Project Runaway

Chapter 3

We sat in the Circle K parking lot. I had a Polar Pop in my hand and she had a slushy. She tossed me a Kit-Kat and I narrowed my eyes. "How did you know this was my favorite food."

She laughed at my completely serious expression. "Cute. I didn't. I grabbed that randomly off the shelf when I was in there." She watched me with amusement as I carefully opened it and glanced at her every now and then. I broke.

"Okay so did you poison it?" She laughed and a little snort came from her again.

"I did not do anything to your candy Austin." She assured me turning so her back was to her door and her legs were across my lap and the armrest. "Plus if I did poison it I'd have taken a bite out of it myself." She muttered.

"Why?" I asked meekly.

"You're really cute when you have courage. Less so when you don't," She smiled. "But you need to listen right now." I nodded. "You have to understand that I am very unhappy. Everyone in this little town, they're all going through the motions. Never changes. Start driving." She said seating herself normally. I didn't want to drive. I wanted her to sit like that again. I ignored my thoughts and pulled out of the Circle K through town. "Those girls? They go to the theatre every sing Friday. For the past five years." She said looking at a group of girls walking into the Skye Cinema here. "Those couples? They meet at that restaurant every Thursday of every month. Even you Austin. Wake up. Go to school. Sleep. Repeat." She said as tears filled her eyes. "And soon it'll just be Wake up. Go to college. Go to work. Sleep. Repeat." She sniffed. "Everybody here is stuck. Never moving forward. Never going back. And we can't escape unless we realise we have this schedule. And I feel like I'm the only damn one who can escape right now." She said and wiped under her eyes with the heel of her palm.

"Everyone is trapped. And I can't help them because they only know this life. If I help them escape they'll only leave and get trapped in another little town," She laughed sadly. "All these people. These horrible, trapped people. And I can't help them." She whispered. "Nobody can help them." I said quietly. "You're right. Nobody can help them." She agreed quietly. It hurt. To see her hurting like this, on this level. It hurt that she thought she had to look out for everyone in this town. "I'm going to get out. And I'm going to go to somewhere warm. Hot. Dry heat. Maybe Arizona or southern California." She said with a small smile. "Maybe I'll come with you." I said softly. "Oh Austin. We both know you want to come with me but we both also know it wouldn't work. You want that life with the perfect family, you want to go to college and get a job. I don't." She shrugged a little, sad. "But we've still got a plan to finish. So let's go." She smiled and gave me another address. "Who lives here?" I asked as we got the paint. "Onyx." She muttered. "What's she done?" I asked. "She thought it would be funny to paint a mustache on my old car. So, I'll return the favor. Tear up some tissues and throw them in the paint." She said opening them. We ripped up tissues and stirred them in, making it chunky. "Let's go." We each carried two to the purple car. She opened the sunroof wide enough to pour paint into the car. It pooled at the bottom as she wrote out a note like the others. "We still have one more." She said as we drove away. "Who?" I asked. "Jacob." She said and gave me the address. "He called every girl in the school a slut and also managed to forget to tell me Olivia was screwing Landon." She smiled and we got out. She had the superglue and airhorn with duct tape and note in hand. "Okay. Take this piece of duct tape. When I say so, and only then, you will tape down this button, drop it and run like a bat out of hell." She whispered and started doing her thing after pushing the air horn into my hand. She glued the note to the wall. I zoned out until she tapped my shoulder. I looked at her. She nodded, her curls shifting. I taped down the button and the airhorn's loud wail filled the air. I took it and put it in the now very awake Jacob's hand and curled his fingers around his for him. He sat there, shocked, watching Aubrey spray her last name on his window with the paint. I threw myself out the window and she followed. "Run Austin! Run! Run! Run!" She yelled and laughed. I climbed in the truck and drove long before her door was closed. I ran about four stop signs and a red light before slowing down. I drove us home and pulled to a stop in her driveway. "I had a lot of fun." I said getting out with her. "I know. See ya around Austin." She winked and climbed up the tree. She jumped off the branch and to her window. She waved before ducking inside. Only two words could describe tonight: Aubrey Storm.