The Runaway

Chapter 13

Valerie got back into the apartment in the wee hours of the morning. She collapsed onto her mat to be met with a disgruntled Robyn who was sitting cross-legged on her own mat.

"Why'd you go without me, crank?" Robyn said quietly. When she got all passive aggressive Valerie knew that she was in trouble.

"You were fast asleep, Ro. You looked peaceful. I tried to wake you. But don't worry- I brought you a present."  With a carefully placed smile she fished out the blue box and threw it into Robyn's lap.

"What is this junk?" Robyn made a face. She turned the device over in her hands, trying to work it open.

"Ro it's doesn't work like that- give- No!" She screamed.

Robyn flipped the switch on the side and started at Valerie lunged at her.

"Turn it off- it’s an alarm! Turn it off, Ro!" Valerie screeched as Robyn pushed her away.

"Valerie, chill. Look. Nothing happened- it's just a stupid toy. Breathe, it's a toy." Robyn switched it on and off again and Valerie realized that she was right with equal parts of dismay, relief and anger.

The kid tricked you. Wow- he sure is smarter than he looks.

Robyn laughed as her friend fell back onto her mat, groaning.

"You got conned. And well at that... That reminds me- did you find our guy? The runaway?"

With a sigh Valerie began her story. "Yeah, but things didn’t go exactly as planned. Basically to sum up a wonderful night – he blackmailed me into helping him then I may have gotten him upset accidently and then I fell and couldn’t walk and then- this is the best part- Ro, he brought me an emergency first aid kit of his and he had a can of Midas Skin Regrowth like it was nothing. And then he told me that the famous heiress of that company was his fucking mother! We are screwed! If he’s found and spills about us they’d come for us and we’ve probably be charged with the goddamn kidnapping knowing our luck! I had to keep him somewhere where he wouldn’t be caught, obviously. I took him to the alley next to the stupid painted one and now our golden goose is just sitting there waiting for me to take him out of town.” Valerie tried to ignore the nagging voice that tried to remind her about the incident in the alley of paint.

Robyn pressed a hand to her mouth, muffling her curses with wide eyes. “Are you kidding me!? Oh my god- what?” She rocked back, trying to process what she had just heard.

“Whoa- whoa – whoa, hold up. What do you mean with take him out of town? Where are you going and how!?” Mabel piped up from the sofa.

Idiot. You forgot about her, didn’t you? You should have been quieter.

Oops. Valerie bit her lip. “Uh- Mabel, Ro- I was planning to actually get out of here. . . Maybe! I’m not really sure yet but we could go to those abandoned houses in the woods-“ She bumbled along awkwardly through her sentence, not daring to look her friend in the eye for fear of finding hurt or rage.

“Okay.” Mabel stifled a yawn.

“Cool. When do we leave?” Robyn rubbed her eyes.

“Um- as soon as possible.”

Valerie stared at her. She expected something else, maybe some protest but not just indifference. But that was okay – she would much rather indifference than a torrent of abuse.

Robyn noticed her gaze. “What? I don’t wanna be holed up here any longer. I wanna get outside – somewhere where I can feel the sun on my skin and the wind on my face. I want to, as the ancient proverb says: ‘Taste the rainbow.’”