actions speak louder than words {karlnap}

chapter 33

(Karl POV)

I wait around in Macy's for an hour until someone is found. Then they say the fourth floor is off limits. Technically I'm on the third, but that also means it's probably next. 

I creep through the halls, making my way down to floor two. I find Chandler, so we stick together for the time being. He doesn't understand ASL, but I'm fine with using text-to-speech for now. 

"This is your first time in a challenge like this, right?" he asks. I nod. "I don't ever win these things," he continues, "but I've found hiding in plain sight seems to work. One, we played hide and seek in an abanonded city, and I hid in a tree. They walked right under me." He smiles pridefully.

I pull out my TTS app and type in "good job," and as it plays, I smile. 

He nods. "Thank you."

We both grin. 

"I've found someone else!" Jimmy says through the walkie talkie. "Kris, meet me at the jail."

"In a sec," Kris whispers. Chandler and I exchange glances. Why is she whispering? 

Chandler peeks out from our hiding spot, but the coast is clear. So she must be on someone else's trail for now.

Sure enough, a moment later, a loud shriek echoes towards us... from down the hall. 

"Should we move? " I type. 

Chandler shakes his head. "They'd find us. Kris is too close."

"Found Ruby," Kris says. She's one of the subscribers, I assume. "I'll be at the jail in a minute."

Chandler suddenly whips back around into our hiding spot, face pale. "She's right there," he says, barely loud enough for me to hear. 

I press my lips firmly together, and turn the volume on my walkie talkie almost all the way down. Footsteps walk past, no hesitation. We both release heavy sighs as they grow more and more distant. 

So far so good.

(Nick POV)

Exam season.

Grueling hours in a test center, filled with other students who have no idea what they're doing. 

Math may be my best subject, but holy shit, the exams are the worst.

I second guess myself through the entire exam. When I'm done, I raise my hand and the teacher collects my papers. A few kids give me looks, maybe wondering how I'm done so fast -- it's been an hour and a half and I'm first done. 

Since we've passed the first hour, I quickly collect my things and leave the room. I make a pit stop at my locker to grab my phone and airpods, since I'm not allowed to have any technology in the test center. There was one kid last year who brought in his phone. He didn't use it -- just forgot it was there -- but he failed and ended up crying right in the middle of class. I met Karl officially a week later.

Speaking of.

I connect my airpods, slide them into my ears, and FaceTime him. He picks up quickly, smiling awkwardly. 

"Hey," I say. "You good?"

He pulls his lips into a tight line and sets the phone on the ground somewhere. I'm filming, he signs. 

Whoops.

Suddenly, someone leans into frame and waves. I recognize him from the MrBeast crew; Chandler, I think.

"Oh, hey," I say. I grin and wave. 

He gives me a bro nod. "Hey."

"Am I gonna be on YouTube now?" I joke. Karl sends Chandler a warning look, but Chandler flat out ignores it and whips out a GoPro, aiming it right at Karl's phone. I pull a face and wave, and I make out Karl laughing in the background.