“Don’t even.” Her body stiffens, and her tone grows cold. “You’ve seen how they act, so don’t give me that shit. Something bigger is at play here and we need to figure out what the hell it is.”
“Then let’s go.” This is my chance to get her to watch the prison reaping. “I bet Charlie is going to leave soon. We can follow them.”
“Do you know how much trouble we could get in?” She stands and paces the small area of my room.
It’s crazy. No matter how much her parents criticize her and beat her up emotionally, she still needs their approval. “What better way to figure out what the council is up to than to go and hide and watch the whole thing unfold?” I stand and hold my hands up. “If you want to make a difference, you have to be willing to take risks.”
She runs a hand down her face. “But what if something happens and we get caught up in the action? What if Charlie sees us and gets distracted? What are you going to do? You can’t even perform a reaping spell right. Do you think you could protect your brother?”
What the hell? When did my best friend turn into her parents? “You know what? I think you should leave.”
Her face falls. “I’m so sorry.” She steps towards me and touches my shoulder. “I didn’t mean it. I just want to keep you safe. I guess, it wouldn’t be awful to go, but I don’t know.”
“Look, I get it.” I pull her into my arms. This girl is like a sister to me and I’ve said worse things to Charlie trying to protect him. “I promise nothing will happen to me. I’m staying put right here. You’re stuck with me ‘til we are old and gray.”
“I better be.” She pulls me in tighter. “Ugh, I don’t want to go but it’s already ten. I need to get home. My parents are going to check in with me after they are done with the reaping.”
“Well, you better hurry then.” I let go of her and wink. “With that many reapers, it shouldn’t take long.”
She glances around the room and then takes a timid step toward the door. “Yeah, I guess so.” She gives me one last lingering gaze. “You’re staying here, right?”
“Yes, Mom.” I laugh. “I am.”
“Jerk.” She sticks her tongue out.
“You love me.” I smile at her because, hell, it’s true.
Her phone dings and she looks down. “All right, I have to go, but I’m trusting you.” She turns and walks out of the house.
Once the front door closes, something sits heavy on my chest. If I don’t go and watch this, I won’t be able to figure out what part I’m doing wrong. This is a chance to figure out what’s missing in my process and watch something monumental take place in history.
I stand and go to the door of my bedroom. The door beside me opens and Charlie steps out into the hallway.
Shit, I bet he’s on his way to meet up with Christina’s parents. I rush to my closet and slip on some tennis shoes just as the front door closes.
I hurry through the house and sneak out the front as Charlie shuts the driver’s door to his car. I didn’t mean to lie to her but this is something I have to do.
This is going to be fun. I’m going to have to keep up on my bike. I run to the side of the house and pull out my ten speed I use to travel longer distances. I wait until he’s pulled out of the driveway and heading forward on the street before I begin pedaling behind him.
No matter what happens, I’m going to follow my brother. I have to see this through.
7
Charlie’s car takes off on the main road and I push my legs to go faster.
I remain on the sidewalk hoping to all things holy no one will be out this late taking a stroll. I’ve got to be able to go fast enough to keep my eyes on the taillights. I have no clue where they’re meet up location is.
He turns left on the first street and I speed up. I don’t see a large tree branch that has fallen on the sidewalk. I hit it hard. My front wheels shift, and my bike begins to turn.
Oh, hell no. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
I counter the weight and push harder as the taillights get out of sight for a moment. Once I have the bike balanced again, I pedal harder and catch the glow of Charlie’s lights once more.
The uneven ground causes havoc on my speed as I go up and down hills. As I coast down a hill, a child’s wagon is on the walkway. I’m barreling down on it and catch sight of it right before I hit it. At the last second, I turn the handles on my bike hard, trying to miss the wagon. Due to the sharp turn, my bike turns over and I fall on the grass with my bike on top of me.
No, this can’t be happening. The taillights fade from sight and I scramble back on my feet. As I lift my bike upright, someone rolls up on a bike behind me and stops. Good thing I have ninja skills. Okay, maybe not ninja, but I can kick ass. I spin around ready to kick whoever’s feet out from underneath them.
“Why am I not surprised?” Christina’s voice is filled with disappointment.
Shit, I’ve been caught red-handed. I stand up but refuse to drop my gaze like I’ve done anything I should feel guilty about. “Hey, I told you why I needed this.
