My mind raced along with the bike.
Were my mum and I unwitting victims in some familial Juju ceremony?
Was my father gifting his own wife and daughter for sacrifice?
Was Mr. Lacey, my math's teacher, delivering my mum to her death?
Was Granny Grace part of the gang?
And as the bike stopped at a red light, so the final question parked itself in my head.
Was Josh delivering me to my death?
###
The bike took off again, and as it cruised my mind reflected.
I recalled the furtive looks between Dylan and I in the Library; I suspected that was the beginning of their 'luring process.'
Granny Grace didn't just 'turn up' in my life; she'd been actively following me.
The mystery man (potentially my dad) showed up in my life, just as mum was falling for Mr. Lacey.
AND – Josh being so 'sexually reserved' – that's not right, not normal for a sixteen year old lad, is it?
The bike stopped at another red light, and a final reflection, or realization, to be more precise, caused a cold sweat to dampen my entire body.
Josh and Dylan really are a gay couple, most probably!
###
It all made such cold, clear sense.
The narrative flowed through my head like a young adult novel. And my deliverance was the final twist. I was the loser in the love triangle. My character gets fed to the vampires, while everyone else lives happily ever after.
Except this was no novel, this was real, this was my life – and I wouldn't let it end without a fight.
###
Josh maneuvered the bike onto the pavement by the entrance of the alleyway, and opened the visor on his helmet.
He turned to me, "You alright, B?" He asked.
"Yep," I answered, wondering if he could sense my thoughts. I had to hide them, remain calm until the time was right for me to act.
"Good – hold tight, because I'm gonna blast this beast through piss-alley," he said, pulling down his visor and revving up the bike.
The sudden G-Force caused me to lift off my seat and I grasped onto Josh. By the time he stopped the bike, I was embracing him tight, like a lover.
I soon remedied that; I jumped off, of him like he was a human rat!
He reacted accordingly, "Whoah, do I smell bad?" He asked, with a bewildered smile.
"Nope," I answered, with a smile, which I hoped would mask my thoughts.
He unclipped his helmet, took it off and asked, "Are you ready?"
"Yep," I answered, keeping my helmet on so my face wouldn't reveal my thoughts.
He stepped towards me.
I stepped back – and in doing so, gave my thoughts away.
Josh stepped back, to give me space, "That call from your mum's derailed you, ain't it B?"
"Nope."
He sighed, "Yep. Nope. Yep. These one word answers don't suit you B, they ain't you – you get me?"
