The Fast Lane

Chapter 35

We got out of the hospital and jumped into Alex’s car.  Horrid memories of raunchy car sex in that very seat flooded my memory as I sat in the front seat.  I shivered, disgusted.  Alex looked at me as he cranked the car. “You okay?” I looked away from him out the window and nodded. 

We drove to Jenna’s house first so I could change.  Caleb’s SUV wasn’t there when we got there.  ”Where are Joel and Caleb?” I asked. 

"Those guys from your dream?" Alex laughed. I turned my head slowly to look at him, once again disgusted with him, and then began to shake my head.

"Too soon. WAY too soon." 

Alex cleared his throat awkwardly and swallowed hard. “I actually don’t have any idea.” 

I stepped out of the car and went into the house.  I didn’t want to take time to shower, but after seeing myself in the mirror behind the door for even just a split second I changed my mind.  Alex watched TV as I quickly rinsed my hair and body.  I dried most of it with my hairdryer and let it hang down to air-dry the rest of the way, and I also put on some fresh makeup.  It took two coats to cover the bruise from where I had been hit.  I chose some black skinny jeans and black converse.  I grabbed one of Harry’s large, plaid shirts that he loaned me and threw it on over a tank. Before I walked out of the room, I searched my backpack for my gun and some extra ammunition. 

We took off three minutes later from Jenna’s house.  We started driving the direction of the house that I hid in during the tornado and eventually turned on another dirt road.  We drove for about thirty minutes, and right when I was getting tired and ill, we hit a newly paved road.  Occasionally there was a house, bigger than any other house that I had ever seen. The front doors were massive and the houses were covered in extravagant windows that let you see through the whole house, almost as if to show off the interior as well. After five or six houses, I finally started to feel the beat of the music from the party. 

Tessa’s house shined in the growing darkness of the night. The large windows revealed all sorts of fancy people inside, drinking, sitting, dancing, laughing, showing off… I watched for a few moments as Alex parked the car in the mass of cars that were spread about the road.  ”Ready? I can introduce you to Tessa.” He began to open his door.  I grabbed his wrist.

"I don’t need an introduction." 

He sat back in his seat and looked at me. “Y’all have met?” 

"I suppose you could put it that way. Alex, I’ve changed a lot over the last couple of weeks.  I have a plan in my mind for what’s going to happen when we get in there and I need you to help me with it because I can’t do it alone." 

Alex began to look a little worried. “What’s the plan…?” he asked slowly and hesitantly. 

"Right now, I just need to stay under the radar.  I need you to get me to Tessa without her seeing me." 

Alex nodded. “Okay. I can do that.” 

We climbed out of the car and began to walk to the house. I approached the front door, but when I turned to look for Alex he wasn’t there. “PSST. TRIS,” I heard from the side of the house.  Alex was poking his head around the corner of the house and motioning toward me. I walked over to him, a little confused. “This way is better,” he whispered.  Each time he passed a window, he would duck underneath it. I watched the idiot as he slowly opened the gate to the backyard. 

"ALEX," I growled. He jumped and turned to look at me. "This isn’t Mission Impossible.  No one can hear the gate over the music right now. Plus, if they see you it won’t matter."