Francesca Romano

Chapter 11 | Fire Drill

We all made sure to hold hands, as we couldn't see besides the time they would flash the white lights. In the pitch black all you could see was some of the glow in the dark things people wore. "Hello Francesca." I squeezed Jocelyn's hand. "That's not funny." I saw her look at me when the lights flashed again.

"I thought that was you playing games." I didn't believe her even though the voice was a bit deep. We continued walking in a group trying to get to the second section of the carnival but we walked slow. I stopped walking due to my phone vibrating and told the rest they could keep walking. "What time will you be back?" My mother texted me but I didn't even answer. "Don't ignore me Doc." I shook off the voice, there was no way he was here.

Once the light flashed again I saw Beverly and Ava so I caught up to them. Not thinking I held onto the person next to me thinking it was Jocelyn but her hand seemed bigger and had veins all the way up her arm. I brushed it off thinking it was Max and put my other hand in Ava's. She laid her head on my shoulder. "Love the mask Francesca." I rolled my eyes. "You play to much Max."

"You think if I snuck her to a bathroom really quick, the rest would notice?" Ava asked sighing, and I laughed. "Wait until we get through and I'll cover for you." I told her and looked over to Ava who was having a full conversation with the girl Giovanni brought now. The lights flashed again but this time it started a true siren like the ones that would happen at a real fire drill, in school. Max's thumb was moving back and forth on my palm. "Francesca." The voice started to scare me.

The sound never ended so to talk to Beverly I would shout, But finally we all made it to the second section where the lights were steady on a bright pink. Every one with each other and eve with Max was at the other end, away from me. My heart dropped as I slowly turned to see who was holding my hand. It was the guy we had seen with the same mask.

I quickly pulled away and stepped back. He was laughing under the mask, then he brought his hand up to the mask. Only lifting it so I would see his lips. "Do you forget all your patients, or just your favorite one's" He asked making me accept my fate that it was Reid. "If you consider yourself a favorite patient, then yes I do forget." He placed his mask back onto his face.

He put his arms around my shoulders and walked with the rest of us. After awhile I got drifted into a conversation with him and lost everyone else. "We're all in the same place so I'm sure they'll be ok, let's go to three." I agreed and we went into part three. As soon as we got there the woman's voice was back. "Bomb threat." And the white lights flickered on and of quickly this time.

"Is King not with you?" I asked as I bought tickets for us both to go on the Ferris wheel. "This isn't his type of fun." He stated as his hands dropped to my waist. "What is?" I shoved my wallet back into my purse. "Murder." I quickly turned my head to look up at him. He was looking straight ahead and as much as I wanted him to be kidding. The pit in my stomach and how steady his voice was made me believe otherwise.

He pulled the mask off to push his hair to the back and a smirk laid on his lips, knowing what he just said. He quickly put the mask back on. "Your not that funny." Told him as we stood in line. "Did it sound like I was kidding?" I rolled my eyes before looking at him with glim eyes.

"Bomb." The woman said before the lights went out and my hand was intertwined with Reid's once again tonight. A thick wet substance was splashed onto us, that slowly fell down my bare chest and stomach, making me regret my choice in shirts. The lights were turned back on to a dim yellow and orange, as he let go of my hand.

We were covered in different color paints and when I looked up to Reid to see his mask off and the jacket he had on tied around his waist. He was wearing a graphic t-shirt that showed off his sleeve of tattoos that went up to his neck. Last time I saw this sight he was covered in wet blood which was fine but this.

"Hope I'm pleasing." I caught myself staring and my face went pink. I turned away from him and pulled off my mask trying to remove some of the paint that fell under the mask and cleaning up my chest. "Look at me." He said and I looked up to him. He ran his thumb across my bottom lip and removed some of the paint. Then his hand went up to my forehead, the paint was everywhere.

"Tickets, please and thank you." A guy said to us and I handed him the tickets from earlier. He opened the gate and I put my mask back on. We stepped into the pods and sat across from one another. His mask was now on the back of his head as he sat back with his legs spread as he ran his tongue across his teeth before he clenched his jaw and his eyes darkened.

"So, Francesca." Why did my name roll of his tongue like that? I sat back in my seat crossed my legs. "We both know your fun, just how extreme?" He leaned over with his elbows resting on his knees and his eyes trying to find mine behind the mask. I did the same and leaned over, our faces only inches away. I pushed the mask off to the back of my head allowing his to study me through my eyes.

"I have no limits. But do you?" And at that the ride started moving.