The Realms [Watty 2017 Shortlist]

Run, continued - 16B

We aren't any closer to securing a way home. I let my head fall back onto the headrest. My stomach feels like it's on a roller coaster. "Does Ryan know?"

"Yeah, we talked about it last night. I was planning to tell you last night too, but, well..."

"I didn't show up." I turn away from her, feeling my brain head into overdrive. "It does mean there's a way back."

"And we must be inching closer or Mason wouldn't be so vigilant," Maizie agrees.

I'm silent for a while, mulling over our conversation. "Why do you think this psychic is important? What do they do in this realm anyway?"

"They can tell the future or something like that. Like a reader, I think. In the ad I found, she mentions past lives and the different realms of existence. I thought those might be key words for people like us who actually know those things exist? It could also be hokey bullshit, but I'll try anything right now."

"When did you and Ryan want to do this?" I ask.

"Saturday. There is a basketball tournament that Ryan has to be at anyway and Mason is also on the team. Since his main concern is the time you spend with Ryan and Ryan will be with him, we should be free to leave town," Maizie says.

"We have to leave town?"

"Yeah, it's a bit of a drive."

"How far?"

"Five hours," Maizie admits.

I suck in a deep breath. "So...I guess we're going on a road trip."

###

"How was your trip to school?" Ryan grabs my hand as soon as I'm out of the car.

"Uneventful, except for all of the events I learned about. I knew I should have studied for that history test a little better."

He laughs and pulls me closer, leaning down to kiss my head. "I missed your face last night. Did you have a good run?"

A warm glow encompasses me as I look into his eyes. I see a brief flash of him, again, on the floor, silent, still. I push it back, willing myself to let that go, pretend like it didn't happen. In this moment, I want so badly to be a normal teenage girl, in love with her boyfriend, arriving at school to find him waiting. Instead, I am coming up with coded phrases to tell him about my life and avoiding thinking about his death a few night earlier. 

"I ran into Mason, actually and he was kind enough to make sure I got home safely." I look over Ryan's shoulder as Mason approaches.

"I hear you helped my girl last night." Ryan claps a hand on Mason's shoulder and they exchange a male bonding moment that would be endearing if it wasn't fake.

"Yeah, I was out running, you know, prepping for Saturday's game and I saw her. It was late so I thought I'd try to be a gentleman."

"Well, I appreciate it, man." He turns his gaze from Mason to me and there is a slight shift behind his eyes as our gazes connect. "I never want anything bad to happen to her."

Mason doesn't flinch or react but instead changes the topic. "What are you up to this weekend while we're playing ball, Hannah? You joining the cheerleading squad?"

"Oh, I can join the cheerleading squad? Definitely my life's aspiration. Wouldn't that be great, Ryan? Then we could be together ALL the time!" I know Mason is giving me a dig about the amount of time Ryan and I spend together, but I can't resist responding.

Maizie jumps in before Ryan can answer, clearly prepared. "Actually, we're uh..." She stumbles over her words, plays with her hair and seems nervous in a typical old-Maizie way. "Watching a marathon of chick flicks at my house. My parents are, you know, out of town." 

Mason wants me on a tight leash, but surely this must seem pretty harmless.

His eyes seek mine and I hold his gaze. "Sounds...exciting." He pauses and then gives Ryan his typical stoner routine. "We should totally party at Maizie's after the game."

"Can't bro. I don't want to get Maizie in trouble, and Hannah and I are going out on Saturday night once we've kicked some ass." He slings his arm around my shoulders and gathers me close to his side, looking down at me with complete adoration. I don't know how much of this is an act, but I'm sucking it up like someone dying of dehydration.

Mason rolls his eyes. "Lame." He looks down at his watch just as the first bell rings for class. "Catch you all later."

The three of us stand in the hall facing each other, but don't say a word. Relief swells within me. Our cover is set and Mason appears to have eaten it up. As long as I'm back to go out with Ryan after the game, he won't suspect anything.

Author's Note:

What do you think the road trip will bring? What questions do you still have about the realms? Are you starting to understand the three levels?