Jenga

Chapter Thirty- Night of Rebellion

When I wake up, Max is hovering over me. I rub my eyes and sit up. "What . . . happened?" I ask him. I mean, there's only the two of us in the living room now.

"Try to put the pieces together. I think those men coming here had something to do with everyone who's not here anymore," he says.

"The pieces together?" I look outside, and it's turned dark. I turn my head to the clock behind me. "It's almost ten! How long were we out for?"

Max gets up and opens the door. "How should I know? I thought you'd have a better grasp on what's going on."

I follow him outside, the air nice and breezy, but not too cold. Then something hits me. "They were acting odd when they came, Charlie, Cyan and Wisty. They were dressed up for something."

"They might've gone to a party. But why'd they be so down about going to a party?"

My face tenses. "Because it's an engagement party."

"What?"

"Don't you get it? Those two are to be married by the will of their parents. They tried to get out of it, but ended up being caught. That's why Charlie and Cyan arrived all tired."

"So those men, their parents, captured them and everyone else except for us. How did they know of our relationships?"

I think for a while then go back inside the house. I grab today's paper from on the counter, and on the floor I find a white card. Bringing it outside, I give Max the card and show him the newspaper. "This is how he knew about Charlie and I."

Max's eyes widened. The headline was in fact exposing our relationship to the world. Damn that reporter spy-guy from the day of the Christmas party.

"And I bet . . . Phoebe ratted Wisty and I out," Max says. "We met her yesterday and got her pretty rilled up."

"Let's take a look at that card," I say to Max.

He turns the card to the front. "It has Julia's name on it. It's an invitation to the party. It has the address and everything. I think she left it on purpose. I mean, so we could stop this now."

I look down at my feet. "Why should we? Since nobody bothered to tell us, why should we act on their behalf?"

"Are you really saying that? You love Charlie, don't you?" Max shakes me by the shoulders and I lift my head up. I love him . . . don't I? No matter how much he may bother me or resent telling me things, I love him.

"Alright! Let's do this! But . . . how will we get there?" What is this? In my romance story the girl is saving the guy from certain doom. It'll soon be certain death if I don't kill him first.

"That's what bikes are for, right?" Max points to his bike across the street. "Ready, Noa?"

No, I'm not. But whatever. I'm taking Charlie back. And wait, how is Max so unbelievably calm?! Jeez, has he gotten more mature or what?

<> <> <>

"Traffic?! Why?! Why me?!"

Max makes an abrupt halt and says, "Can you not shout? The pedestrians are probably about to call 911."

"At this rate my husband will be putting an engagement ring on your girlfriend's finger!"

Max sighs and honks the bike horn to make me shut up. I can't help it. "Hey, since when was Charlie your husband? And it's not like their getting married. Just engaged. Calm down, will you? I have a plan, but you'll need to hold on to me so that you wont fall off the bike."