Before You Go | A Prequel

1.9 | The Park

The sun was heading down fast, and its dying light cast a hazy orange glow over the hills of Porterfield Park. Claudia sat on the bleachers, drumming her fingers against the skateboard between her knees. She was careful not to touch the edges which still had a bit of blood on them.

And she'd been cooperating. Watching. Waiting, very carefully until the opportunity to make a break finally presented itself.

-"Claud!"

She spotted Nico by the entrance of the skatepark. He waved a wide arm. Perfect.

Claudia bit at her lip as she made a doubletake to her left and started gingerly scooting her rear off of the bleachers. One of the wheels of her skateboard nicked the metal bench with a loud clang, and she cringed. So much for stealth.

"Oh, oh no you don't, Missy!" Screeched a shrill voice. She scowled at the woman who just about teleported in front of her again, and pointed at with a wad of bloodied tissues. "Now you just sit right back there!"

"Get out of my way, lady."

"You are not going anywhere until I speak with your parents!"

"I already told you. I don't have parents."

"Well, in that case you can just wait right there for the police to arrive!"

Claudia huffed. Her neck rolled on her shoulders as she sat back, and turned right in time to see Nico making his way toward her with, Gus and Ellie already in tow.

"Careful. Stop it– stay away from there." He murmured to Ellie, who'd tried to curiously look over the edge of one of the deep concrete bowls before he grabbed her arm. "Hey Claud! Let's go. C'mon."

"Oh, is she yours?" The lady pointed back and forth between Claudia and Nico. "She's with you?"

Her brother shot her a cautious 'what-did-you-do' glare as he approached the bleachers with the twins holding his hands at either side. Claudia's eyes could have rolled out of their sockets. Frigging great.

"Excuse me? Hi, yes— is this your child?"

"Uh...kind of, yeah?" Nico nodded slowly. "Is—," He cleared his throat. "Is everything... okay? Ma'am?"

"Well, I'd say!" Her nose turned up, scrutinizing as she eyed both of the twins before giving Nico a look up and down. "And just how old would you happen to be?"

"I'm um... I'm nineteen."

"Hmph," The woman crossed her arms. "A little young to be a father aren't you?"

"I mean, I-I'm not— these are my uh... I'm just their—,"

"He's just my brother." Claudia cut him off with a bitter edge to her tone. She hiked the skateboard under her arm as she shook her head. "C'mon let's bounce. I'm ready to go."

Nico stopped her with a mere look of warning before turning his attention back to the lady. "But uh, yes. She's with me. I'm her brother— older brother."

Claudia sucked her teeth at his need to state the obvious.

"Well. So I see." Observed the woman. "In that case, might your father be around, because I would like a word."

Nico's jaw tightened, "No ma'am, he is not."

"Hmph." Her shoulders bounced with a haughty scoff. "Color me surprised at that one. That's the whole problem these days."