Together We Fall

Chapter 8

Hide and seek may be one of the most stressful games in the world. You're given mere seconds to run and find a place that'll be hard to be seen in. At your house it's a lot easier because you're more familiar with the spaces, but in a store you've only ever entered twice it's a bit more challenging.

At least this time I'm hiding for the sake of a game and not my criminal record.

I don't know where anything is in this store, I'm just roaming aimlessly and hoping I'll be somewhere before Trace gets to thirty.

My feet take me to a big metal basket setting in the center of an isle. It's filled with big colorful balls. Ethan pokes his head out and grins at me before going back down.

I take off running, keeping my steps light so nobody will hear. A few moments later I come across the outdoor section and the perfect spot comes into view.

It's an inflated, rectangular pool with a tarp covering the top.

This spot is out of the way and so far into the corner that I'm almost certain Trace won't come here first. As long as I'm not the fourth person found I'm good!

I hurry over to the pool and lift a corner of the tarp up. Laying there, looking back at me is Josephine and I nearly scream.

"Go to the other side, there's no more room over here." She whisper shouts and shoos me away.

My eyes widen and I slowly drop the corner before jogging to the other side. I try to slip in quietly in case Trace is already done counting.

I lay on my back and let out a deep breath. I made it.

This pool is more crowded than I would've expected judging from the size of it on the outside. If it can't even fit two teenage girls laying down then it's not a good buy at all.

"This is an amazing hiding spot," a familiar voice mumbles.

"What'd you say, Mason?" Josephine asks and I suddenly become very aware of who's laying right beside me.

On my right, in between Josephine and I, is Mason.

No wonder the pool seems a lot smaller, there's an extra person chilling in here.

"Mason, why is your hand on my thigh?" I whisper and gently place his hand back in his lap.

He chuckles to himself quietly, "Sorry, it's a little cramped in here."

I roll my eyes and know that if it wasn't too dark under this tarp to see anything, there'd be a clear smirk evident on his face.

Josephines phone lights up and she begins typing with a smile.

Suddenly I hear two voices that I recognize as Adalyn and Trace. They're talking and from the volume of their voices it sounds like they're near the outdoor section.

I feel Mason tense up beside me and Josephine quickly puts her phone face down on her stomach.

"If you want to find Ethan just start making random ass bird noises and he'll 'caw caw' back. I don't know why but that's how I found him at Lucas' part a few weeks ago when he was drunk and hiding in the bushes.

The footsteps are gradually getting louder and louder the closer they get, then I hear Trace say sarcastically, "Well a giant pool covered with a tarp doesn't look suspicious."

Shoot!

I take a nervous breath and he talks again, "Neither does Josephine's pink top showing through the side of the pool."

She looks over at us and I bite my cheeks to hold in a laugh.

The sides of the pool are a light blue at the top but become clear at the bottom. It's rubber material though so it's not very distinguishable from the outside, I didn't even notice her top showing through.