The Hurt

Chapter 3

It was about 9:30 when I decided to go to the store and get some more food. We hid our bags in the far corner of the alley behind a dumpster just incase anyone did come through. I grab thirty dollars from my bag, and then shove it with the rest. The nearest store is only a few minutes walk and it’s early enough where we’d have a better chance of not running into the police. 

Melissa and I don’t talk much on our way there; I guess she was just as lost in her thoughts as I was. I kept looking over my shoulder, worried that we were being followed. I think Melissa was just as paranoid as I was but she just controlled it better.  I just had a feeling in my gut telling me that something was going to go wrong. Little did I know how correct I was.

Once we get to the store Melissa and I pick out a few things that we would like to eat for the day. We stocked up on granola bars, I got some more bagels and cream cheese, and Melissa wanted some strawberries. While I was at the checkout, Melissa went outside to keep watch. I was getting more anxious since the line wasn’t moving and the old lady paying took her sweet time getting exact change.

 I start to bite my nails and tap my foot, occasionally glancing out the front window to make sure that Melissa was still there. Finally, the old lady finished and there was just one more person in front of me. A tall and rather large man stocking up on chips, candy bars, and pop; and jugging by his Modern Warfare shirt, my guess is that he was having an all day video game tournament. At last, my turn. I look out the window to try and signal Melissa that I would be out soon when I noticed that she was talking to someone. Well, her lips were moving, but I didn’t see anyone around her. I grab my jean pocket and frantically feel for my phone. It was gone.

I quickly paid and grabbed my bags as I ran out the door. I stopped and waited for her to turn around. Once she did her eyes had grown two sizes and were filled with shock. She immediately hung up on whomever she was calling and just stared at me.

“Melissa! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I grab my phone out of her hand and go check myself before she had a chance to answer.

“I called Mariah…” Her voice was barely audible. I didn’t respond, instead I gape at my phone, revealing that she was talking to her friend for over 5 minutes. Not only did it waste my battery but I was almost certain that the police had my cell phone tapped and they were tracking all my phone calls. Neither of us said anything, and then I broke the silence.

“ Do you realize what you’ve done?” She didn’t respond. “You just gave the police exactly what they needed to find us! They are probably on their way now!”

“I think you’re being silly. I mean, I just called Mariah to let her know that I wouldn’t be at school and not to worry.” She was staring at her feet and refused to make eye contact with me. When she did glance up I just shook my head. “I’m sorry, Jess! I didn’t think it would make that much of a difference.” Clearly she didn’t understand the severity of our situation.

“Really? You didn’t think that there would be some sort of consequence for contacting your friend while we were on the run and have police searching high and low for us?” I was going to continue yelling at her when something in the distance distracted me. There were flashing lights coming from the other side of the hill. Then we hear the sirens. “It’s the Police! Lets go Melissa!” I grab her arm and we begin running once again.

The sirens are getting louder and we didn’t have many options. As we pass an alley two more police officers emerge from the shadows and yell for use to stop. We have now drawn maximum attention to ourselves. People were staring and trying to stop us as well. If they knew what was really going on, they would be trying to stop the Police, not us.