Polaroid // Reggie Mantle (2)

Chapter Six

Late that night, Reggie waited in his car a few blocks away from Archie's house. Archie had started this whole red circle patrol thing, but he still didn't want his dad to know about it.

Finally, Archie came running down the sidewalk, an old wooden baseball bat in his hand. He looked back nervously and opened the car door. Sitting down, he set the bat down near his feet.

"Huh," Reggie mused. "Thought no weapons." He put one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the gear shift.

"I've had this bat since I was ten," Archie stated.

Reggie shrugged, turning fully forward. "Check out the back seat," he commanded, flicking his head in the direction he was referring to. Archie turned around to look at what Reggie was talking about. A pile of tools sat on top of a bunch of stray red circle flyers. "Old school." With that, Reggie turned the key in the ignition and his beloved car purred to life. Archie pulled his seat belt around him and clicked it into the socket as Reggie gassed the pedal and the car sped away.

Caia had been making an effort to walk home with Ethel every day after school. She hadn't ever really been friends with the Muggs girl, but she had decided it wouldn't hurt now. Additionally, it made her feel safer knowing there was a cold blooded killer on the loose.

They were nearing Ethel's house, which was closer to the place Caia was meeting up with Sweet Pea than one might think. Suddenly, both Ethel and Caia were aware of a pair of headlights that had just come on behind them. They both whipped around to see the source of the lights was a creepy van. They both slowly turned forward, trying to keep their calm.

They pretended like they didn't notice the first time the van passed them. The second time, both Ethel and Caia were very on edge. Ethel slowly pulled out her phone and dialled a number.

Caia didn't bother asking who she was calling. It didn't really matter as long as they were coming to help.

On the opposite end of the line, Archie sat in Reggie's car as they patrolled the streets, searching for any suspicious activity. Archie's phone began to ring, and he turned down Reggie's loud rock music before pulling out his phone and clicking the answer button. "Hey, this is Archie," he greeted.

"Archie, please help. It's Ethel. I'm walking home with Caia and I think there's someone following us and I don't really know-," she rambled off.

"Okay, slow down, I can barely-" Archie tried to interject. Reggie looked over from the driver's seat. He was concerned, but he kept driving at his fast pace anyway.

"Someone's following us. It's a van," Ethel interrupted.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. We're on Hastings street. I'm really scared. What should we do? Should we try to outrun it or attack him or something?"

Caia looked nervously behind her. The car had circled back once again. "No, don't- no no no, don't do that. Just get somewhere safe, okay?"

"Okay?"

Archie turned to Reggie. "You have to cut around back to Hastings Street." He turned back to the phone. "Stay calm, run away, okay?" Reggie slammed on the gas and turned the car harshly to the left, completing a crazy u-turn. He stepped on the gas even harder, and began speeding toward Hastings street.

Meanwhile, the van that Caia was still watching was starting to speed up immensely as well. She noticed this and alarm bells immediately went off in her mind. She began to jog, and the car began to speed up even more.

"Run, Ethel!" She yelled, sprinting forward. Ethel hung up the phone and did as she was told. "Into the bushes!" Caia took a dive head first into the bushes on the side of the road. She landed in the dirt on her wrist and she immediately grimaced at the pain. She rolled a few times, coughing at the dirt that had gotten in her mouth.