Cockroach Chick

Chapter 9:Planning

“How long have you been here?” I questioned him.

He shrugged “About 15 minutes” 

“you always take too long.” He added rising from the floor.

“Really? Or is it that you always come way too rushed?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. I then opened the white tattered door, which I can bet my soul is about to fall from the hinges, to my dorm and walked in.

“Nope. You take too long.” He smiled before throwing himself onto my bed.

“Get off. Now.” I grunted as I tried to push him off, succeeding greatly as he fell to the floor with a “THUMP!"

“Owwwww” he chuckled as he got to his feet, rubbing his elbow which took the impact.

“Stop being a baby and go sit down.” I laughed at him, pointing at the desk across from me.

“So when you wanna leave?”

“Tomorrow…”

“Really?” He frowned.

“Or two days from now is fine too.” I shrugged.

“Okay, sounds cool.” He stated blandly as he spun himself around in the desk chair.

“Oh and checkout what I got today” he added tossing me a rolled up paper.

As I opened it, my jaw dropped. 

It was a map of the entire foster home, including the office which few knew where it stood, unless they went there every day like Drue and I. You’d be surprised how many rules you can break in a 3 day period.

“How did you manage getting your hands on this?” I questioned bewildered.

“I snuck into the office with Steven before everyone went to lunch today.”He stated with such enthusiasm that made me want to jump out of my seat and do the Macarena. Excuse me as I wipe off the excess sarcasm of my chin.

“ We asked to use the restroom.  We met each other up.  We snuck in. Easy.” He shrugged as he took note on the fact I wasn’t content with his previous answer.

I shook my head in disbelief, “You’re insane.”

“Now, we just need a gun.” He stated calmly, clear as night.

“Again. I repeat. Insanity has taken a grip on you, Drue. I’m letting you know right now, mental hospitals smell like shit and strait jackets aren’t that all comfy.” I snapped at him.

“Ren, please you know I’m right.” He whispered with a hint of hope.

I rolled my eyes, and he took it as a yes.

“There’s only one person I know who has a gun. And I know just the girl who can get it for us.” He laughed giving me a sly smile that could have meant nothing, but trouble.

He was really starting to scare me… that one lady that had a gun was no other than Ms. Pufferman and the girl he had in mind to get the gun was no one but your host…

“No Way.” I rebutted.

“Come on. We NEED a gun! Unless you just want us to go out there with a few knives.” He practically shouted at me startling me, but I was not ready to give in.

“Do you want me to be skinned or hung? If she were to catch me, I’d have to choose between those two, Drue.”

“Latter, Hung is the way to go, it hurts less”

I glared at him so hard I felt my eye twitch.

“ whoa, whoa. You asked.” He stated, his voice quivering with fear from my reactions.  “Seriously though, we need a gun Ren.”  He finished with a sigh.

“fine.  I’ll get it.” I fianlly shouted at him.

Him oblivious to the fact I just shouted, jumped up and gave me a brilliant smile. “Awesome, now anything else?”

“Hmmm…” I thought out loud. “Well we’ll need food, water, clothes. We can get our own clothes of course.”

“ I can just steal dried rations from the cafeteria pantry” He shrugged.

“and water?”

“ I can get bottles of water there, too.”

“Hey you know I was thinking… We can’t just leave by ourselves… Don’t you think it would be better getting a few more people?” He asked carefully.

“ Oh my God… you’re right, but who would even think about risking their lives and leave the comforts of their only “home” to go into a wasteland of destruction?” I asked myself sarcastically.

“You and I. Anyone that still has their head screwed on alright. In other words, not a lot of people. ” he responded looking straight into my eyes.

Couldn’t fight that. He had a point.

“Who did you have in mind?” I asked curiously.

“Oh you know, Carly and her 16 boyfriends!” He squealed letting his hand fall at the wrist as the other held his waist.

I rolled my eyes “you’re a complete dork, you know that?”

We laughed for what seemed like ages.

“No, but ummm…. I thought maybe Steven. If that was find with you?” He finally responded breaking our riot of laughter.

“Sounds good. If anything I think Janet would make a rather good companion…” I thought back to how she seemed to be brilliant, and kind, but observant and sly when she needed to get her way.

Just the other day she’d convinced a staff member to give her the keys to the office telling them about a pollution error that they happened to not catch. When the mechanist replied that it was impossible for there to be a leak, as he had checked it only 3 hours ago, she warned him that she had seen him sleeping the whole time. Not sure if it was just a lucky guess, or she really had, but the man became frightened, and told him she had no proof. She responded by pointing out the fact that he had just put up cameras a weak ago, one pointing at his desk in order to try catching a thief who kept coming back for his lunch every Tuesday. I’m sure the man mentally face palmed himself, handing Janet the keys and walking away in dismay.  Huh….funny how much you can learn from a trip to the restroom.

“Well that’ll be fine.  SO, I think we’re done here.” He finished clapping his hands onto his thighs and lifting himself up from the bed.

“Yeah. Wait-Wait what time do we leave!?”

“How about around 5 A.M.? My watch has an alarm; I’ll wake up, get dressed and run over here as soon as possible.”

I automatically nodded in agreement.

“You know it’s getting really late, you should get going.” I explained, showing him the door. I felt kind of bad literally kicking him out, but I couldn’t risk it.

“Understood. Well,” He responded as he began to leave. And as soon as he was about to walk out, he turned around and pecked me on the lips.

“Goodnight.” He finished as we departed for the night.

“Goodnight.” I responded heading back to my bed. My heart still racing from what just had happened. Either racing from that or what was soon to happen…