The First Step

Chapter 13.

A hand smacked across my face.

It hit me in the nose, and I instantly wrinkled it, opening my eyes to find painted nails inches away from them. The next thing that hit me was a snore.

Wait. Odette?

My face warmed, and I shot up, quickly looking around the room. Sure enough, she had passed out sprawled across my bed, with Dustin face first into his on the other side of the room. I watched them for a moment, then deflated with a sigh.

I guess we did get home really late.

Or maybe late was an understatement. Between how long it took to break into whatever that place was, not to mention getting back out, calling the police, and the hours-long ride home, the sun had been a lot more up than we were. By the time I'd stumbled back in the dorm, the only thing I really had had the energy for was bandaging Dustin's hand. Not even—

Oh shoot. Frantically, I started patting at my pocket, trying to find my phone. Sure enough, it was still in my back pocket, and with the tap of a finger, the case slid off the front, and I was pressing the phone to my ear.

It only took about two rings for a familiar voice to pick up. "Hello?"

I winced. She sounded so worn out, and at some point, I knew I ought to apologize to her, but first... "Gwen?" I took a deep breath, a smile splitting across my face. "We have him."

She froze, hesitant, like she was afraid that she might have misheard me. "What?"

"We found him. Dustin's back. He's sleeping right next to me, and he's safe." My eyes fell across the bandages again, and my lips grew tight. "Well, maybe a little beat up, but he's alive and he'll be okay."

"What?" Gwen's voice shouted over the receiver, and soon I could hear the sound of a door being flung open. "Blyke! Blyke! They found him. He's okay!"

"Dustin?" There was a pause on my end, but I could easily imagine her boyfriend grinning at her before he spoke again. "See? I told you they would."

"Yeah but—" There was the soft sound of crying, but this time, I knew they were happy tears. "It just took so long."

Another few seconds, and she seemed to piece herself together as she returned to talking to me, although her voice sounded a bit farther away. Maybe I was on speaker now. "Thank you, Crow. Did the police find him or...?"

Again, I was looking at Dustin, curled up in bed with bruises spattered across his forehead. I swallowed. "No. Me and Odette did, but it's a really long story. We only just got back this morning."

"Well... I don't know about Gwen, but I'd skip class for that," Blyke cut in. "Hell, I'll fly over there right now if you guys are okay with that."

"I don't care. I need to see him," Gwen said, and I could tell there was no saying no with how firm she was. "I don't care if it's at the dorm, or someplace nearby, or going back to Dad's for a bit if you don't want the company. I just... need to see that he's all right for myself."

"Uhhh..." Now I was looking at the state of the room. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, and I was quickly reminded of Odette giving it a makeover right before we headed out. "Yeah. I mean, I'm sure if I ask Dustin it'll be fine, and I definitely don't care."

"All right," Gwen muttered, most likely in thought. "Then is seven okay?"

I blinked. "Seven? You don't have to come that late, if you want to see him sooner."

"... Crow. Seven is the soonest I can get there if I leave now. Do you even know what time it is?"

Quite frankly, I did not, so imagine my surprise when I pulled the phone back to find that it was after five. In the afternoon.