Yellow

Chapter 26- Before You Go AWOL Again

The sun had only begun to rise when we all piled into the family car that Sunday morning.  This time, my mom was behind the wheel (she claimed Dad got too distracted so put him on SatNav duty) when we pulled out of the makeshift driveway.

Aunt Wanda was stood a couple feet away with Ronnie tucked under her arm. They were both waving wildly, even though we were nowhere near out of the premises.

"Same time next year?!" Aunt Wanda calls, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Of course!" Mom replies eagerly. Except maybe without having to kidnap me, I wanted to add.

Any other attempts at conversation were blocked out by Ronnie loudly screaming 'BYE!'. It also didn't help that the woods around the log cabin created an echo, meaning it was the only sound that could be hear for the next quarter mile.

After a series of even more goodbyes from both parties, we were finally back on the road, on our way back home.

❊ ❊ ❊

By the time Monday rolled around, I made it my mission to first find Cameron and apologize for disappearing like that last Thursday.

I weave my way through the increasingly busy school halls until I finally find him. He was stood by his locker, leaning against it lightly as he unlocked the door.

"Cameron!" I call when I'm close enough. Cameron turns around swiftly at the sound of his name. His face softens when he realizes it's me.

"Mai," he says. To my surprise, a relieved look washes over his face. "You're okay."

"You're not mad?" I don't bother to hide my shock at his reaction.

"If by 'mad' you mean extremely worried and thinking it was somehow my fault, then yeah, I guess so," he replies with a small frown.

"It definitely wasn't your fault," I hurry to clarify. "Let's just put it down to... questionable parenting. I haven't had any technology for the past couple days but hey, I'm here now!"

Cameron's lips quirk in a small smile at the sight of my weak jazz hands. His frown makes a brief reappearance while he gives me a once over, checking to make sure I hadn't hurt myself in anyway. "So you're definitely okay?"

"More than okay. Super," I confirm. "But enough about me, you were about to say something like 4 days ago."

"I was?"

"Yeah, like after the OAAC meeting? You know, when-"

"Ohh, that," Cameron exclaimed as the memory suddenly clicked. "Um yeah, I was going to ask if–"

Before Cameron can finish his sentence, two pairs of arms wrap around my own and pull me in the other direction. I look up to see Ethan and Ryan staring straight ahead with grim look on their faces as they marched us away from Cameron.

"Sorry, Cameron," Ethan apologized. "You guys can continue your conversation later."

"Right now, we have to get Mai away before she ends up dead," Ryan called just as we turned a corner.

"What are you guys doing?" I twist my head to throw them glares but they keep moving, totally unfazed by all the attention they were attracting as they dragged me down the hallways.