Hide (Sequel to RUN)

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I could tell something was wrong, even if the boys thought they were keeping it so well hidden. Palika had insisted that I should catch a ride with him to school every day. I refused multiple times before Lansing joined in on the fight.

On Palika's side. Of course.

"You do have your own life, right?" I asked one particularly bad morning. Lansing and Palika had joined forces and had literally forced me into the car. That left me as one unhappy Lekia.

"Yes, I have my own life," he snorted. "Look! I'm breathing and everything." I smacked him despite the fact that he was driving.

"Stop being a smart mouth," I growled. "You think you're really funny, but you're really not."

"I am hilarious," Palika countered. "Just ask any girl."

"By any girl you mean the ones with the vacant looks in their eyes?"

"Ohhh. That was a low blow," Palika groaned. "You know not all the girls I date are stupid."

"Anyone who would go out with you needs a mental check-up." I emphasized the last words with swipes of the hands.

"Ooh," his face contorted this time, faking pain. "It's like you just kicked me in the balls! Twice!"

"You're just upset 'cause you know it's true."

"Three times," Palika murmured as he pulled the car into the parking lot, groaning a bit for effect.

My annoyance with him faded, turning into a slowly coiling knot in my stomach. I turned full in my seat to face Palika, my skin growing cold.

"Get me out of here right now."

"What? No. You need to go to school."

"Palika, please. Just let me have one day off."

"Do you know what Neil would do to me if he found out?"

"That's why we don't let him find out." Palika seemed to think on the proposition for a second before responding.

"Okay. I've just got one condition." My heart sank. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to be good.

"What?" I asked, still not completely sure I wanted to hear it.

"You have to go out with me. Today preferably. While we're playing hooky."

"No! And even if I had said yes, we couldn't go today. Someone could call us in for skipping."

"Well then, I guess we're just going to school then." My skin went cold again.

"Please, Palika!"

"Once I stop this car, I'm not starting it again. And if you hijack it, which I'm sure you can do, then I'll call Lansing and tell him."

"I am not going on a date with you!"

"This looks like a nice parking spot." I was out of options. It was either date or school.

How bad could the date be?

"Fine!" I screamed, just as he turned on the turn signal. He clicked it off immediately, smiled, and continued down the lane.

"You're not going to regret this."

"I'm considering knocking you out and stealing the car."

"That's the spirit."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Just let me be!" I screeched. "I told you, not right now!"

"What about later today?" Palika turned to peer over the back of the couch at me, his blue eyes drilling into mine. I almost literally growled in frustration before moving towards the kitchen, then back towards the door. Oh goodness. I'm falling into that cliché....