Opal Waters | ✔

Chapter 26

"It's late!" I snapped, tapping my foot against the ground as I wait for the bus. I had checked the schedule and then double checked it. The first bus came at half past three. I watched the clock tick over on my phone.

"It's fifteen minutes late!" I snapped once again. This was throwing my entire plan off the rails. I should have been further away from the school by now. The early birds would be up, and though they wouldn't notice I was missing right away, but what if Damien had woken up? What if he was running around trying to find me.

The more I thought about the worse my anxiety got. The more I wanted to scream and just start running in the opposite direction.

"I'll give it five more minutes," I shook my head realizing I was talking to myself. I felt like an idiot. There was no reason I should be saying this out loud. I wanted to mentally smack myself, it was actually really stupid that I had said anything out loud. It was getting late enough in the morning that the early birds would be on their way to work by now. The four a.m'ers would be on their way to the daily hell they put themselves through.

Every headlight that appeared on the road added just another sense of panic inside me. Would this one be the bus for would it be yet another car that would be able to tell the police where I was and when.

Three more cars drove by. I checked my phone again realizing two minutes had passed. Traffic was getting worse. I tapped my foot getting ready to head in the other direction. I guess I'd have to walk further than I had meant to.

"Shit, I gotta go," I muttered to myself this time under my breath in hopes that no one would hear me. As soon as I turn on my heel to start walking down the sidewalk a low black car pulls up to the side of the road, parking right next to me. The passenger window rolls down as my heart stops and my body freezes.

"Hey, just so you know this bus doesn't run anymore," The lady in the driver's seat shouts out the window. I duck down to look at her, she wore a nice dress suit, her blonde hair curled perfectly around her face, her lips plastered with a bright red lipstick.

"What do you mean?" I questioned, I swear I looked it up last night before I went to bed. "It said it was still running on the website," I muttered, my voice feeling weak. My plan was slowly crumbling around me as I stood like an idiotic child on the side of the road ready to throw a tantrum because the bus hadn't shown up.

"Yeah, city workers are horrible at updating their websites, the bus hasn't ran in over a year," She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel watching me for a moment. "Where are you going?" I turned to look at her, then looked around. There was no one in sight.

"Anywhere," I muttered. Not sure what to say. I didn't have a destination in mind, but I didn't know the area well enough to know something that was quite common for a girl my age to head towards at this time in the morning.

"Bad situation?" She questioned, a slight tsk in her voice as if she was disappointed in me. I nodded my head. She could make up whatever story she wanted to. I turned to begin walking again before she called for me.

"Wait, I can give you a ride to the next working bus stop if you like? If we go now we can get there before it does," I turned to look at her. Didn't anyone tell her you aren't supposed to pick up strangers on the side of the road?

"You would do that?" I questioned. I had already made up my mind. I was going to be the dumb kid that got in the car with her. I had no other options, other than walking for what could take hours, and it wasn't quick enough. I needed to get away from this town and the bus was my best bet.

"Let's put it this way, I'm a lot more like you than you realize," She smiled unlocking the door. I took a few cautious steps towards the car. "Nope, you put your bag in the trunk. I may be dumb enough to pick you up, but I'm not dumb enough to know you might have something dangerous in there, it's hard for a girl out on the streets I get it," She clicked a button in her car and the trunk opened. I quickly walked over not wanting to miss my ride. Threw my bag in the back and hopped into the passenger seat. Pulling my phone out of my pocket I glanced at the time once again. It was drawing near four.

The lady behind the wheel pulled back onto the road and make a quick turn to the right. I silently prayed that she was actually taking me where she said she was. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I tried to keep myself distracted on my phone the best I could. But she wanted to talk.

"Why are you running away?" She questioned, turning the radio down so she could hear me better. I wanted to reach to the knob and turn it back up. The sound was relaxing, but as she continued to drive we sat in silence.

I wasn't going to answer her questions. Though I was grateful she was driving me to the bus stop so I could get on my way.

"Hey, a girl like you is strong, resilient, but you can't survive without letting people in sometimes," She was pushy. I knew she would be when I got in the car, but I hoped the trip would be short enough I was able to avoid the questions. I guess not.

"I'm trying to find my mom,"