Gone Again: World Hoppers {book two}

Visitors

"Ryan!" York tossed something across the room, Ryan caught it. Goo began to rip from his hands along with cracked pieces of egg. "Your both terrible." June and York were practically crying with laughter across the room.

"We're out of food." June yelled, York rolled her eyes and moved her, gently, out of the way so she could look in the fridge. "Huh, guess we did eat everything." Ryan grumbled something from the couch, "What?" June asked, "I said, maybe if you didn't throw me that egg, we might just have food." York sighed, closing the fridge, "Your just gonna eat an egg huh?" Ryan shrugged, "Maybe." "Disgusting."

June pushed the cart while York sat in it. Ryan had a hand on it to subtlety guide it away from every display June was 'accidentally' running into. "Alright what do we need?" It was getting late which meant not as many people were there, also meaning they could fool around all they wanted.

"Fish!" June grabbed one of the poor little beta fish right off the shelf and shook it around. York pulled it from her grasp and set it back down, "That water is filthy." "How much are they? Can we get one-?" June pointed to the price tag, "They're all only two dollars-" "Get them." The girls looked up, Ryan was already getting two small fishbowls and setting them in the cart. "I just got paid and we won't be here long." They put ten of them in the cart and continued to pile in food.

In the end they got chicken nuggets, a few frozen pizzas, a cactus, macaroni, some pre-made salads, fish food, and hotdogs. As they checked out the lady looked at them questioningly, putting away the decorative rocks for the fishbowls, "Are you sure you want this many?" Ryan nodded and gave her the money to pay for it all.

They set up the fish tanks, putting in all the necessary chemicals and making sure the water was safe for them before putting them in the tanks which were set right next to each other. "I love them." June mumbled, Ryan smiled, he wasn't sure what it was about June but he was pretty sure he'd die before she could get hurt, a level of trust it took York months to achieve.

They'd been there two days. They almost forgot about everything, the Keepers, the group. Things weren't adding up.

York got up in the middle of the night, wrote everything she could remember about everyone down and taped it to the fridge before subsequently passing out on the couch.

Ryan was the first one up, he moved to the kitchen to make breakfast his old memories he'd tucked away in his mind resurfaced. Eight years old, York and him trying to make toast when their foster mother wouldn't get up, York burnt her hand, their foster mother wouldn't get up. It wasn't until later they found out she'd overdosed. He shuddered and shoved the memory back down.

"Hungry." June mumbled, stumbling into the kitchen. Ryan, already prepared, handed her a plate with pancakes on it as he read the letter on the fridge. He finished it off and hung it back up. "Where are you going?" June asked quietly, "I'm going to sit on the balcony," June hopped off the counter, "Can I come?" Ryan shook his head, "Just need a second."

He sat outside in his hoodie for a long time. It was freezing, icicles hung from the overhang, the city bustled below. He was feeling distant today, the cold kept him present. He leaned close to the railing, watching the cars pass below. His mind raced. He scooted back toward the door, stretching his legs out and picking up a small pile of snow in his hand, he held it until his hand burned before dropping it. "Alive," he whispered, memories hit him like a tsunami.

Yelling. Gunshots. Hospitals. Police cars. Back alleys. Parties. Passing out. York. York had been his, not that he was religious, saving grace. She'd been a foster kid as well, by nine Ryan had already dabbled in drugs thanks to previous foster parents and siblings. Once they'd found their foster mother dead, York realized how much danger drugs put Ryan in and forced him to stop. It was hard, and frustrating, but he did it. He refused to smoke or take anything, the only thing he allowed himself to indulge in was alcohol, but only if York was present, otherwise he was sober.

The door opened, York called him inside and the trio sat on the couch watching some old movie they'd found until lunch time rolled around. They ate, fed the animals, and then returned to the couch. Soon they had a whole fort going. It spanned the length of the furniture, including pillows, comforters, and sheets, along with several entrances and a yoga mat.

Things were good. They were enjoying themselves for the most part. Every once in a while though, a memory would hit and they'd pause and try to grab at it before it drifted out of reach. They couldn't seem to remember anything before the neighbor and her awful casserole. They seemed to morph into the version of themselves that existed in the world they were currently in, their memories of before they began jumping and the ones they began collecting once they got here seemed to be all that remained.

More knocking. York answered, a silver-haired boy and his, presumably, father stood just outside, bundled up to keep out the cold. "ah who are you?" York asked, angling the door shy just a little, "It's Harrison, from college? This is my friend, Oliver," York racked her brain, college, that was something people did, so why didn't she have any memory of it. "Alright, come on in. You boys want a drink?"

Hour glanced at Noan every so often, his eyes were getting irritated from the contacts, Noan had insisted it was fine to show their natural hair, he wore a beanie anyway. Noan seemed to examine everything in the apartment, June regarded them quietly from the couch as they moved to the kitchen. Ryan was already there, "I didn't realize we were having visitors," He surveyed them before sitting across from them.

"It's nice to see you again Ryan." Ryan nodded, watching the way the man's hair glittered as he talked. "Excuse me but do you have something in your hair it looks almost unnatural," Honic pulled his hat down further as Noan ran fingers through his own hair. "Dye," He said simply, Ryan nodded but wasn't convinced. He'd be keeping an eye on them.