Live in Color

thirty six - ginger

Tallie, Jamie and I end up sharing a motel room while Cole, Mitch and Jericho share another. Although Jamie and I both don't really like being separate from our soulmates, we see Tallie's reasoning when dividing up the rooms. Besides, we end up all crowded in one room at eight o'clock anyway, Tallie at her desk on her laptop, Jamie, Mitch and Cole playing Monopoly on the floor while Jericho and I sit on the bed, just talking softly.

Eventually, though, our conversation and the other's Monopoly game is interrupted by Tallie's loud voice, "Okay, squad assemble!"

I roll my eyes at her but everyone climbs onto the bed Jericho and I are on- it's a pretty tight fit, but we make it work- as Tallie stands up, her laptop in hand. "So, Clarence Smith lives in the house, who is forty-three with a job at the bank. His son's name is Matt Smith, who works full time at the local pizzeria for the summer. Which means from anytime at nine to five, Noel, Dominick, Silas and Caroline are alone in that house."

"So when do we attack?" Cole asks. "Tomorrow?"

"The sooner the better," Jamie nods. I look over and notice she has her head leaning against Mitchell's shoulder while Mitch has his arm wrapped around her, and smile at the two. "The sooner we get this plan done, the sooner we can call the police and get them out of our lives."

The plan Tallie had come up was perfect for one main reason. None of us wanted to stoop down to their levels- we weren't going to beat anyone with bats, nor were we going to trash someone's house. Tallie had suggested having a little fun with it, too, before calling the police at the end of it (who were still looking for them) so they get the real punishment they deserve in the end.

The plan was easy and I know will be a lot of fun. It involves one hell of a shopping trip to Walmart, which Tallie mentions by pointing to Jamie, Mitch and Cole, "You three have the honour of being the ones to pick up our items from Walmart." She takes out a crumpled piece of paper from her leather jacket pocket (which is actually really nice, I'll have to ask where she got it) and hands it to Cole before walking over to the desk and taking out two bills from her wallet. "Two hundred should cover it."

The three nod, getting up from the bed and beginning to pull their shoes on when Tallie says, "Oh, and bring home Taco Bell!"

"Got it!" Mitch says, catching the car keys Tallie throws at him and closing the door behind them.

Tallie sighs heavily once they're gone, closing her laptop and flopping down on the bed, running a hand down her face. "Stalking is tiring," she groans.

Jericho rolls his eyes, getting up off the bed and taking his phone out of his jean pocket. "Who're you calling?" I ask when he begins to look through his contacts.

"Arsenio," Jericho says.

"Put it on speaker!" Tallie yells, grabbing Jericho's arm and pulling him back down to the bed so she can lean over the phone. Jericho chuckles slightly but does as she says anyway.

The phone rings for a couple of times before it's picked up by a girl who is definitely not Arsenio. "Hello?"

Tallie and I share a confused look before Jericho just says, "Oh, hi Ms. Brunetti! Is Arsenio there?"

"Hello, Jericho," a kind voice says on the other side, and I quickly realize this is Arsenio's mom. "He went to his room not too long ago, I guess he left his cell phone in the living room. I'll go see if he's awake."

Jericho nods, thanking her and biting his lip as we wait. I hear the sound of shuffling and Ms. Brunetti softly asking Arsenio if he's up to talking with Jericho. Arsenio's muffled voice replies and soon enough, Arsenio is speaking on the other side of the phone, "Hello?"