Beaufort Academy: After Seven

Chapter Thirteen: Coincidence

Alexis was inside her car, seated comfortably in the backseat. She had just come from her meeting with Sir Leo in Beaufort Academy.

"Do you want to grab some food first, Miss? It's lunch time and you need to eat." Ric said.

"It's okay. Liz wanted us to have lunch together anyway," Alexis smiled.

They were just rounding the block, on their way to Elizabeth's house, when the car jolted to a stop after a soft thud up front.

"Oof!" Alexis grunted but was held in place by the seatbelt.

"Be careful!" Ric shouted at the driver. "Are you all right, Miss?"

"Yeah," Alexis answered. "What was that? Did we hit something?"

"Hold on a moment," Ric said as he removed his seatbelt and stepped out the car with the driver following after him.

Alexis removed her seatbelt as well and scooted forward to see what they hit. Alexis eyes widened as she saw that what they actually hit was a person. He or she was wearing baggy clothes and was seated on the hot concrete. Ric was squatting down at the person's eye level. Alexis immediately stepped out of the car and rushed up front.

"Oh my God! Are you all right?"" Alexis said but before she could some closer, Ric had stood up and was stopping her.

"I'm about to call an ambulance. Please go back inside, Miss," Ric said.

"No, but-"

"Miss, she'll be fine. I'll handle this. Please go back inside," Ric said.

"I just want to see for myself," Alexis frowned as she sidestepped him and walked up to the girl who was still sitting on the concrete.

Alexis bent down at her eye level and said, "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," the girl said. "No need for an ambulance, I'm fine."

The girl tried to get up, and Ric was quick to help her. But as soon as he let go of her arm, it looked like the girl was about to fall back down again.

"Okay, you're not fine," Alexis start to panic as she and Ric each both took an arm to help the girl balance herself.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I did not see her," the driver said, scratching his head in shame.

"It's okay, I'm fine, really," the girl insisted, her face scrunched up as if she were in pain. "Just don't call an ambulance, I don't need it."

"Let us at least bring you to the hospital," Alexis said.

"The ambulance can take her there," Ric said. "Miss, please go back inside the car."

Alexis looked at Ric in disbelief, "Ric, come on. I'm fine. She's not."

Alexis turned to the girl and gently pulled, "Come on, we'll bring you to the hospital ourselves."

"No, I don't want to go to the hospital, please," the girl pleaded. "I wasn't even hit that hard."

"Okay, how about we just take you home instead? Make sure you make it home safe," Alexis said.

The girl looked back and forth from Alexis to Ric before she nodded.

"Great!" Alexis said as she gently pulled the girl towards the back of the car. Ric sighed but opened the door for them nonetheless.

Ric and the driver followed inside, and the girl gave directions to her house. They drove until they stopped in front of a dilapidated tenement on the outskirts of the Metro.