Chapter 42

Chapter 42

The feeling was short lived. It became clear quickly, that while pole dancing was great for leg strength, my arms could've used some work. I shifted James in my arms, feeling like needles were piercing my biceps.

"Can you hurry up?" Emma hissed at me. She and Abby were about 5 steps ahead of me. I clenched my jaw, and continued. James wasn't fully awake, but he wasn't asleep either. His head rolled around on my shoulder, his slurred words muffled.

It took a few more minutes of waiting before we reached the spot where we were supposed to meet our ride. It was a small park, nothing more than a metal slide, a metal swing set, and completed with a carpet of sparse grass. I sat down on the edge of the slide, and cradled James in my arms. Emma sat on one of the swings. Abby stayed standing, pacing back and forth, muttering something under her breath.

We waited 5 minutes.

Then 10.

20 had passed when Abby lost it.

"Where is she, Emma?" She yelled.

Emma jumped up from the swing. "Shut up!" She said. But she wasn't being any quieter.

I held James against my shoulder, praying he wouldn't wake up.

"She's coming!" Emma insisted.

Abby crossed her arms. "Really?"

Emma narrowed her eyes.

"Maybe you should call her?" I suggested, my voice just above a whisper.

Emma's glare was now aimed at me, but she pulled her phone out of her back pocket anyway.

"Where are you?" I heard her hiss into the phone. "No... No, it's tonight! Oh my god, we wen't over this a million times!"

I felt my stomach melt into my toes. As Emma continued to talk into her phone, it became clear that we weren't getting picked up.

"Fine!" Emma yelled, and threw her phone down into the grass. She let out some sort of mangled scream, and collapsed onto the ground, gripping her hair between her fingers.

"I knew it," Abby muttered.

"Should we go back?" I asked, starting to stand.

"No," Emma said. "There is no way we are going back there."

"What other choices do we have?" Abby asked, looking down at Emma.

"We have to get to my cousin," Emma said. "She'll help us, ok?"

"I think it's been made pretty clear that she isn't the most reliable."

"She will help us!" Emma repeated. "We just have to find a way to get there."

"Is there a bus?" I suggested.

"That'll take too much money," Abby said. "We don't have much."

I hugged James closer as an idea started to take shape in my mind. "I uh... I might actually know someone who could take us."

Emma's eyes shot up to me, full of desperation. I swallowed, and took a small step back. "They might not be able to come and get us though."

"It's better than nothing," Abby said, crossing her arms.

I carefully placed James down on the slide, I started rummaging through my bag. After a minute, I pulled out my phone, and started scrolling through my contacts.

"Well?" Abby asked.

I took a deep breath and pressed the call button. "They might not pick up," I warned, as I put my phone to my ear.

But it took a ring and a half for them to answer.

"Oh my god, Molly?"

The sound of Janice's voice made my throat screw shut. "Hi." I managed to whisper.

"Molly." She repeated."Drew, Molly called me!"

"Drew's with you?"

She ignored my question. "Oh thank god. We've been so worried about you. Where the hell are you?"

"Um," I looked to Abby, then to Emma. "That's kinda what I'm calling you about."

"Why? What happened?"

"I just, uh-"

"Molly?" Drew said. In the background, I could hear Janice saying something, probably trying to grab her phone back.

"Hi Drew," I sighed.

"Are you ok? Where are you? What happened?"

"Drew, I'm ok."

"Let me talk to her!" I heard Janice's muffled voice.

"Guys!" I said.

They were quiet.

I rubbed my eyes, taking a deep breath. "Me and my... friends, we need a ride."

"Where are you?" Janice asked, clearly having snatched the phone back from Drew.

"That's the thing... I'm at this park. It's about an hour away from you."

"Why are you there?"

I felt the tears well up to the point of almost overflowing. "I'll explain later. Can you come."

"Of course," Janice said. "What's the address."

I found the closest street sign and told her.

"We'll be there as soon as we can. Ok?"

"Ok. Thank you Janice."

"Molly?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you alright?"

"I..." I felt my lungs starting to shrink. "I don't know."

There was a pause.

"Ok, we're coming," Janice said.

"Thank you."

"See you soon."

"Bye."

---

It was an awful hour of sitting and waiting before Toby's car pulled up at the curb. Emma and Abby jumped up, running to it. I struggled to stand up while carrying James (I was just grateful he was still asleep.) Janice threw open the passenger door and ran towards me.

"Molly!" She yelled.

"Shh!" I said, nodding to James.

She stopped in front of me, her gaze landing on James' sleeping face.

"Is this your brother?" She asked.

"You've never met him?"

Janice lightly trailed a finger along his hairline. "No. He's adorable."

I managed a sad smile. "Thanks."

"You know if you weren't holding him I would hug you so tight you wouldn't be able to breath."

"I don't doubt it," I said, giggling.

"Hey!" Emma called.

"One second!" Janice snapped back. "Can't you see reunion is happening?"

She turned back to me, her soft expression returning. "Who are they?"

"Some kids from the orphanage."

Janice's eyes widened. "You were in an orphanage?"

I nodded.

"Wow. Was it like Annie?"

"Not exactly."

"Why were you there?"

"My mom found me... and then I kicked her out again, so she called the cops on us."

Janice held a hand over her mouth. "That's awful."

I swallowed.

"Where are you going?" Janice asked.

"Emma- that's one of the girls- she has a cousin. In Arizona. Hopefully they'll help us."

"Arizona?"

"Yeah."

"That's so far."

My voice caught in my throat. "Yeah."

"And this is your only choice?"

I took a deep breath. "I have to get out of here. The police will be looking for me, or someone will. And... I don't want to be a stripper anymore. I feel like if I go home, that's just going to follow me everywhere I go..."

Janice nodded, but didn't say anything.

"We're waiting!" Emma yelled. Janice didn't bother snapping at her again.

"We should probably go to the car," I said.

"Yeah." Janice started to turn, as one of the car's doors opened.

"Oh, I should tell you," Janice said, suddenly turning as if she was hiding something behind her back. "I kinda brought someone with me."

"Other than Drew and Toby?" I asked.

"I know you probably won't like this but-"

"Molly?"

I felt every fiber of my being unravel as Janice stepped aside so I could see him. I almost dropped James onto the ground. My lungs weren't shrinking anymore, they had just vanished.

"Fucking Blondie," I whispered.

---

WHAT TIME IS IT?

SUMMER TIME!

PROCRASTINATION!

I physically cannot believe I have made it this far into the story.

Like.

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Ok, thank you so so much for reading! If you liked it, please vote, comment, yada yada this, yada yada that.

You'll be happy to learn I just got out of school a few days ago (and yes I stole my earlier joke from tumblr, please don't get mad at me) so hopefully I will be updating more frequently.

Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes.

Thank you all!

XOX