Intergalactic Outlaws

Chapter Three - Break-ups in fast food car parks

I woke up to the car slowing into a residential area. I sat up, blinking blearily, surveying our surroundings.

"Where are we?" I asked as we whipped by homes and parks, "What time is it?"

I was too disoriented by my sleep to figure out what time of the day it was. All I knew was the sun was high, casting harsh and unforgiving light on the world around us.

"Mount Isa. You slept for like, twelve hours. I was wondering if I should wake you up. I swear you sleep like the dead," my new companion and driver, Alana, told me.

"Twelve hours? Damn." I twisted in my seat to look back at Holden, "Sorry honey. I'll feed you now."

He didn't seem bothered, he just kept his eyes on the world zooming by, outside the window. I unbelted myself and slid into the back seat, after checking for cops, to feed him.

When I climbed back into the front, Alana glanced away from the road, at me, "He's so cute."

Beaming, feeling a proud Mama, I said, "Thank you."

She smiled and then suddenly turned the car off the street into a bay at Macca's, "Now you're awake, I'm stopping for lunch."

"No. We can't stop," I told her, "we've gotta keep moving."

"Driver's rules. We stop so I can at least stretch my legs and go to the loo. Or else I revolt," she warned me getting out of the car.

I followed suit, finding I was stiff and achy in places I never knew existed. Alana was standing by the car, arms reaching well above her head in a long stretch. She moaned loudly, causing the family getting out of the car next to us to look at her, before shaking herself out.

"I'm so stiff," she groaned, rolling her shoulders.

"Glad you're letting everybody know," I commented before bending and reaching for my toes.

"Everybody should know my pain," she announced.

"Fair." I stood up and gave her a warning, "Anyway, you have ten minutes or I'm leaving without you."

"Fine," she ran off inside.

Taking my first deep breath in what felt like days, I gave myself a minute. I folded my arms on top of the car and took in the surroundings, then I would evaluate what was happening and where I was in my great big plan.

I was in a Macca's car park, off a busy road in a generic suburb. Cars rushed by in every which direction, building up lines as the lights changed colour. Businesses and homes lined the street. Lots of teens wandered about in groups in their different school uniforms.

I hated high school, but I really envied those kids at that moment. All they had to worry about was if so-and-so liked them, if the one-shoulder backpack thing was dorky (it was) or if their parents would let them out to so-and-so's party.

I would have given anything to have their problems because at that moment I was worrying about if I'd make it to my parent's place in time and what would happen to Holden and Alana if anything were to happen to me.

I just needed to get to Mum and Dad. They would have a plan. An escape of some sort.

I was only twelve hours away.

I probably should have called them in advance as I was leaving Perth.

I dug around in the glovebox, pulling out my phone I had exiled there after I'd found that message on it for a second time. I knew I was in danger; I didn't need to be constantly told.

Turning it back on, I was bombarded with dozens of texts and missed calls. Mum, Dad, Acelin, Work, and even my roommate, Hannah, who never called me. The most recent was from Acelin so that was the one I opened first.

I'm here.

Hannah told me you just upped and left this morning???

You're going to QLD?

Was it something I did?

Missed call.

Please pick up the phone.

Missed call.

Is your phone off?

Missed call.

Sadie, if you don't message me back, I'm going to get on the first flight over there.

I'm worried.

Please answer me.

Fine. I'm coming now.

The last one was from an hour ago. Panic for Ace started to grow in my chest. I jabbed the call button and listened to it ring. There was no way that Ace could come here. He would be in the line of fire if anything didn't go according to plan.

The phone rang for so long that I though he wasn't going to answer. He picked up at the last possible minute.

"Sadie?"

"Hey," I answered before asking, "where are you?"

"Airport lounge," he told me simply.

I knew that practised, even tone. It was his angry, 'I'm disappointed in you' voice. He should be, I was stupid.

"I'm sorry I didn't call you Acelin. But please don't get on that plane," I urged him desperately.

"Why?" He demanded, "Why shouldn't I come see you?"

"You just saw me yesterday," I told him weakly, sliding down the car to sit on the bitumen.

"Sadie be serious," he snapped.

"I am. Don't come her. I don't want to see you," it was both a truth and a lie and my heart ached at the words.

I wanted nothing more than to go back to the morning before, waking up in his arms.

"You don't want to see me?" He sounded hurt, "What did I do?"

"Nothing."

"Obviously I did something. You just took Holden and disappeared," he sounded so anguished, my heart was breaking.

'You didn't do anything."

"I'm coming Sadie. I love you so I'm going to come and make sure you're alright."

It may not have been the first time he'd said those words but, in that moment, I felt just how much he meant them. And how much I loved him back. He wasn't going to just let it be, and I knew that if our positions were reversed, I wouldn't have either. But I need him to stay. When I got to my parents, we would be out of there, leaving our lives behind.

I had been so stupid, thinking that I could meet somebody and settle down. My parents had been on the run for my whole life, dragging me with them.

I wasn't meant to live happily ever after.

"Sadie?" Ace asked, alerting me to the fact that I'd been too quiet for too long, "Are you still there?"

"I'll make this easy for you to understand. You never really mattered Ace," I blurted.

"What?"

"Don't get on that plane. And don't call me again," I hung up.

A pressure was building in my chest, a lump in my throat as I jumped to my feet, pelting my phone into the bitumen. The flimsy device shattered into a million pieces, glass littering the ground.