Robbers

nine

// nine //

        Ryan called Ella on Wednesday late in the afternoon, when she was holed up in her bedroom doing absolutely nothing since she wasn’t allowed to leave the house. She answered somewhat nervously, worried he was annoyed that she had canceled their plans to meet up after school earlier that afternoon.

            “Hey, Ella.” His voice sounded deeper over the phone, the tone lower and his breath quiet in her ear. Ella’s cheeks burned without her permission and, already frustrated with herself, she hurriedly sat down at the edge of her bed. “So what’s this about you not wanting to come over today? Your text message cut me deep, Ella Jane.”

            “It’s not that I didn’t want to come,” Ella protested immediately, hearing the teasing note in his voice even though she couldn’t see his face to analyze his expression. “I said that I couldn’t go anywhere after school today.”

            Ryan laughed, replying easily, “I’m kidding, relax. Well, tell me why. Did you have something else to do that’s more interesting?”

           “What? No.” Ella held the phone closer to her ear and winced, pinching the bridge of her nose and admitting, “I, uh, I got grounded yesterday.”

            “You’re grounded?”

           “Only for today,” she corrected hastily. “And don’t sound so surprised. I came home late last night, that’s all. It’s not like this is the first time I’ve ever been grounded.”

            It was silent for a long moment on the other end of the phone, and Ella suddenly wondered if Ryan was feeling guilty that she’d been out so late helping him. Not wanting him to think she was trying to make him feel bad, she quickly continued, “Anyway, it’s no big deal. We can figure out what we’re doing next over the phone, right?”

            Ryan’s sigh was heavy, turning into a mixture of quiet static as it reached Ella’s ear. “Yeah, that’s what I wanted to talk about, actually.”

            Ella laid back against the bedspread, her hair splaying out across the white duvet in a gold and brown array. The screen of her phone was cool against her cheek as she said, “Okay, go for it.”

            “Well…it’s complicated,” Ryan began, and Ella knew he was attempting to disguise the nerves. “I haven’t heard anything about families going out of town, and there’s no houses that I’m sure are going to be empty this week. So, um, I think I’m going to try one even if there are people home.”

            Ella’s lips parted, but she forced herself to bite back the automatic response. She wanted to ask him if he was really serious, but Ryan was starting to speak again, as though he was compelled to explain himself. “I know what you’re thinking. But there’s this kid I used to be friends with when I was really little, and I’d spend a lot of time with him at his grandparents’ house since his mom and dad were divorced…I know the inside of it like the back of my hand. I could be in and out in fifteen minutes.”

            She bit her lip, not wanting to sound like a concerned mother but knowing she had to say something. “Well, um. I think it’s a bad idea.”

            “I know it sounds bad,” Ryan said, “but this kid’s grandparents are old. They’ve got to be in bed by eight, and it’s not like they’ve got good hearing. I’d be okay.”

            “But…” Ella trailed off, unsure of how to tell him that she thought this idea was incredibly rash and possibly insane. How was she supposed to watch for people inside the house when she was outside in the car the entire time? Ella blinked, and then she was suddenly speaking without thinking, telling him, “It would make more sense if I went in with you.”