maggie didn't show up to class that day. i understood her. mr. pearson's geography didn't exactly start off a thursday right. it was normal for maggie to miss class, even though ms. clanning had been begging her to go as often as she could. none of us liked school all that much, since the other students didn't care much for us. they were okay, they just didn't care. no one really cared for us. we were used to it.
we went to the arcade the day before with the rest of the scam jam. it was getting late, and we decided to go home.
"come on, maggie." i said as she pounded on the controls. "you can come back tomorrow."
"no way," she said, unblinking. "go ahead without me. i'll be home soon."
i shrugged it off and went. i wasn't fond of leaving my best friend alone, but i went. it was rude to break ms clanning's rules, especially after she had been so nice to us.
she noticed us when we found out a volunteer was stealing silverware. a few minutes after dinner, back when we were younger and the orphanage was smaller, she'd tell us stories about new york. we promised her we'd never run away.
and then, maggie was gone.
i wore our old bracelet, and fell asleep looking at it.
~
charlie was the second one to go. he said something about finding her, and then was gone.
"maybe they were kidnapped." patty mumbled.
"i don't know why he even went after her." i said, trying not to think of the worst outcomes. dead in a ditch. under a train. pushed off a cliff.
i wished i had been less of a coward and gone after her. no matter what happened.
we already started out life in a crappy way. abandoned by our family, thrown on ms clanning's doorsteps. we at least deserved a happy ending.
patty sat up straight, while i kept my eyes fixed to my comic book. they were always in new york. the dream, our dream, the big apple.
we swore if we lived to be thirty, we'd find each other and go to new york.
"why did charlie go after her?" patty scoffs. "he's a jammie."
"that's a nice way of saying 'unstable teenager that thinks solving mysteries are cool'. you're an poet, patty."
"stop stress talking. that won't help them out."
i sit up and look at her. the small, unpainted room makes me feel cramped. "and what will?"
her eyes sparkle. "we will. duh."
~
andy was third. she said she found something about maggie, and the next day, gone.
curfew got tighter. we were counted every day before school. ms clanning turned away from us, though. the dangerous kids. the old kids.
the younger kids were better off. no one really cared about us old kids anyway. it's not like chad and brittany want a teenager to take care of. they want a three-year-old. maybe a four-year-old. not an annoying fourteen-year-old.
after lunch, we escaped to the arcade, cassie took out a piece of paper. "3 jammies here, 3 jammies gone. where are they? no clue."
a long list of solved mysteries filled her paper with words. questions filled our minds. times gone by filled our mouths.
"does the butcher want revenge? is charlie's brother still in juvie?"
i went to bed, and maggie's bed beside me was empty.
~
patty left us begging for clues. for something. no one left us any clues. me and cassie started to get desperate. the other students started to dodge us at school.
the scam jam was dying. we officially had bad luck. we would never go to new york.
"who do you think is next?" i asked. we knew it was inevitable. one of us would find something and would be gone before they could say anything.
"i don't know."
"you think they're dead?"
i knew they weren't, but i wanted to be sure.
"no."
"then i'll find you there." i told her, right hand in hers. my bracelet barely touching her arm.
~
i was alone saturday morning. thinking about how andy created the scam jam name.
"i still think 'the solvers' would be cool." charlie said.
"it should rhyme," patty said.
"how old are we, pat? five?" maggie groaned, and i laughed.
"the scam jam." andy mumbled out, upside down on her bunk bed.
all of us paused for a second.
"it's so stupid." cassie answered. "i love it."
"the scam jam." patty stared at the ceiling. "yeah. that's us."
"we're jammies." i said, and charlie fell over on his side.
"jammies stick together." he added.
~
i knew i was next. everyone else did too. even the teachers. mark, the kid closest to us in age at the orphanage, barely could look me in the eye.
i decided to be next. i left at night, knowing i wouldn't come back. grabbed my cash. a pocket knife.
ms clanning found me at the door. i paused. she quietly opened the door. "i'll miss you, lana."
"thank you." i said. i knew she told the other five she'd miss them too.
i gave her a hug and didn't look back.
i went to the arcade, and found green glowing paint on the sidewalk. arrow from arrow led me to the bridge.
on the bridge, a riddle. "the city never sleeps, but put on your jammies."
i had never gone to the big city. it wasn't for people like me. like us.
in the middle of town square, cars buzzing, lights flashing. an apple rolled and hit my right foot.
"sorry," someone mumbled. "gotta go to the train station."
they didn't look at me. i grabbed their apple and handed it back to them.
she smiled. "you coming?"
holding her hand, maggie led me to the subway. and the scam jam got on a train to new york.
