Finding X

Chapter Seven

            Okay, that ought to get Max out of the house for at least an hour and a half. He’d be riding around Gainesville looking for a nonexistent Patsy Mullin for at least a half hour. And then he’d have to drive all the way back. That should give me plenty of time to fix up the house.

            I leapt on my bike and started peddling as fast as my tired legs would let me. There was still more work to be done. Hopefully I wouldn’t have to do it alone.

             

            I had to search around the house for Ryan before I saw the bathroom door shut and locked tightly. I knocked. “Ryan?” I asked.

            “Yeah?”

            I lowered my voice. “I need your help.”

            He laughed sourly. “Ha-ha. No-can-do, sister. I am officially retiring from your shenanigans.”

            I stomped my foot like a five year-old. “They are not shenanigans. Come on, Ryan. Pleeease? I need your help.”

            He groaned loudly. “Stacey!”

            “I’ll buy you an ice cream cone,” I bribed, depressing over how my wallet was growing increasingly lighter.

            “Time to run away,” Ryan muttered. (Translation: “Of course I’ll help you, dear sister”).

            The baskets of our bikes were filled to the brim with paper chains and decorations. We didn’t have to worry about Mom finding us leaving the house because by the time I got back from my fake payphone call, she was already out eating a nice, romantic lunch with Dad.

            Ryan was never comfortable riding on the roads and so that’s why I took the side of the bike path that was closest to the cars. When he saw me skirt around him, however, he was furious.

            “What do you think I am? A baby? No. Men take the risks.”

            “Ha-ha, no thanks. You’re no help to me dead, bro.” When he took a hand off the bike to give me a pretend punch, I snapped, “Both hands on the bike, please. The last thing I need is to drag you home with a broken arm.”

            It was a beautiful day. Though it was cold, the sky was blue and cloudless. The sun beat against the cold winter breeze, making me sweat and shiver at the same time, not a comfortable combination. I pumped my legs so hard, they felt numb after five minutes of riding. I kept urging Ryan on.

            “We have to get there and do this before Max gets home! We have to move at super speed, bro!” But it was pretty comical, me saying that, because I was about ten yards behind him, yelling, “Hurry! Hurry!”

            Ryan looked over his shoulder and laughed. “Okay, Stacey. I’ll hurry.”

            I hadn’t told him that I had spilled to Connie. No reason to stress him out. Besides, I didn’t want to have to replay the scenario by describing it to him. I felt my face burning with anger just thinking it. Seriously, I couldn’t wait until she and Max were reunited. I was ready for her to get back to her own house.

            Ryan hid his bike in the bushes and I left mine leaning against the railing like I usually did, just in case Max came home early and saw me in the house. I never brought Ryan with me and that would be suspicious. We took armfuls of decorations and lugged them into the house.