The Skylar Experiment : Dead Ending (second draft)

Chapter Thirty-Three - No Hope

LUC

THE END-OF-DAY BELL RESONATED IN MY EARS like a fight bell at the beginning of a wrestling match. I slammed my locker shut and hightailed it out the corridor. I pressed my palms against the big doors, wounding up outside before the herd of students beat me to it. As fast as possible, I strode over to my car and settled inside. Through the rear-view mirror, I scanned the parking lot automatically. No vans. After a few consecutive days of Devin toying with their configuration, the vultures abandoned the idea, at least for now until they found something else.

I waited, seated in my vehicle and eyeing the motorcycle rows ahead. She burst out of the doors, among the first to leave. 

My sister skipped down the stairs with that practiced, innocent gait she'd been displaying since her return. It looked similar to what I've known for years, but it was off. Her steps were heavier, stiffer, forced. She used to hop from one place to another, now she paced calmly, as if dedicating a conscious effort to it. 

Lauren walked over to her motorcycle and pulled the helmet out of her bag. Ignoring the fleeting stares, she secured it over her head and geared the bike. I brushed the ignition with my thumb, causing the engine to rumble.

I wheeled the Rover out of the slot in an orderly fashion, keeping a distance between me and the motorcycle. It was a slim shot, but I wanted to trace her location. Where did my sister go after school and stay during the night?

I swerved the car into the lane, a few vehicles behind Lauren. We stopped at a red light, and her helmet rotated on her shoulders, seemingly inspecting the surroundings. She couldn't notice me from up front or sense my electrical signature. It was camouflaged by the traffic and all the ambient devices. 

The flow rolled further, and I diligently followed. My phone screen flashed in my passenger seat. A quick glance told me that it was Ben texting me to know if we could hang out soon. No can do.

Lauren veered to the left at an intersection, a direction most kids wouldn't pick as the residential neighborhoods of Oakwood were the other way. I rolled on the same path, a worry sprouting in the back of my mind. Some cars still took up space to mask my presence, but if she was heading to a remote area, other drivers would eventually turn away, leaving me uncovered. And she will recognize my car. 

I decided to keep going, push this idea to its limit. I couldn't give up and stop before she'd make me.

As predicted, the roads cleared with every bend, leaving less and less vehicles to shield mine. We cruised along the outskirts of the forest, and the foggy mountains lapsed in my window, wreathed with ice and snowbanks. 

The last sedan barricading me from Lauren's view cut into a narrow gravel alley, and nothing remained for me to lay low. The red lights and stop signs had ebbed as we steadily cruised along the dusty asphalt, winding uphill. Since it didn't matter anymore, I speeded up and neared the rear of the bike. She lowered her helmet to stare at her mirror. My hands tightened around the wheel and I trained my eyes on her while I flashed my lights.

Hers flashed back. 

The bike kept driving for several minutes until it slowed down, coasting sideways towards a line of snow caps and trees. I willed the Rover to do the same, and when she pulled up, I did too. The growling of Lauren's engine broke, and for a second, I had to gather my thoughts before opening my door. Was this it, was she going to talk to me?

With anticipation thick in my throat, I neared my sister, hands in the pockets of my coat. She retrieved her helmet off her head and strung it on one of the rubber handles. Her eyes were frosty when they settled on me.