The Lesbian Gene (Lesbian, Gay, GirlxGirl)

Chapter 25: Mayhem

Chapter 25: Mayhem

Everything was not how it was supposed to be. Maya dashing out of the chamber. Mart following right after her. Them, disappearing together entirely.

If anything, only Audra's reaction— which was calm in the midst of a storm, was the only thing I could count on. So much so, that my heart immediately relaxed when she turned to me and Neil, face still poker amidst it all. "Right," she said, not wasting a second. "We can't follow them. It's too late now."

"But," I said.

"We need to go." Her eyes went solely to Neil, who felt leaden beside me. Judging from his stance, he had probably fallen half-asleep. "Stay close behind me. Both of you," Audra said.

And close behind her I went, tugging Neil up as much as I could. The guy probably weighted twice as me and Audra, though he was lanky as hell. Under any other circumstances, I wouldn't be able to drag him at all.

A few feet from us, Audra began to ask. "Which way is it again, Pax? Left or right?"

"I don't know. . ." I really had no idea. My breaths were coming in spurts.

But even before Audra could answer, a piercing siren penetrated the air, so powerful that I could only grit my teeth. Somehow, Maya had managed to escape Mart's grasp. Damn it.

After a few more seconds, footsteps were already sounding, echoing around us. I glanced at Audra in panic but she never faltered.

"Run," she said, "I'll hold them off."

"No!" I protested. "You said we'd do this together!"

"Well, I lied." She glanced at me. "Do you think I'll ever let that happen?"

But why was she still so calm? I didn't understand.

Audra gave me a smile, even when her eyes were as stoic as ever. Even when the rest of her didn't give out a clue. "Maybe one day I'll tell you all about it," she said. "Just like you'd tell me why you do certain things? But certainly not today. You need to escape."

More footsteps. More people coming from the other side. I suddenly felt the need to drop Neil. To help Audra. I wanted to protect her so badly.

But when she took a fighting stance and shook her head at me, there was something on her face that pleaded for me to trust her. To leave everything to her. It was just for a brief moment, but it was enough to convince me, to put my entire faith on her.

Gritting my teeth, I said. "I'll wait for you to join us!"

It was difficult to run the other way and into another tunnel, not because I was dragging Neil. Not because he was heavy too, but because I didn't realize that being strong was complicated.

Being strong was not always staying and fighting. Being strong was not always helping someone in need. Sometimes being strong was not getting in the way too. Sometimes being strong meant you have to pave the exit.

Which would be hard to do, not knowing where I was going.

There was a fork up ahead. Three tunnels that I hadn't remembered taking before. Now the next question was, which way should we go?

"Right. . ." Someone wheezed beside me. I was so surprised by it that I almost completely dropped him. "Right," Neil said again. "Go right."

I dragged him to the right, not knowing how to feel. If I thought about it real hard, Neil was the reason we were both here, weren't we? If he hadn't left me in the sewers— if he hadn't been so selfish, then right now we'd probably be somewhere safe. Not running for our lives. Not being yanked from behind, suddenly.