after Theo and just before Dad. I look around the parking lot and shake my head. Just our luck today that Dad had to park in the creepiest, most deserted place on earth. There’s not a soul around or another building that I can see. When did it get so dark? It’s nighttime already; what time is it? Except for the bus’s and the car’s headlights, the parking lot is dark.

We’re outside an abandoned haunted house. One of those roadside attractions. The shutters are hanging off the front windows, part of the roof has collapsed, and piles of garbage cover the front porch. There are fake—I hope—tombstones scattered around the front yard.

As Dad steps off the bus, I’m still looking around, trying to get my bearings and my night vision, when my whole world seems to explode because I’m shoved from the side, sent flying into Dad’s arms. He keeps me from falling and then moves between me and Bobby, Gus on one side, Theo on the other, and Atticus in front of us. Theo grabs Mia’s arm and pulls her behind him.

“That your little brother?” Bobby sneers at Theo.

“Yeah. He is. And he’s got nothing to do with this.”

“Says you. I say everyone here is a part of the trouble you got yourself in.”

“Don’t touch him again.”

“Then be smart; come with me and we’ll … figure out a way to fix things. Rethink the stories you told. Once you leave, I got no beef with anyone here.”

Atticus growls and edges toward Bobby. Bobby glances down, remembers the attack on his ankle earlier in the day, and backs up a few feet. He notices Mia behind us.

“Mia? Nice. A little chubby, but—” It wasn’t all that many hours ago that Mia knocked Bobby off his feet. He must have forgotten, talking that way. She reminds him when she steps in and knees him where the sun doesn’t shine. He falls to his knees with a sickening, strangled half scream, half groan.

“I am not chubby.” She glares down at him. “I told you not to talk to me like that.
And
you play a crappy hand of poker, you scum-sucking turd.”

I hear a siren and a police car pulls into the parking lot. A Sergeant Laurence clone steps out of the car.

“One of you Joe Duffy?” he calls.

Dad nods, moves forward to shake his hand.

“I’m Lieutenant Spring, got a call from Sergeant Laurence a little while ago. He asked me to keep an eye on some of his friends as they were driving through our neck of the woods. He was worried they might run into some trouble, so we’ve been keeping an eye on you. A couple minutes ago, one of you texted him that there
was need for assistance. Sergeant Laurence radioed me the info on Bobby. Turns out he’s got a couple outstanding warrants and he stole that car. License plate was reported a couple hours ago. You did me a favor putting the drop on him like that.”

That’s why Mia waggled her phone at Dad and Dad let us all get out of the bus to confront Bobby. She’d been keeping in touch with Sergeant Laurence and Dad figured out what she meant.

Mia is one sharp girl. Dad’s no dummy, either. I look over to smile at her and see that she and Theo are holding hands. I take a picture of them clutching each other. Then I snap Bobby on his knees, clutching his private parts and dry heaving a little. Atticus lifts his leg and pees, sprinkling Bobby. I take a picture of that, too. “Good boy.”

“Bobby.” Lieutenant Spring looks down at him. “On your feet, you know the drill.”

“Thanks, Officer. Do you need to get statements from us?” Dad asks.

“Nah, Bobby’s got a record long enough to keep us busy for a while. I understand you people are on the road to pick up a dog? I got one from the pound. I know what good friends they are. You take care of that dog. I’ll handle Bobby.”

The cop crams Bobby into the backseat and roars out of the parking lot. We climb back into the bus and
slump in our seats, exhausted. This has been a busy day. I look around—a lot of gray faces.

Dad looks back at us in the rearview mirror.

“Everyone in favor of grabbing a few hours’ sleep now that it’s dark? Get a fresh start in the morning? We’re not that far away now, and it’s probably too late to get the dog today anyway. We’ll get going first thing. I’ll call the shelter tonight.”

Four voices say yes and we drive off in search of a motel.

I know better than to believe they’ve forgotten about that dog. No one’s talking about it much, but we’re getting closer. I can feel it. I’m glad we’re going to stop and sleep in a bed. I can nap anywhere, but I like to do night in a bed. I usually sleep with my boy, but tonight I’m going to stay with Mia. I will growl if they try to make me change my mind. She’s soft. I’m tired.

I raise my head to study my boy, Ben.

I’ll be nice to this dog for Ben’s sake. But I’ll let the dog know there are rules and they will be followed. I know how to nip heels so it doesn’t draw blood but can’t be ignored.

I’m feeling better now that I know what to do.

Everyone always feels better when there’s a plan.

The Bigger Picture

We check into a cheap but clean motel right off the highway. Dad’s in the other bed in our room; Gus and Theo share a room on one side of us, and Mia and Atticus are on the other side. I’d whistled to Atticus to come with me, but he pretended not to hear and trotted into Mia’s room. Theo rolled his eyes when he saw that.

Dad says we’re only about an hour away from the puppy. If we pick him up first thing and the bus holds together and we don’t have the kind of day we had today, we’ll be sleeping in our own beds tomorrow night.

I’m so tired I think I’m not going to be able to keep my eyes open long enough to brush my teeth and drop into bed. But as soon as I’m lying there, I’m wide awake. Thinking.

I turn toward the other bed. “Dad? You awake?”

He flips on the light between our beds and grins at me. “Yeah. Tired as I am, I can’t shut off my mind and fall asleep.”

“Me too.” He turns on the TV and starts channel surfing. I dig deep and make myself speak. “Dad? Why didn’t you tell me about buying the house?”

He turns off the set and sits on the edge of his bed, his elbows on his thighs, looking at me.

“I know that sometimes my plans kind of freak you and your mother out.”

“Always. And totally. But go on.” He smiles at my lame attempt at a joke. I smile back.

“Mom and I have been talking about doing this for years. Even though we had a million reasons the business might not work out, we had to take the chance when the house came up for sale. But I was making her a nervous wreck with the cost of everything, and we didn’t want to worry you. Especially not the last part of the school year, when you needed to keep your grades up.”