𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙩𝙤𝙤?- 𝘽𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙔 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙂𝙍𝙊𝙑𝙀

EIGHT

—ACT I—

EIGHT
'New person'

—

...but the stars—all those stars...
-Alberto Ríos
From "December Morning in the Desert"

—

"She's gone."

Steve stood on the Cartier front porch B How old are you in a minute I'm a need usrody held the door open wide, "Ryder isn't here?" Steve asked in disbelief as Brody just nodded, "Gone."

"Well I'm sure she's just like in her room—" "You've got something to do with this. Don't ya pretty boy? Get off my property." Brody cut Steve off with his accusation and slammed the door in his face.

Unknowingly the phone rang in the Harrington residence, even while no one was home it continued to ring.

"What the fuck?—Hello?" Steve asked grabbing his phone that hung on the wall of his kitchen. "Hey. Uhm Steve."

Steve knew that voice better than anyone, "Yeah?" He asked he was still doing that thing, the acting like you don't care, when you still do.

"Can I have some help? I need you to drive to Chicago." Ryder was sitting on the hotel room bed with the phone pressed against her ear.

"What the fuck? I can't go all the way to Chicago Ry!" Steve yelled as she moved the phone away from her ear. "That's like a seven hour drive!" "Three." "Three Hour drive— But that doesn't matter!" He shouted.

"Please Steve? I registered and I got Illinois plates, im gonna come back as a totally new person." Ryder told him with a smile, "and, Why would you do that?" Steve asked as she sighed, "I'd rather not be the girl who's always whispered about in the hallways. Or the girl who is running from Billy Hargrove." She told him honestly and Steve sighed.

"Alright. Where are you?" Steve asked, as Ryder looked over at Jane who sat on the bed across from her.

Jane looked at her in confusion. Ryder gave him the address and they both hung up.

"Who's Steve?" Jane asked as Ryder laid down and kicked her feet to get under the soft white hotel comforter.

"A friend," "A boyfriend?" "Oh my gosh, I wish." Ryder joked with a wide smile.

Jane smiled back, "if you'd like to shower the makeup and the hair gel out you can. Your free to use anything here." Ryder told the girl before dialing another number on the phone.

"Wheelers Residence." A woman answered as Ryder smiled, she began to speak at a slower pace and a deeper voice.

"Hey, is uh— Nancy there?" She asked as the woman yelled out for Nancy.

"Hey, it's Nancy." She said as extra loud breaths were heard through the phone. Loud yelling was towards her mother to get off the phone.

"Hey, it's a uhh—Harold Cartier. Have you seen Ryder?" Ryder asked her as she sighed, "Like Ryder Cartier? I haven't seen her since she ran out of school crying,"

"Alright thanks."

—

The phone rang to all of Ryders friends houses.