Plan B

In Effect

        The TV made the entire living room glow. It was 8:13pm, according to the last time I checked my phone. Ben and I were watching Spiderman, cozied up next to each other. Ben was running his fingers through my hair and I was stuffing my face with popcorn. Suddenly, I felt my phone vibrating in my back pocket. I whipped it out and saw that it was Amelia calling me.

        "Ben, pause the movie," I answered the phone. "Hey man, what's up?" I heard Amelia sniffle on the other line.

        "Hey, it's my mom again. I can't handle this anymore. Plan B is in effect." Amelia said, weakly; she was sobbing. I was stunned.

        "Holy shit man, are you serious? Plan B is pretty heavy stuff, man. Are you sure?" I was sitting on the end of my couch, clutching my phone.

        "Positive." Amelia hung up the phone and I immediately jumped from my seat next to Ben to grab my keys.

        "Ruby, what's going on?" Ben gets up and follows after me. I swipe the remote from the coffee table and turn the TV off.

        "It's Amelia, her mom went off the deep-end tonight. She says she's ready for Plan B. I don't know what to do, Ben. I think we're gonna have to do it." Ben was silent, his eyes were wide with surprise. We created Plan B thinking that we would never have to use it.

        "Let's get some stuff together." Ben grabs my wrist and takes me to my room where we grab everything we might need. Extra clothes, tooth-brushes, hair ties, water-bottles, and last but not least, the large sum of cash we had saved up for this purpose over the course of 4 years.

        "Count that." I demand, handing Ben the jar full of cash wads and change. I continue stuffing my backpack with the essentials. After a few minutes, he starts,

        "784 dollars and 60 cents, give or take a few dollars." I pause and smirk up at Ben, I throw him a rubber band and my backpack.

        "Roll that up and put in in my bag, I have to call the girls and John." I pull my phone back out of my pocket. Twiggy, I have to call Twiggy. She's all by herself right now. Her father is in Iraq, and it's just her and her Aunt Beth at the Octavia household. Poor Twiggy, she doesn't have anyone who would miss her at her house. In fact, her Aunt might even be relieved that she's gone. I click on her contact and I hear the dial tone, then I hear Twiggy's voice.

        "Hey Stryker, what's up?"

        "Twiggs, listen, Amelia called me and she told me that her mom came home super drunk and she's tired of it," I pause

        Twiggy interrupts, "I think I know where you're going with this..."

        "Plan B Twiggs, Plan B." I heard her sigh.

        "Okay, I'll gather some of my stuff. I'll bring my trunk from camp and fill it with pillows and blankets, okay?" I smile,

        "Thanks girl, I can always trust you. I'll pick you up in 20."

        "In 20." She hangs up the phone.

        Okay, now Lana. Damn, Lana's parents are going to flip. I'm worried they're going to call the cops, but I'm sure Lana will find a way to solve that. Her parents are extremely protective over their "Lil Lan" and they'll be devastated to find that she's gone. I click on her contact and wait for her to pick up.

        "Hey Ruby, you rang?"

        "Yeah, uh, listen Lana. Amelia called me and told me that her mom got hammered and sh-she wants to go through with Plan B." It was silent on the other line. "You don't have to come if you do-"

        "No, I have to. We all promised. I won't back out. I'll write my parents a note saying that I had to go for a couple of days and not to worry," She sounded worried, and frankly, I was too.

        "Okay, I'll pick you up in 25 minutes."

        "See you then."

        I could tell by the way that Lana sounded that she didn't want to go. Loyalty is her thing though, so I think that the fact that she was helping a close friend of hers convinced her to come with us. My phone buzzed; a text from John. It read,

        "Stryker, Amelia told me. When will you pick me up? I'll bring some food."

        I typed back, my black stiletto nails clicking on my glowing phone screen, "30ish mins. Thanks John, it's really great of you to do this with us for Amelia." I locked my screen and it quickly lit back up.

        "Anything for her and you guys."

        "Ben, let's go. They're all ready." I grab his hand and we both sling our bags onto our backs. Ben exhales,

        "Plan B?"

        "Plan B." I confirm. Ben pulls me closer to him by tugging on my hand that he's grasping. We stare into each others' eyes for a moment and he kisses my forehead softly.

        "Let's move out, Stryker."