Broken

Chapter 17

"Would you be interested in running away together?" 

Suddenly, the euphoria of their new relationship left Ada's heart and was replaced with the cold and harsh winds of reality. 

"What did you say?" 

"You heard me. Do you want to run away together?" 

Ada set down her beer and avoided eye contact with her girlfriend. She would be lying if she said that she had been asked something even close to this before. The euphoria and reality now came to greet one another face to face in a hostile manner. 

"Where would we go?" 

Iris paused for a moment. "I was thinking we could go cross-country and end up somewhere on the East Coast. The East Coast sounds nice." 

The fact that neither of them had ever been to the East Coast became glaringly obvious. 

"What states are even on the East Coast?" 

"We could go to New York," Iris said a little too loudly. "My cousins go to New York all the time."

"Okay, how are we getting there?" 

She shrugged. "We could get my limo driver to- no. No, they wouldn't like that at all. Hmm. Maybe we could borrow my dad's- no. Can't do that either, it's too risky, and neither of us know how to fly a helicopter." 

"How about a car?" 

Suddenly Iris grew quiet when she admitted that she couldn't drive. 

"Well I can, so I'll do all the driving." Ada couldn't believe she was seriously considering this. She had a job. With Stan and the twins gone, the responsibility of paying Ford's hospital bills would fall onto her. Her car still wasn't fixed after all this time.

Yet, somehow, none of the things anchoring her to the town and some degree of normalcy seemed to matter. The prospect of getting away seemed nice, especially with Iris.

"I mean, Iris, I have responsibilities."

"So it's a no."

"No! I mean, I want to get away, but-"

"But what?"

"My friend. Ford. He owns this house. Right now he's in the hospital in a drug induced coma and there's no one around to pay the bills that'll keep him in that hospital."

"Done."

"What do you mean, 'done'?"

"I think you've forgotten. I'm rich. Let me make a little withdrawal from my bank and he'll be taken care of for a while."

"No, I can't let you do that."

"You're gonna let me do it. What other concerns do you have?"

"Iris, you're not gonna use your money just because of me."

"Watch me. What other concerns do you have?"

"I have a job."

"So?" 

Ada didn't respond, but rather allowed Iris to make her own conclusion about the importance of employment. She figured that though she had a life of privilege, Iris would be aware that there were people outside of her isolated wealth that needed employment and didn't have money just lying around. 

"I understand that you've got stuff anchoring you here, Ada, but...I want out of Gravity Falls. It's boring here, there's nothing for me to do but look good for the Northwest family." 

Though she was aware of the manipulative nature of Iris' mournful speech, Ada softened up a little. She understood yearning for escape. She'd felt the penetrating toxicity of escapism for years and finally broke free from the oppressive nature of that toxicity when she arrived in Gravity Falls. If Iris was undergoing the same oppressive cycle that she endured for so long, why should Ada watch as she experienced something that almost destroyed her, coupled with her sister's death? 

"And?" 

"I want to leave. With you. In two days." 

Ada felt the reply of compliance come out of her mouth faster than she could deliberate what she was agreeing to. 

"Okay. Let me get Ford's hospital bills assorted and quitting my job and stuff." 

"You're the best. Meet me out here as early as you can with your car."

"Can do." 

Ada listened to Iris ramble about how they were going places across the country. She tuned her girlfriend out, though, and reflected upon what she had just done.