Gangs and Roses

Chapter Twenty-One: LA

Chapter Twenty-One

LA

We left the house at seven o'clock sharp. The early morning was chilly and foggy, the sun trapped behind dense clouds. We had finished clearing out the houses and now, having not slept at all and the tiny amount of belongings stashed everyone's cars, it was time to leave.  

We had to go our separate ways, in small groups. It was too dangerous to travel in a big gang. We weren't even going to the same airport.  

Luke was going to Australia. 

Seb, Erin and Isaac were going to Norway. 

Joe and Charlotte had tickets to Alaska.  

Will and I: San Francisco.  

There was no point in saying goodbyes. Everything would've just got too emotional. We were supposed to be a gang. Well, that was what Charlotte had told me yesterday. And it looked like no-one, as they stood beside their cars, (or in Luke's case, his bike) was in any mood to bid farewells.  

Seb came out the front door, his keys rattling and ringing, (the only sound) as he hooked them onto the belt of his jeans. He looked at us, and we looked back him.  

"See you on the other side."  

And that was that.  

We all got into our cars, Will and I buckling into my Mini. One by one, we all pulled out of the drive way. Luke went first, clipping up his helmet and off like a shot. Erin and Seb were next. Then Joe and Charlotte. As I poked myself out onto the road, about to drive away, I looked at the house one last time. I remembered getting out of the taxi, at the top of the front path and wondering what kind of boys lived in such big house and how clean it all looked. Back then, I had no idea.  

Feeling a bit of my heart break away, I put my foot on the pedal and drove off. I let out a slow exhale.  

The mood was too sad to play any music so we both settled for silence. Will gazing absent-mindedly out of the window and me staring straight ahead, a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.  

When there was a half an hour drive to an airport and there was nothing but silence, it was hard not to think about things, important things. I wondered how long it was going to be before the police would show-up at our house, realize we're not there and come looking for us? How were we going to hide? What turns were we going to make? What stop were there to come? I wondered, wondered, wondered. I tried to not let it get to me - I didn't want to become attached to the future - but it was hard not to concentrate on such a worrying thing. When I was back in my flat, I used to be worried about the future. Now the future seemed ten times more worrying.  

I glanced over at Will, who was staring at his lap.  

How many people were going to die?  

A couple of minutes later, we came to the motorway. I couldn't relax, I couldn't sit back in my chair and feel comfortable. How could I do that? How could I not be tense? I wondered where Luke was, how far away he was to Luton airport. I was worried about him, whether he was going to look after himself. What if he got into trouble? No-one would be there to help him. Joe said it was dangerous just calling one another in case it was being tracked.  

The people I saw everyday suddenly weren't going to be there.  

I had to leave Mum - I had to suddenly leave her. She was going to send me an email, try and contact me and realize we're not there. Poof, we would be gone. I'd left her once when I moved out, Dad left her when he got lung cancer. Now, I would be gone for the second time. And to me, it felt like I was never coming back.