The Dark Chase

Chapter 2

Carlos and Ivy stopped by the train tracks, looking to see if there was a train passing by. Just as they were sure there was no train, they heard a loud honking that continued to get louder until there was a loud whooshing sound that zipped past them. At first they were caught off guard, but then

After the whole fiasco, at the compound, all Carlos wanted was some alone time in her bedroom, all covered up in her blankets, and maybe binge watch her favourite TV show; The Little Girl. As she unlocked the front door, her mother stormed towards her. In long, angry, strides. Uh oh. I am in deeeeep trouble this time. Hooo-boy! 

"Where were you, young lady?! I was worried sick. If that even compares to how your Aunty feels," Mrs. Laurier yelled. Carlos sighed, she knew it was a long time coming, considering how many times she had either ran away, or just left without calling, or texting. But all those times she "ran away", it was because she was doing important things that if she told her mom, she wouldn't be able to go, and her friend Ivy always wanted her to go.

But the thing she hated the most was lying constantly to her mom, so she always took the lectures, knowing that she deserved them. But today, she knew that she crossed a line, and she also knew that Ivy would be having the exact same lecture that she having right now.

"I hope that you didn't go to any liquor store, or ba-" "Mom! Why in the world would you ever think something like this?!" "What else could I even think! A worried sick mother, pacing around, calling their daughter's cell, but no, no answer," explained Mrs. Laurier, with hints of anger somewhere in her voice. "Mom, I meant to call you but—" "No. No, no  apologies coming out of your mouth young lady!" "I am very disappointed in you. You know better than running away like that," said Mrs. Laurier, with a raised eyebrow.  "But Moooom! I meant to call you, and—" "But Mom me. You know better than to create excuses for your own expense. You are hereby grounded." "But–" "I don't wanna hear it, young lady. All I'm gonna do is ground you from your phone, laptop, friends, and iPad," Mrs. Laurier sighs, and walks away, leaving her daughter standing there in complete and utter shock.

I've really done it this time. But the good news is that Ivy moved here, and is our neighbour. My mom doesn't know that we have secret codes when things like this happen. I also kept my 3-year-old phone with me in my room, although I told mom that I threw it out. "Mom, I'm going to my room to do some homework. Let me know when Aunty comes home, kay?" yelled Carlos, halfway up the stairs. "OK, sure honey. Until then, do you want an after-school snack? I can make you your favourite– apple cinnamon honey sticks." "Mom, please don't pretend to be happy, after you just yelled at me. But, yeah, sure I'd like some apple cinnamon honey sticks please." "I'm not pretending, honey, I only yelled because I was worried sick. You scared me to death honey. Please don't ever do that again, OK? And you are not grounded from your friends, just your electronics," Mrs. Laurier explained, with great calmness.

Wow, that was weird. Mom usually never calms down that quickly. Carlos stumbled up the stairs, barely aware of what going on around her; she was too focused on her thoughts. Carlos absentmindedly opened her bathroom door. She grabbed her toothbrush and started her after-school routine, and lazily walked over to her bedroom.

Carlos sighed, she knew that what she did was wrong, but if only her mom knew just why she did what she did, then maybe, just maybe her mom would forgive her. Carlos opened her textbook, to page 254, questions 1-12. She started with her math homework, since it was the hardest, and then moved in to her English work. Carlos was deep in her homework, when something panged on her window. At first Carlos was startled, but then she looked up to see her best friend throwing rocks at her window. Oh my god! My mom is gonna literally kill me! "Ivy stop. If my mom finds out that you throw rocks at my window, I'm dead," Carlos choked.

"Hey, I just wanna hang out. Are badly grounded or?" Questioned Ivy. "Nope! I'm allowed to hang with friends," Carlos excitedly replied. Carlos quickly closed shut her textbook, and hobbled to put on her hoodie and socks. "Meet me by the front door," she instructed.

Carlos came climbing down the stairs, just as Mrs. Laurier exited the kitchen. "Wow! Someone's in a hurry. Where are you going?" "Oh, hi mom. I'm meeting with Ivy. She um, uh, she screamed real loud at my window, and I uh, heard her," stammered Carlos. "Oh-kay? Well, when you come back your snack will be waiting for you," said her very suspicious mom. "OK, great thanks! Love you! Bye!"

Carlos put on her jacket, and shoes, and ran out the door like a lightning bolt. "Hey, Ivy!" said Carlos with great excitement. "Well someone's excited to see me," Ivy said with bewilderment. Ivy knew that her friend really enjoyed her company, but never knew that she would run down the stairs and yell. "Well, do you wanna go to my house, and hang?" "Sure!" Exclaimed Carlos.

At first they hiked up the forest trails and down to the creek, where their secret treehouse was. Carlos was the first one up, since she had better upper body strength to pull herself up without the ladder. Once she was safely up on the platform, she threw down the ladder, so that Ivy could come up with her. "I still can't believe that you can climb up here without a ladder!" Praised Ivy. Carlos chuckled and pulled out their Journal. She logged the happenings of the day and started painting on the canvas.

At first Carlos only did ombré colours, but then she added a landscape that resembled their home forest. After the last stroke of green, she dabbed her paintbrush in grey paint. She then covered the bottom underneath the brown tree trunks. Then she dabbed lime- green paint to the tips of the grey paint. It looked almost like moss. "Whatcha trying to make? I mean, it looks really beautiful," wondered Ivy.

"Uh, I'm not really sure. At the moment it looks like our forest, but maybe I could make it look like it's midnight or something," she pondered. I was hoping that it looked different, but I guess this is okay. Carlos thought. Carlos exhaled frustrated that it looked different. "Ugh! It looks bad, doesn't it?" Carlos assumed. Ivy stepped closer to Carlos and over her shoulder, peered over at the painting.

"It doesn't look bad-" Ivy started. "Ugh! Stop! You're only saying that because your my friend! Tell me the truth!" Carlos pulled away from Ivy, so that she could face her. She crossed her arms over her hips, and raised her eyebrow.  "I'm not just saying that! I'm telling you the truth. It does look good."

Carlos finished her painting, then cleaned up. She carefully stored her painting in a loose floorboard, then straightened up, and put both hands on her knees. "Should we get going then?" Carlos made her way to the front porch, anticipating her next move. "You sure that you want to go home now? I mean, shouldn't we like, I dunno go for another hike?" Ivy carefully set down the book she was reading, and made her way to Carlos. Carlos scoffed. "Yeah, like we so wouldn't get in trouble for missing curfew," she sneered. Ivy huffed in frustration. "Fine! But when we go back home, don't blame me when you wished we were still here." She got up and stomped towards the ladder. Carlos jumped off the porch, and landed on her own two feet.

They both made their way back, in utter and complete silence.