I gaze out the window as green rolling fields gradually morph into grey barren roads. So this is my new life, huh? Endless stretches of grey with thick smog filling the sky, replacing the lush grass and clean country air that I once knew. I place my hand upon the condensation that has strewn itself like a blanket over my window. I glance at my buzzing phone. I'm not ready to deal with them right now.
I catch Mom's eyes examining me in the rear-view mirror.
"Y'all right buttercup?" Mom asks in her Southern drawl.
"Mhhmm" I mumble noncommittally. I can see Mom's eyes droop in despair. I twiddle my thumbs uncomfortably. It has been an uncontrollable habit of mine since my dad died 3 years back... but I don't talk about that.
"Come on honey", Mom insists, "I know you're worried about school, but as long as there's no repeat of last ti-"
"Gosh Mom, I already told you a million times it won't happen again!" I snap, a little sharper than I had intended. I watch Mom's face crumple as she turns her head to focus on the road, gripping tightly onto the wheel. I also turn away in discomfort, pulling up my oversized hoodie over my mouth.
"I'm sorry. I- I didn't mean it like that", Mom half whispers, a slight wobble in her usually bright and cheerful voice.
I don't reply, but bury myself deeper into my hoodie, wishing I was anywhere but here.
"A-almost there!" Mom feebly stutters as we approach a street lined with tall apartment blocks. I stare in disgust at the gloomy towers of poverty.
"How unpleasant" I mutter solemnly under my breath. I watch my mothers face twitch. Just then I hear a commotion outside my window. A teenage boy around my age sprints past the car in a state of distress. Up ahead I see three burly men shouting and chasing after him. Something inside of me tells me that I should help this boy.
"STOOOPPPP" I screech at Mom. She slams on the breaks without hesitation, and gives me an incredulous look.
"No time to explain!" I yell, already halfway through the car door. I spot a bike abandoned on the sidewalk. Despite my Mom's roaring, I swiftly snatch it off the ground and mount it. I catch sight of the boy panting for breath up ahead.
He's not gonna make it! I pedal as fast as I can .
"Hop on!" I yell. The wavy haired brunette looks up at me with his startled almond eyes.
"They're catching up!" I pant. The boy looks hesitant at first, but after catching a glance of the trio of giants approaching us he clambers on to the back of the bike.
I push down on the pedals as hard as I can. Luckily the boy has a slim figure, so I can easily carry his weight thanks to my many yoga lessons, which had seemed pointless at the time, but now I'm seeing the benefits of having a rock hard core.
We speed down the road, the trio still in hot pursuit. Seriously, these guys must have a lot of stamina. They seem to be getting faster with every step. I need a plan, stat.
I scan the street frantically, and then I see it. A thin, almost hidden alleyway off to the right. It's risky, but it's our only shot if we ever want to lose those guys.
"Hold on!" I yell as we approach the alley, making a sharp swerve, hoping to god that I had got the timing right and wasn't going to send us crashing into a building. Time seems to slow as the bike skids on the road and we are sent speeding towards the alley. I shut my eyes tightly in anticipation. We're going to make it... right?
YOU ARE READING
the voices that heal
RomanceAfter moving from her countryside cottage to the big city, Y/N starts her new life as a student at Stonebridge High, the most prestigious school in in Stonebride (and the only school at that!). She is hesitant at first but begins to realize that cit...
