More Than Human

Chapter 22

June 11

"This is really nice hotel room." Jess sounded surprised.

"Yeah, I thought that when you were on the run you stayed in really bad motels," Rose agreed.

They were staying in the C'mon Inn in Bismark, a really nice hotel with a big courtyard in the middle. It was four in the afternoon. The previous night they just all slept in the car on the side of a gravel road.

It had taken them almost sixteen hours just to get to Bismark, including the time spent sleeping and doubling back.

"Now, we're going to Target to get disguises," announced Claire.

"Alright," said Erica, walking right back out of the hotel room. It seemed kind of ridiculous getting a hotel room and then leaving right away, but she understood why. They had to change their appearances as quickly as possible, before the kidnapper came.

Claire drove Trevor and the girls to Target, and they went shopping. Jess was in her glory. They arrived at the hair dye section, and Jess picked blue-black dye, Rose chose auburn, and Erica chose blonde.

Then they went though the rest of the cosmetics aisles and Claire picked up various items. A men's hair razor, hair ties...

"What else do we need?" asked Erica.

"Makeup!" said Jess.

"Great idea!" said Claire. "If Erica's going to pull off that trendy look, she'll need makeup."

"And me," said Rose.

They went to the makeup section and Jess and Claire went to town talking about things that Erica barely understood.

"Do you know what they're talking about?" whispered Rose as Jess and Claire talked excitedly.

"Nope."

"Okay, we're done," announced Claire. They went to the electronics section and dragged Trevor away from his video games, paid, and left.

Back at the hotel, they dyed their hair, did their makeup (or rather, had Jess do their makeup), and changed. Trevor went swimming.

Erica stared at herself in horror in the full length mirror- short-shorts, trendy top, makeup, blonde hair. How did she ever agree to this?! This is not what a nerd like her would even think about wearing! She ran into the bathroom and hid in the bathtub.

"You can come out, Erica." She heard Jess's voice. "I look just as bad as you." Erica poked her head out and saw Jess wearing a baggy, shapeless white t-shirt and boy's jeans with her newly black hair buzzed to about an inch long. "Actually, no, you look worse," Jess relented, then laughed. "Just kidding!"

Suddenly Trevor came barging into the room, dripping. "They're here!" He noticed Rose. "Nice dress. But come on! We have to go!"

Erica and Jess ran out of the bathroom towards the door.

"Not that way!" yelled Trevor. "That's where they are!"

"Over here!" called Claire. She had opened the window and cut the screen with the same scissors she had used on Rose's hair. Trevor slammed the door shut and dead bolted it. Everyone climbed out the window and bolted to the van.

"Thank God we got a ground floor room," breathed Claire.

Erica got there first and yanked open the passenger door. Everyone climbed in, Erica in the back. Trevor took off and Jess started laughing.

"What's so funny?" demanded Rose.

"This," laughed Jess, gesturing around her. Rose started laughing too, and soon the whole van was filled with laughter.

Which was strange, seeing as they were being chased by kidnappers.