"Fight, flight, or screw up royally."
"They were tied together with string; no matter what happened or how far they traveled apart, they still found their way back to each other."
Two years before the legendary names: Connor Lassiter, Risa Ward, and...
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EMME
She had to pull into a gas station at some point during the night. It was around one in the morning when the gas was almost at E. Emme knew it would raise suspicion but she had to take her chances. It was going to take her forever to get to Northern Washington without a car.
Emme pulled out some of the money she was able to steal from her parents before she went AWOL. She entered the gas station store with a chime of a bell. The clerk looked up from the newspaper he had been reading. Emme felt his gaze on the back of her neck as she grabbed a bag of corn nuts and Sun Chips. She dropped the items on the counter and put a $20 bill.
"Regular," Emme said simply, trying to make sure she didn't sound too young.
The store clerk just nodded and gave Emme her change. Before she could step away, the man spoke up. "A little late to be on the road, don't cha think?" He said with suspicion laid out in his voice.
Emme smiled and nodded. "Yeah, but my Aunt's not too far away and I'd rather just get the drive done than spend my money on a Motel," Emme had to bite back her fear and put a full look of confidence on.
The man eyed her for a while, it beginning to be uncomfortable. Emme shifted in her stance.
"Well," the man said loudly, scaring Emme, "have a safe drive."
Emme smiled once again and turned around. She was only a couple feet from the door when she heard the clicking of a pistol. Emme froze in her tracks and her gut sunk to her knees. She finally looked to see the man standing behind the register aiming a gun at her face. But he was farther to her than she was to the door.
"AWOLs have a thing coming into my shop. At first I couldn't find them. But now I can sniff them out," the man said with a growl. "Now get on your knees while I call Juvenile Authority."
What was she going to do? She hadn't even made it out of the state yet. No. She wasn't going down this way. Not yet at least.
Emme had to decide what to do. And fast.
She booked it to the front door. A shot rang from the inside, but Emme was already to her car. She just barely made it into her car when the clerk ran from the store. Another shot sounded and the back window shattered. Emme reflexly screamed and ducked while pulling out of the station and down the highway.
——
Emme was driving tensely, still shaken by the previous events. She had almost been shot and taken. Her knuckles were white because of her grip on the wheel. Her hands were sweaty.
Around 7 am, the sun was in the sky and it was bright out. She was around the middle of the Oregon now. Emme knew there was a harvest camp coming up, so she pulled up her hoodie to hide her young-looking face.
But just as she was turning a corner, a boy ran out into the middle of the road. Since Emme was still on high alert, she slammed on her brakes, barely able to miss the kid. Before she could really think about her next actions, the guy hurried up to her passenger door and slid inside.
Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
Why didn't she lock her doors? Why didn't she do the simplest thing to protect herself?
When she only stared in confusion and shock at the blonde haired boy, he yelled. "Drive!" Emme quickly put her car into drive and stepped on the gas.
She heard the quick panting of the boy as if he had been running. He also was bleeding.
"Are you okay? What's your name?" Emme asked, glancing from the boy to the road again.
"I'm fine," he said and then pulled a tranq pistol on her. "But now you need to pull over and get out of the car before I shoot you."
