Last of Summer

Chapter 4: Away

                                                  Elizabeth

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Aubrey's mom turned around and asked, looking at both of us.

"Yes, Mrs. Sandford," I answered, squeezing Aubrey's hand. She stared at her shoes, nodding in agreement.

"Alright. I'll be back."

We watched as her mom left, shutting the car door behind her.

"Are you sure you don't wanna go with her?" I asked Aubrey, but I knew the answer before she even shook her head.

So, we just sat there, waiting. The bank was busy for a regular Tuesday. I noticed that people were rushing in and out, in a hurry; their hurried attitudes made me even more nervous. Going to the bank had been a big risk, and it was one that I hoped we wouldn't regret later. I could tell that Aubrey was growing impatient with every minute, escalating my fears that she would have second thoughts. This was the first step, and it was crucial to the success of our plan.

Back when Aubrey and I were toddlers, we had always played games on our own. Banking was one of the games we had played. I remember how excited I was when my mom bought me the bank toy set. Aubrey and I were ecstatic; we spent weeks doing it over again. Each of us had alternated, taking turns being a customer making a deposit or a withdrawal to being the teller. Aubrey never found out, but I had cheated at times, dropping some cash in my account when I was the teller. Now, I wished that I could do that same, even if I knew it was wrong. This money was so important to us, and the more we could get, the better these last few months would be.

My thoughts were interrupted when Mrs. Sandford got back in the car. She shut the door and sat there in the driver's seat, saying nothing to us. She didn't even turn around, and all this made my stomach sink. Something wasn't right.

"Mrs. Sandford, is everything okay?" I asked. There was only silence. Aubrey and I glanced at each other, not sure if this was a good sign or not. Mrs. Sandford handed us an envelope without even turning around. I took it in my hand, holding on to it firmly. The bank's logo was printed on the front in red and yellow.

"Is that all of it?" Aubrey asked; her voice sounded tense and anxious, not at all at ease.

"No. I left some in your account just in case..." Mrs. Sandford trailed off.

"How much?" I asked, a little curious. I liked that Mrs. Sandford was being cautious, but I wanted to know if we would have enough to fall back on if we needed it.

"Five grand," Mrs. Sandford responded without emotion. Then, she put on her seatbelt and started the car, giving us the signal to stop talking about it to her.

Aubrey reached out for the envelope, and I placed it in the palm of her hand. I could tell that she was hesitant to open it. After all, it was her money that she had saved for college and medical school and her own apartment when the time came. Every dollar that she had saved since she was a little girl was in that envelope. Except for the back up account with the five thousand dollars, this was all that Aubrey had. She lifted the flap of the envelope slowly, as if relishing the moment in her mind. I looked away as she counted the money; it wasn't any of my business to see how much we had before she told me.

Staring out the window as Mrs. Sandford drove, I realized how nervous and anxious I was about all of this. Even though I had been the one who planned this whole thing, there were still the little insecurities about it. Maybe things wouldn't work out like planned. Maybe Aubrey and I wouldn't even be allowed to live alone in a different state or country.

As we pulled up the driveway of her house, I was still waiting for Aubrey to tell me how much money we had. She didn't say anything, even as we got out of the car and entered her house. So, I decided to let her keep to herself because she could tell me when she was ready.