Route 262

~13~

I'm trying to go quickly along the roads, but the cop wasn't lying about it being slippery. I nearly skid off the road twice, just in my neighborhood alone. 

I'm taking back roads to Sydney's house, known because I remember how she had been infamous for throwing these crazy parties back in junior year. There's a way from my house where you can take back roads to get there 3 minutes faster than the GPS. I'm trying not to crash my car, and suddenly, I'm in her neighborhood.

My car is parked a block away now, and I'm skidding across the ice, sliding to get to her front door before the cops get here. And it's because I have this insane idea, this weird thought that won't get away - that's what motivates me to get up her unshoveled stairs, which I nearly kill myself on. I'm calling her, and I don't want to wake her parents, but I'm literally about to start pounding the door when she throws it open. 

"What is it?" she asks as soon as she sees the expression on my face. Her voice is tense, frantic.

"Look -" I pant, "I know this sounds weird but - trust me. When a police officer knocks on your door, pretend you're dead fast asleep. Let your parents answer it."

"My parents are away this week," she says, looking at me simultaneously nervous and confused.

"Even better," I pant. "Turn off all the lights - just whatever you do, don't open up -"

But I see the lights racing down the road, icy as it is, and I have to throw myself down her front lawn, not even caring about footprints by this point. I'm barely back to my car when the police vehicle pulls in front of her house - I can only hope that I've made myself invisible. 

I'm crouching down, not even willing to risk getting in the car. From my viewpoint, I can see the cop go walking up her front lawn, trudging through the snow to her door. All the lights are off - except for her bedroom one, which flickers off just as the police officer starts knocking on the door - I can only hope that he somehow didn't notice it. I can't hear what he's saying, but he's knocking so hard I'm scared he's going to bash the glass in. For her part, Sydney doesn't answer the door, even after a full five minutes of the cop knocking and starting to shout. 

Eventually, he shrugs, gets back in his cruiser, drives off. I duck down when his car passes mine.

My heart pounding, I call Sydney again, and when she picks up, before she can even say anything, I start talking. "I'm a block away," I say. "Put on shoes and come to my car."

I'm still shivering from all of this, shaking uncontrollably. There's a hunch that's been growing in the back of my mind this entire time, and it won't go away.

A few minutes later, Sydney is wearing a parka coat and skinny jeans as she runs out to my car. She jumps into the passenger's seat, and she looks at me. "Why - uh - did you have me evade law enforcement?" 

I don't say anything until I start driving - the plows have definitely started on the main roads, but in this neighborhood it's going to be a nightmare to drive soon what with all the snow coming down. Once we start moving, I spill out to her what the officer said to me earlier, and as I finish, I can see her right hand covering her mouth, like she's going to throw up.

After a few seconds, she says "So why this? Where are we going?"

I take a deep breath, because the fact is this idea is so crazy, that I feel self-conscious even saying it to her, despite the fact that I've already forced it into motion. "I just - the cop said that they couldn't find any trace of him in the car yet."

"So?" Sydney says.

And now I'm forcing myself to talk, forcing the words out because they don't want to come out on their own. "So - it just made me think that - James has always been the kind of person to play tricks like this. What if this is one of them?"

I hate myself for giving Sydney hope, hate myself for taking a chance like this; if it turns out to be a false lead, then it's going to crush both of us. 

But Sydney says "Take us to the accident," and I drive onto the main roads, and when I see the green exit to get onto Route 262, I take it. 

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AN:

Hey everyone, just a quick thank you to everyone who's kept up with this story so far! You're all literally amazing, and thank you for all the votes + reads + comments :) It means a ton to me