Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Monday

            Our little station wagon made it all the way to the edge of Texas when it ran out of gas. We were planning to ditch the car anyways since Sesenta would probably stick the cops on us. We were tired and our legs ached from the miles we had walked the days before. Katie was eager to get to her part of the state, it was as if she had mechanical legs that kept her walking while Red and I struggled to keep up with her.

            We walked while the bright sun slowly greeted us chasing away the darkness of the night. I was tried and wanted to eat and rest by the road side. But after the snake incident I, in my right mind, would never rest like that again. Our appetites were greeted by road kill, which would be eaten by coyotes and panthers. Yum, I silently said to myself. Most of the way giant trees hovered over the road to shade our heads from the sun.

            Around 4’oclock our group made it to a small seemingly dull and un-evelutionized town called Longview. With an ungrowing population of about a thousand people. We stopped at a gas station and ate most of our food.

“So Katie, who’s the friend you want to get a ride from?” I asked her.

“Rickey O’Neil.” She told me proudly. Her words clung to my skin like the humidity in the air.

“Who’s he?” Red coughed through a candy bar.

“My boyfriend.” She answered. Red and I were silent, trying to hold back cackles of laughter.

            Katie? Having a boyfriend? No way. The idea was just too hard to grasp.

“Well it’s true.” She told us.

“All right then, prove it.” Red countered.

“How?” Katie snarled back at him.

“Call him, ask him to come pick us up.”

“It’ll take him two hours to get here.” Katie told us.

“We can wait.” I told her.

            Katie huffed, “Give me a dime.” Red handed her a very dirty dime, she took it and walked over to a pay phone. She closed the door so we couldn’t hear her.

            We watched her talk she blushed a lot and smiled uncontrollably. As she hung up the phone she wiped away a single tear and stepped out.

“Ol’ Rick, he’s coming.” She assured us, “He’s coming.” I felt sort of bad for making fun of her but come on! Katie dating someone? She just seemed too tomboy-ish to date a guy.

            We waited somewhat patiently but it was hard. Shaw or the cops could be on to us. A pickup truck full of hay pulled slowly into the gas station. Katie stood up and rushed to the kid’s side. I was somewhat jealous of his good looks. He had a full head of hair that was like an untamed mane. And his blue eyes were like one from a china dolls. He wore a worn out hat and jeans with holes. His flannel shirt was rolled up and unbuttoned showing off his deep muscles. I hated ‘Ol’ Rick’ as Katie had put it.

            Red and I uncomfortably waited to get into the car while Katie and Rickey made out for a long amount of time.

“Katie, I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into but you and you’re friends are all over the news!” he told us.

            We got to Rickey’s house around 9 o’clock. It was late and I lagged sleep and desperately wanted some rest. Rick’s place was a tiny house, more of a shack really.it had a barn that was twice its size. The one story house had only about two rooms, it didn’t even have a living room.

            We walked directly into the family room. Rickey flipped on the tiny television. A commercial came on with a woman drinking Coca Cola and telling the viewers how healthy and skinny it can make the average person.

“This seems irrelevant to us.” I said to him. Red laughed, but Katie glared at us.

            As soon as the commercial ended, a newscaster came on and started talking about how 3 dangerous fugitives escaped form the tender care of Miss Jones.

“Tender care my foot.” Red mumbled beneath his breath.

“These three fugitives have last been seen in Longview heading towards Dallas with a one Rickey Carmen.” He reported. Rickey switched the channel to another news station.

“Brady Smith, Red Conway, and Katie Kennedy the runaways from the orphanage managed by Miss Jones. No one is sure why but a few theories are that they were on drugs, weed, but the most popular of the three is Brady Smith’s older Brother.” My hand clenched, “Scott Smith, whom had been released from the home four weeks ago has gone missing. Authorities found his apartment ransacked.” Rickey again, switched the channel.

“Look, look, look, we had nothin’ to do with them kids.” Said a familiar voice, I looked up, “All we did was give’ em a ride.” Scout said, I watched his dimples stick out as he squinted at the sun and rubbed his hair. A nervous yet noticeable habit that was easy to pick up on.

“All right.” A cop said, he threw him on top of the hood and slapped cuffs on him.

            Rickey turned off the television, “As you can see, you’re all over. The good thing is, is that the cops think you’re on your way to Utah. So after you ditch my house you could be home free.”

“Rickey, we need a ride, just to New Mexico.” Katie asked.

“Katie I can’t help you with that.” He told her.

“Rickey we’re on to something really big here!”

            He huffed, “Then tell me, I could help you if I knew it wasn’t anything bad like the dope.”

            Katie looked down, then back up into his eyes, “We’re looking for Brady’s brother, you herd, Scott.”

            Rickey raised his eyebrow, “You serious?” Katie nodded.

“All right. You’re two friends can sleep in the basement.” Rickey told us, “Follow me.”

            He walked towards the hallway that led to the one bedroom. He knelt down and pried up piece of the floor revealing a dusty stairway.

“There’s a light switch at the bottom, and some cots in the closet.” Rickey said was I stepped down.

“Any toilets in the closet?” Red mumbled, I snickered at Rickey.

“Nope, just a bathroom.” Rick said. Then he put the door down shutting us into complete darkness.

“Nope, just a bathroom” Red mimicked, “What a jerk.”

“Where’s the light switch?” I said as I walked blindly around the room.

“Here.” Red said, he flipped the switch turning on the lights above us.

            The cement basement was nothing to brag about, it had only what Rickey said was there. A few cots in the closet, a small bathroom, and a vent in the upper side of the wall.

“Well this sucks.” I said to Red.

“I’ve missed you so much.” I turned to Red.

“What did you just say?” I asked.

“I didn’t say anything that was you.” He told me.

“Not a day went by when I didn’t think of your beautiful face.” It wasn’t Red, I was looking right at him and his lips didn’t move. A sly smile crept up his face we realized that the vent led right to where Katie and Rickey were. We sat by the wall with the vent and started listening to their conversation.

“Only one more year and we can finally be back together.” Katie said.

“Gosh I’ve just been so lonely without you.” Rickey said followed by a long pause.

“You’ve gotten better.” Katie told him.

“I’ve always been a good kisser.” Rickey said to

 her. Red and I could barely contain our howling laughter. It was like watching the world’s corniest soap opera.

            Katie half laughed and said, “Pucker up butter cup.” That was it, I burst out laughing along with Red.

“BRADY!?” Katie screeched.

“Katie we all know you can do better than-” I giggled, “Buttercup here.”

“BRADY! YOU BETTER STOP LISTENING AND CUT THE JOKES!”
“Buttercup how do you stand it?” I asked in-between my laughter.

“Katie just calm down we’ll just cover it with a pillow or somthin’” Rickey/Buttercup told her.

“You can’t block us out with a pillow!” I yelled. There was no answer.

“Apparently he can.” Red said.

            After a while of straining our ears, Red and I gave up. We got out the worn out cots and turned off the light. I lay down on the cot for some much needed rest. Trying to remember back to when I had a decent night’s sleep was when we were with Kenneth. No matter, all I wanted was sleep.

            And sleep I had.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....

Tuesday

“Mr.Carmen?”

“Yeah?”

“We got a warrant to search your house. The authorities had an anonymous tip that you were seen with the three escape fugitives.”

“Common in.” Rickey said.

            I drowsily sat up and looked around. Who was inside the house? Red was standing at the top of the stairway with his head bent pressed against the rotted wood ceiling.

“What is it Red?” I asked him as I got up.

“Shhhh” he said quietly. I climbed the stairs and started to listen to the people outside.

“Just be quiet will ya? My girlfriends tryin’ to get some rest she’s sick” Rickey said.

“You do understand the purpose of a warrant don’t you Carmen? We are allowed to check all rooms of the house.” a man said to him. We heard footsteps walking closer and closer to the bedroom in the back. They walked past.

“You got a basement in this house?” the man asked Rickey.

“No, it’s out in the barn.” Rickey said.

“The bedrooms’ empty cept’ for the girl!” a different person called. Once again the heavy footsteps carried the weight of the man back to the hallway stopping right on top the door.

“Idiots, they walked right in front of Katie and didn’t even see her” I whispered to Red.

“Where are they?” the first man asked.

“Who?” Rickey asked.

“We’re looking for three fugitives form South Carolina.”

“And they made it all the way here to my house?” Rickey asked sarcastically.

“Cut the crap kid.” The man ordered.

“Fine, they left, long gone.” Rickey said.

“Where?”

“Wyoming.” Rickey said after a long pause.

            The man waited, “We’re going to need you to come down to the station with us so we can ask you a few more questions.”

“Right now?” Rickey asked.

“After you clean yourself up boy, come at 1 and don’t be late.” Hearing the fast tapping of feet, Red and I knew the cops were leaving.

            I sighed a breath of relief and sat on the step. After about 10 minutes the door lifted up.

“I’m guessing you heard that right?” Rickey asked holding the door high enough for us to walkout.

“Yup.” Red said, “Look if you want us out of here we can-“

“Naw Katie’ll want to stay longer, its fine. But I’m guessing others will be here.”

“Are they gone?” Katie called from the bedroom.

“Yeah, come on out here babe.” Rickey said.

            Katie stepped out into the hallway in a large flannel shirt that was not the one we saw before Red and I were shut in the cold cement basement.

“Hey Katie, did Buttercup drool all over your other shirt?” I kidded.

“You’re an idiot.” Katie said.

“How do you put up with him?” Rickey asked. Katie smiled and shrugged.

“I gotta go feed the horses.” Rickey said, he looked to Katie, “wanna come with me?”

“Yeah.” She said cheerfully. They locked hands and walked out.

            I looked to Red, “Want to go feed the horses babe?” I mimicked.

“Shut up.”

Reviews

[matpat]

LOL I love this chapter a lot! not only do I get to introduce a new character, but Rickey and Katie have a relationship. I'm not the best with love and romance and all that junk so I put in a little comedy. Hope you guys enjoyed it!