THE DISTANCE

Chapter Three- CREAMY GARLIC AND VOMIT

Carson's pov:

As me and Ryann are driving to get Sam, we start jamming along to the music on the radio to make the drive more entertaining and help the time pass. We come up to a stop light and I happen to look out my window to see an old man crossing the street of oncoming traffic. "The light is red you idiot!" Ryann hollers while slamming her hand on the car horn. It was weird but I didn't think much about it. We pull up to Sam's school where he is standing in front of the doors patiently waiting for us. He opens the car door and says "Sup losers", Ryann instantly responds with "hey Samuel" in a sassy tone because she knows he hates being called that. He retaliates by shouting "whatever RyE bReAd" and follows the comment by doing up his seat belt.

Ryann scoffs and pulls out of the parking lot. Sam then tells us about his day so far, like how his teacher is finishing up plans to take them on a class field trip to the zoo at the end of the week. I tell him all about gym class which causes Ryann to rant on and on about her breakup with Spencer. Sam interrupts with a sassy remark "again? jeez Ryann what else is new" She just kinda shrugged her shoulders because he wasn't wrong.

We were stopped at the same red light we had stopped at on the way to pick Sammy up and I looked out my window again to see the same man from earlier huddled up shaking against the side of an apartment complex. Okay now that's a little weirder. I brushed it off again and focused my attention back on the song that was playing, I must have zoned out because next thing I know we are pulling up to Popeyes.

I shook my head getting out of the weird daze I was in and we all got out of the car. Sam rushed ahead, he was clearly hungry. We get in and we all order what we want. I paid with my phone and we went and sat and started to eat. I noticed on the little television in the corner of the restaurant, the daily news was on. The bright red banner said "Strange deaths reported in Europe." I frantically pointed it out to Ryann. Ryann shrugs and says "c'mon Car my adoptive parents deal with weird shit like this all the time in Italy. Don't sweat it. It's all the way in Europe anyway." I thought about it long and hard, so I guess three seconds worth of long and hard thinking led my mind right back to Ryanns adoptive parents, "They're in Europe!" I screamed at Ryann. "Give them a call! They must know something, this shit is just sounds crazy!" " OMG! Relax Carson will you! They aren't the ones dying, everything is fine." She was right. Everything is fine, it's only in Europe, it's only in Europe.

Sam is throwing a fit in the background of our debate about having the wrong dipping sauce. As he works his way up to the counter to complain and hopefully get the creamy garlic he originally asked for, the clerk turns to face him aggressively. It clearly startled him. I watched from a distance. The clerk tries handing him the dipping sauce, but as soon as he faces Sam he vomits all over the counter and himself. All of us startled, I rush to grab Sam away from the gross green pile of bodily fluid, while Ryann springs up to the car. "Gross, we are leaving." I said. "Ryann!" I then shouted. "Something ain't right, what the fuck was that?" "I have no idea dude how am I supposed-'' Ryann's sentence was interrupted by an aggressive banging sound coming from the Popeyes front window. I must say besides the track this morning, this has to be by far the fastest I have ever seen Ryann move. She buckled herself and Sam in just to be sure, and peeled out of the plaza. Sam whines "what the hell guys! What is all this!! I didn't even get my damn creamy garlic!" "Never mind your damn garlic" I shouted! "What just happened?"

We sped quickly back to school to pick up Elena. "She isn't picking up," I said to Ryann. "She must still be on the field." She replied. She rapidly sped through red lights, recklessly weaved through traffic and passed slow moving cars of course. Once again Ryann's parents can afford the tickets. Poor Sam is hanging on for dear life, he looked worse than the cashier at Popeyes. His once, sweet pinky face is now pale in fear. It's pretty clear he has never been in the car when Ryann is street racing on the weekends, you can see it in his body language. I keep trying to spam Elena in the hopes of her picking up but with no luck, I tried calling Jaxon but no response either.

It was at this point I'm in panic mama bear mode, I am very protective over Sam, Elena and Ryann, even though she can handle herself. I won't let anything happen to them. Not knowing what's happening wherever Elena is, is truly becoming one of the scariest moments of my life. I don't know what's happening but it's certainly not good. What if it's a crazy flu! Maybe it's just an off day. Whatever it is this seems out of place for New York. I feel bad for Elena. What if it is a flu and she catches it, she's so excited for tonight and has been looking forward to being top of the pyramid forever. I would hate for that to be taken away from her. Let's just hope she's okay and we get there in time.