Script Kiddies

Chapter 9

Haley pedaled as fast as she dared in the dark. She hadn't been able to find a flashlight in her rush to get to Dana, and the streetlights were spaced far enough that her eyes had time to adjust to the darkness right before she hit another pool of sickly yellow light.

There weren't many cars still on the road since most people were either out of town for the break or were already in bed. The few she did pass didn't spare her a second glance, so she kept pedaling.

She turned onto Lincoln Street, and slowed down. There weren't any streetlights, but Haley knew that the street sloped down on either side into a swampy marsh. Taking one hand off the handlebars, she dialed Dana's number.

"Haleeeey?"

"I'm on Lincoln. Where are you?"

"We're, I'm not ... I don't know ..."

"Can you get to the road?"

"Yeah."

"Get up there then."

Haley heard the muffled pops and bumps as Dana followed her instructions.

"I'm here," Dana said puffing.

"Wave your phone so I can see the light."

Haley didn't see anything in front of her.

Haley craned her head back to make sure that she hadn't already passed her. Nothing but blackness.

"Turn around and wave the other way," she said.

A blue-white lightning bug appeared ahead, flying back and forth in midair. Haley pedaled as fast as she could, her pulse pounding in her ears.

She skidded to a stop several feet from Dana and jumped off the bike, letting it crash on its side.

"I'm sorry," Dana said.

Haley ignored her and held her phone up to Dana's face. It glistened in the light, but Haley thought most of it was wet with tears, not blood, thankfully.

Aside from a cut along her forehead, Dana appeared to be all right, though she did sway on her feet and smelled like rubbing alcohol as Haley looked her over.

"What happened?"

"I was just trying to get home, and then something jumped out in the road, and I swerved, and then I couldn't ... I'm sorry."

"It's okay, you're going to be okay," Haley said.

"They're going to kick me out," Dana wailed. "And then I won't be able to go to college, and I'll ..."

"That's not going to happen," Haley said. "Hector is on his way. We'll get you home. But first, we need to get out of the road."

Haley guided her foster sister down the embankment and to the back of the Jeep. She made Dana sit on the back bumper while she walked around and surveyed the damage.

The front bumper was hanging on by a single screw on the left side, while the right had broken completely loose and rested on the ground. The right headlight case was also cracked, and there was a dent the size of a basketball in the passenger-side panel over the wheel. There was a broken bottle of whiskey on the passenger-side footwell, and Haley could see the amber liquid pooling out on to the floor.

Haley walked back around to where Dana was sitting.

"Well, the good news is that I don't think anything is broken that we can't fix," she said. "Bad news is there's no way we can hide it."

Dana buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

Haley joined Dana on the bumper.

"We'll be okay," Haley said. "Just let me take care of this."