I run up to Chris' door, knocking really hard. I can still hear Emerson crying inside. After almost a whole minute with no answer, i run to the back, sliding open the door. I knock on her bedroom door.
"Chris! It's April. Open the door."
Her head slightly pokes out of the door. I hug her, but she stays frozen. I let go of her and pick up Emerson, trying to calm her. She's holding onto her stuffed hamster, "PeeWee".
"Chris, where are your backpacks?"
She points at her closet and i run to get hem. I pack some of her clothes and run to fill Emerson's bag with clothes and diapers and some milk formula.
"Chris, we gotta go. Follow me, 'kay?"
She barely nods, her eyes unfocused. We go back to Matthew's car and both jump in the back. Chris holds Emerson close to her as she calms down.
"Scar's on the way to pick up Rachel. . . "
Chris finally says something.
"If you're planning on not getting Scar, Matthew, you should just leave me at my home with my sister. . . "
"Chris, you know i don't like her. And you know i can't do that. . . "
"Then, stop driving, Matthew. I'll get out of the car. . . "
"Chris-"
"Matthew, stop the fucking car, unless you're picking up Scar."
"Then there won't be room for Rachel."
"I can go in the back."
I fight back. Matthew groans out impatient. After a few seconds on the deserted street, he screeches to a stop.
"Hurry up and go get her."
I jump out with Chris, leaving Eli and Emerson to play in the backseat. I bang on her front door, hard, three times.
"Scar!"
I see the doorknob slowly spin. Scarlet peeks out, covered in blood. There's a long cut along her face and blood stains her arms and legs.
"S-Scar? What happened?"
She wipes her lips as blood trickles down across them, but it just smudges along her lips.
"Are you taking me? Or does Matthew want to leave me for dead?"
"Chris, wash her off. Quickly. Imma get some of her things."
Chris stumbles to grab her and leads to the bathroom to wipe off the blood. I yank off her clothes from her hangers, breaking some in the process. I zip up the back pack and go to the bathroom. Scar has a bandage around her head at an angle, covering her left eye completely.
"Come on. We have to go."
I mumble, praying Scar will be okay. Scar goes in the middle since she's the smallest. Chris sits next to her with Emerson on her lap. I jump in the cramped trunk with all the backpacks, playing with Eli's thin black hair.
Matthew speeds off to Rachel's. We get to her house and he jumps out of the car, barely taking the time to put the car on park. He bangs on the door, and after a few seconds the door swings open. Matthew hugs a perfectly-calm Rachel, but then she pushed him off. She shoves him back, screaming at the top of her lungs. As soon as her hand made contact with Matthew's cheek, i get out of the trunk and run up to push her back.
"Who the fuck do you think you are?!"
"I'm Rachel. And Matthew's my boyfriend. He shouldn't be wasting his time on you and your stupid brother than me!"
Chris and Scar get out, Scar holding Eli and Chris holding Emerson.
"Oh! And you picked up these bitches before me, too?!"
I couldn't do it anymore. The sounds of the slap echoed of the random trees around the neighborhood. Rachel held her cheek, and Matthew went to soothe her.
"We're not taking any of these people! Just me and you. Come on, Matthew. We'll be alone."
She looks up into his eyes, but Matthew expression doesn't change how it usually would.
"Do you really expect me to leave not only the last of my family, but my best friends?"
She's taken back
"Are you choosing them over me?"
She sounds genuinely offended.
Matthew turns around, walking to his car.
"Matthew! You get in that car and we're over!"
He stopped. After he turned around to smile at her, he sprinted to the car, making Chris, Scar and I laugh.
"Sorry to break it to you, sweetheart, but you're not that special."
We turn to walk away. Scar and Chris turn around and wave 'bye'
"See you in hell."
Scar says with a wink, but Chris flips her off. We run back to the car and go back to how we were seated, but i go in the passenger seat. We drive off, way too fast.
"Wait, Matthew. Where the hell are we going?"
"Who the fuck cares?"
We all laugh.
"What about dad?"
I ask Matthew.
"I called him when i was packing. He said he was gonna kill himself."
He says like it wasn't as awful as it was. Adrenaline was running through his veins.
"Drive upstate. We'll see what happens from here."
I say, tired out of my mind. Throughout the whole time of picking up everyone there was this feeling that wouldn't leave me. You know when you miss a step on the stairs and that sense of panic before you stop yourself from falling. It was that panic feeling, but it didn't last for a split second. It lasted the whole hour.
"What the hell is happening?"
Scar asks
"Who the hell knows?"
