Project Runaway ✔️

Chapter Nine

Nine

"Boo." While Uncle Rudolph and Tanner busied themselves at work on the yard, I decided to take it upon myself to make them some lemonade since the sun was starting to set. Peach Pollock was having dinner with her parents, so it was tranquil evening in my eyes.

"You scared me." A sweaty Tanner replied, holding onto his bare chest.

"Sorry. Why so startled?"

"I don't know; it's silly, but I feel like my ex-girlfriend is going to pop up any minute and find out I've been lying this whole time." He told me, taking off his work gloves and reaching for the glass in my hand.

"Ah, you're paranoid. Why don't you post a picture of some nearby colleges on your timeline. Heidi is bound to stalk your page, so she'll definitely see it and think that you're actually doing what you said you came for." I suggested.

"That's genius. I'm gonna go Google some pictures and post right now."

"You're welcome."

As he walked away, he stopped and turned back around.

"Wait, isn't that concert tonight?"

"Yes. The band is Life's a Pardi Brothers, but the main act is supposed to be Three Doors Down, which is definitely something I know you'll like."

"A concert?" Uncle Rudolph overheard and conversation as he began to walk onto the steps of the veranda.

"Yeah, Tanner and I are going to a concert tonight. We should be back around midnight."

"Midnight? What kinda of a concert runs until midnight?"

"A rock concert, and an arena that'll be impossible to drive out of with the traffic. Plus, the arena is thirty minutes away." I explained.

"I'm sorry, you know I hate to be that guy, the bad guy, but I can't let you go. I don't care about curfews, but Peach goes to sleep pretty early, around nine-ish, and she doesn't want to be woken up by a rowdy teens who can't hear out of their ears after a loud concert and make a rustle in the house."

"Are you kidding me? I guess kids are off the table for Peach then, huh?" I can't believe this!

"I'm really sorry. I know that being away from home you might have thought you'd have some freedom, and if it were only me living in the house, I'd be fine with it." I sympathize with my restrained uncle and his overbearing fiancée. I guess if I were her, I'd need tons of beauty sleep, too.

"It's okay, Uncle Rudolph." I felt worse for him than I did for myself. He had to live Peach for this rest of his life.

As my uncle drifted off into the house and the creaky door was shut closed, Tanner leaned over, bumping me on the hip.

"I guess we will have to sneak out then, won't we?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah. The deal was I could stay here if I went with you to that concert, so I'm a man of my word, and honorable gentleman, if you may. I'm getting you to that concert because I've come too far to back out of the deal. We can't stay locked in here forever, and I need to get out and see things - anything - that isn't nature-related."

"I've never snuck out before." I said, matter-of-fact.

"That's because your room at your home is upstairs and your clumsy self would have broken a hip, or you would have dangled from the window. It'll be easy to sneak away from our room that we're in now." Not once did I ever think he would say, 'our room', but I was going to roll with it.

"I just hate not following my uncle's request, or more like demand, not to go to the concert."

"Come on. Do something fun." He urged, bumping me on the hip again as the liquid from the glass he was drinking dribbled on his chin.

"Okay, but only because I don't waste the money for the tickets." It was true.

"That's the spirit." He said cheerfully.

When my uncle and future aunt (ew) went to bed, we took this as our cue to toss off our pajamas and reveal our outfits. I wore jean shorts and a white shirt, something easy I could change out of in a hurry if need be when getting home. Tanner wore a tight-fitting, heather grey long sleeve and blue jeans with his old pair of boots.

"Are you ready?" He asked, already knowing the answer was a mix of both yes and no. I wanted to go, but then getting caught leaving would be both embarrassing at my age and horrible because my mother would find out about this.

Regardless of the creaking floors, we made it passed their bedroom. Their door had been opened a crack, and I could see Peach sleeping with her eye mask on, and a glass of water and pill bottle next to the bedside table which she probably used to sleep. Sleeping was likely the only time Peach wasn't being an insufferable woman. Uncle Rudolph was still up, reading a book on the bed with his reading glasses on the brim of his nose.

Tanner slipped a warm hand around mine and lead me out of the house without making a peep. I clung close behind, nearly bumping into him when he finally took a stop outside.

"Did you park away from the house not to wake anyone up?" I whispered, still afraid to speak loudly even though no one was around to hear.

"Of course I did. I got this handled, woman. Your anxiety is showing." Says the one who has to set ten different reminders a day to get things done. Luckily, his reminders worked, and the vehicle was parked on the grass and not the garage, far enough away not to be heard by anyone.

Without so much as a peep, the two of us were away from Silent House and on our way to the concert using Tanner's truck.