Madison v.s The Travelling Exchange Students

Chapter Twenty-Two: I Don't Climb

Lily's shoulder's heave as she lets out a large sigh. It doesn't help the woozy feeling in my stomach. Every time she moves just a fraction, I feel like she's going to fall.

I look down at my legs dangling over the yellow bar. The tanbark ground seems so far away yet so easy to fall onto. It's stupid Will's fault for making us come up here. He and Jack wanted to play build-ups but if you get in, you get whipped with a stick.

Now Lily and I are hiding up on the monkey bars, where they and Sacha can't get us. From up here, I can see through the trees. I spy Katy and Mia hiding behind a large bus shelter. Will's hot on Bishop's tail as they run through a large patch of grass, while Jack and Sacha, their arms draped around each other, walk through the trees trying to find people.

The hot Darwin sun beats down on us. People always said it was hot up in the Nothern Territory but I didn't expect this. Thirty-three degrees in April? It's mad. I am surprised to see that Darwin isn't as dry and yellow as it is in my head. Instead, it is quite green.

"Do you think we are going to get caught?" Lily finally asks.

I continue to stare into the small forest. We have been up here for a while.

"Not sure. I don't think Will has the brains to look up here," I chuckle.

Lily pushes her shoulder into mine with a sarcastic gasp. I have to cling onto the rails to make sure I don't fall off.

"Hey, you may be right but he's still my boyfriend," she says. "But that's not what I mean."

With my hands still firmly grasping the monkey bars, I look at her confused. Lily shrugs.

"I mean do you think the police or a worker here will catch us. You know, for trespassing," she explains. 

I look around us. Lily and I jumped the small black fence in front of the monkey bars when the game first started. While everyone is running around through the small cluster of trees we found next to some suburban area we have just driven through, Lily and I found our way through the forest and stumbled upon this primary school.

We hopped the fence of the empty school and now we are hiding up here. It was all good and funny when we first decided to break in but now I am starting to feel afraid that we might get in trouble for it. That feeling totally has nothing to do with the looming sign attached to the fence saying All Trespassers Will Face The Law. Totally.

"No we'll be fine," I reply.

Lily smiles and shrugs in agreement. "Yeah, and besides, if we do get caught it will be your first time running from the police."

When I look at her with worry, Lily breaks out laughing. I slowly start to laugh too but really I'm just feeling scared.

Suddenly, Lily knocks her elbow with mine. She nods out towards the tree cluster and I freeze up. The snapping of twigs grabs my attention and the bushes start to shake. I bring my legs up to my chest.

"Should we run?" Lily and I both ask each other at the same time.

I keep watching the trees and feel Lily tense up next to me. She doesn't want to be whipped any more than I do. I pray that it is Bishop or Sacha who comes out and not Will. We are goners if it is him.

"Okay, we jump and run on three," Lily whispers with a smile on her face. 

I don't share her enthusiasm for the chase but I like her idea.

"Three."

The scrabbling from the forest grows. God, I hate running.

"Two."