Run

Chapter Twelve

The bus stays fairly empty from the moment we board to when we're passing Tulsa and a few more people board for the home stretch to Oklahoma City. I don't remember most of the trip, as Alex and I slept for over half of it, Alex only woke up once when we stopped in Tulsa to use the bathroom.

I found it hard to sleep after we got back on the bus out of concern for Alex, I didn't realize how tired he was and how it would affect him. My mind kept reliving the Tulsa stop, trying to fully grasp what happened.

We had pulled to the stop and I had woken Alex up asking if he wanted anything from a vending machine or something.

"No I think I'm going to hop out and go to the bathroom though," He took only half a step before turning to me with half closed, sleepy eyes and saying, "Don't leave me here. I hate Tulsa, can't find anything decent to eat if it killed you."

His rants I had grown used to, we had to be picky about where we went on our little road trip to avoid the Devil because Alex had been almost everywhere in an effort to avoid his parents.

I climbed out of the bus and stood in front of the vending machine for a good five minutes questioning the age of their cookies. At that point Alex was stumbling out of the bathroom and almost fell over.

"Alex are you alright?" I call over as he steady's himself on the door frame and gives me a thumbs up.

I turned back around to find a guy leaning against the vending machine, he smiled as I jumped.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I was just planning to wait here until you were done, anything look good?"

"Maybe back in 1977 when half this stuff was edible," I take a step back hoping for distance but instead get him standing next to me looking in the machine.

"That sucks, I really don't want to wait until getting into Oklahoma City, would have been nice to not starve. These trips suck."

He smiled at me and out of nowhere I felt my arm get yanked back. Alex was in front of me, all but shoving me behind him, glaring at this guy.

"Talk to her again, and I will knock out those pretty teeth of yours," his voice was low and menacing.

With one quick glance back at me the guy ran back to the bus.

Alex turned to me, clearly still tired, "You have to be careful. You never know who he has working for him."

"Alex we should get you back on the bus," I grab his shoulders gently but he shoves me off.

"No, I'm fine, I need to keep an eye on you," He rubbed the heel of his palm against his eye, his voice started slurring and getting quiet, "You're too special not to save."

"Alex?"

He sits down on the nearby bench, anyone around us would think him drunk, he laid his head on my shoulder and started mumbling, "Do you know how soft your skin is? And you're hair always smells so sweet, like raspberries and warm vanilla. Have to keep you safe, have to keep an eye on you... Eyes, sparkly..."

At that point my hands start sweating and my cheeks burn as I wrap my arm around his torso and start dragging him onto the bus where he ends up falling asleep on the window.

Now we're about half an hour outside of Oklahoma City and he's starting to stir beside me. If I'm lucky Alex won't remember or mention the Tulsa stop, if I'm lucky we'll get off the bus, find our hotel, and we'll just fall asleep... In separate beds.

"Are we there yet?" He groans as he stretched his arms above his head and watches as we pull to a stop.

His voice is still low and soft like it was when we stopped. I pull my arms close and hold my hands between my thighs, "Yeah, we're here. Do you want me to get the, uh, the bags?"