The Chase

Chapter One

"Felicity please come with us. I r don't want to leave you alone for two weeks," my mother tells me.

She and Emalee are going to visit my aunt Jamie in the big country of Texas.

Well, Texas really didn't used to be a country at all. It was a state in a huge country called the United States. But about 150 years ago, the liberals and the conservatives got into a huge argument. It eventually led to the falling out of the country and each state separated into their own. Twenty-three are conservative and 27 are liberal. The country I live in, Oklahoma, is conservative.

"I don't want to mom. I'm 16 and quite capable of taking care of myself," I explain. Ever since dad left she has been way too over-protective.

"Felicity. Don't be difficult with me. You have to come," she says.

"No mother, I don't. Have a nice trip," I say, practically pushing them out the door.

"Felicity. Come on, my mom says but I don't relent. "You're going to regret not coming."

'Hurry, you're going to miss your bus!" I scream. My mom gives up and grabs her bags. Emalee does the same.

"Bye Fizzy!" Emalee says while hugging me. This is what she has always called me because she couldn't say Felicity when she was younger.

"Bye Emmy. Love you," I say hugging her back. I watch her hold the door for my mom and then close it behind her. She's so polite for an eleven year old.

Once I'm sure they're gone, I go to the family room an start a fire. I don't really need a fire at all with the heater running, but I like to have it for these cold November nights.

After the fire is going, I make clam chowder on the stove. Mom and Emmy are sure to be on the bus by now, considering we live so close to the town square where the bus picks up its rider.

I hope I wasn't too harsh on my mom.

I pour my chowder in a bowl and sit on the sofa. Surprisingly, I find dad's quilt laying on the floor. I thought for sure mom would have taken it with her. But either way, I curl up in it in front of the fire. I finish my dinner as the haze of the fire flickers.

************************************

I awake to the early morning sun streaming through the window. I crawl out from the warmth of the sofa an groggily climb the stairs. Once I reach the top I begin to get ready. I take a long shower, brush my hair and teeth, and wash my face.

I look at myself in the mirror a moment. I see a plain girl, really. Curly hair that runs in my family and is a dark shade of blonde. I have dark brown eyes and just a couple of freckles on the bridge of my nose. I'm fairly tall and skinny with tanned skin from being outside constantly.

I get dressed in jeans, my favorite red flannel shirt, and a denim best over it. I certainly dress for comfort.

I grab a banana and head out the front door to the town square.

"Hey Fiz!" Chase calls out as soon as I'm in his sight. Emalee's nickname sort of stuck with him too. "How's your Thanksgiving break going?"

"Just great," I say as I laugh a little because after the country split up, nobody really celebrated Thanksgiving. We just use it as an excuse to have a break off school. "How's yours?"

"Eh fine. My parents left so I get the house all to myself," he says grinning just a tiny bit. Chase has been my best friend since second grade. He has green eyes and messy brown hair. He's very tall and muscular. And the great thing is, we even share a birthday. We're exactly the same age except he's eight hours older than I am.

"Me too. Mom an Emalee went to Jamie's house and I really didn't want to ride the bus all the way to Texas," I say while fiddling my thumbs. He probably thinks that's the stupidest excuse ever, but it's just Chase.

Then there is a sudden burst of cries from the television with the local news just outside city hall. "Yeah I understand. Let's check this out," he says, playfully swinging an arm around my shoulder.

We walk on the cracked sidewalk. The grass to my left is a sad shade of winter brown. I really, truly hate this time of year. I'd rather be soaking up some sun or playing soccer with my rec team. But I guess you have to be patient for something as beautiful as summer. All good things come when we wait.

We reach the television and I ask what's wrong.

"Oh! My baby girl! She was on that bus! She... She's gone! Oh!" one lady sobs. It's hard to make out what she's saying because her body shakes with her relentless cries.

"What? What happened?" Chase asks more directly this time and the man next to us answers.

"The bus headed to Virginia crashed. Nine died and twelve were injured." He walks away shaking his head. His brown hair was long. Maybe about chin length. I've never seen a man with hair like that.

"That's just awful," Chase says while mimicking the man by shaking his head. "I'm so glad your mom and sister weren't on that bus."

I hadn't even thought of the possibility of it being them until now, and I'm glad I hadn't. I tend to freak out. "Yeah me too. Lets go get some breakfast."