4. Plane Ticket to Mexico
Things were just not working for Krislynn that day. Not only did her boyfriend, now ex-boyfriend, dump her and ran off with all her things, but her best friend Elizabella wouldn't pick up her phone. It was odd really, since Elizabella always had her phone turned on---even in the dead of night. If anything ever happened and Krislynn needed her, she knew her best friend was only a phone call away. It had been that way since forever.
When her father had taken off when she was ten and her mother locked herself in her room and went into depression, Ella had been there. When her mother died in a car accident when she was fourteen and Krislynn became an orphan, Ella had been there. When she was thrown into foster care and was beaten by one of the household members, Ella had not only been there, she had helped her escape.
It was true what Carlos had said in the letter. Krislynn always bounced back, but only because she wasn't scared to try anything because she knew someone would catch her if she actually fell. Ella always had her back.
Quickly deciding that it was possible that her best friend wasn't picking up because she was doing the nasty with her boyfriend-though Krislynn really didn't want to know since it was three in the afternoon---she took the next bus to Ella's house. After all, Carlos had towed her trailer away. She had no home to return to and nowhere to go except Ella's house. She figured she'd just chat up Ella's mother if in fact Ella was 'preoccupied'.
A good twenty-five minutes later, Krislynn arrived in front of Ella's Mission Hill Winery Estate. Her mother and father stood in front of their double French doors and regarded her sadly as she asked if their daughter was in. Ella's mother burst into tears as her father let out a scornful growl. "I don't have a daughter," he yelled before stomping back inside the house.
"She eloped," her mother cried before beginning to ramble. "With that stupid boy she was dating. Supposedly he wants to marry her, but you know, he can barely support himself! How is he planning to support her! So we sat her down and had a talk and then..."
"You guys fought," Krislynn murmured, nodding in comprehension. They must have disagreed with Ella's engagement to Pedro and Ella must have lost her temper. "So then, that doesn't mean she eloped. Maybe she's just hiding out for a few days."
"Nope, she's gone. All her stuff is gone-left us a measly little letter saying she's following Pedro into another country and that she won't be back anytime soon. We fought Sunday afternoon and by Monday morning, everything was gone. She must have left Sunday night."
Sunday night-that was the night Ella had called her at two A.M and Carlos had made a big deal out of it. Krislynn remembered laughing because she thought the call was completely pointless. "I love you like a sister, okay?" Ella had said. "And no matter what happens later on in life, no matter how different our paths become, I'll always love you! I'll always be there for you---mentally if not physically."
Krislynn realized those were parting words now. Ella was definitely gone.
Biding Ella's mother a quick goodbye, Krislynn wandered aimlessly back to the bus stop. She didn't even have a place to stay tonight. Although she was sure Ella's mother would have taken her in, she personally wasn't too fond of Ella's dad and knew that he wouldn't be very happy to see her freeloading off of them when their daughter was nowhere to be found.
Sighing, she wondered what she was going to do. After all, this was new to her-not having her pillar of unconditional support. What was she going to do without Ella?
Suddenly a streak of genius flashed through her. If Ella had eloped with Pedro, then all she had to do was elope with them! It wasn't like she had anything holding her back now that Carlos was gone. The only problem was figuring out where Pedro might have taken Ella.
'Out of the country,' Ella's mother had mentioned. Mexico! Pedro was Mexican after all! Where else could they have gone? She was almost positive Pedro took Ella to Mexico City, his hometown.
Ignoring all the hazardous pit holes in her plan, Krislynn decided to take the bus up to the bank. She had a GIC investment worth a couple hundred dollars that she knew Carlos wouldn't have been able to tap into. That would be more than suffice to buy her a ticket down to Mexico.
She'll just have to take things one step at a time until she found Ella and charge all her debt onto her Visa with those outrageous interest rates. To Krislynn, it didn't matter what will happen to her. She could live with poverty, live with being in debt, live with being homeless and live with being lost and unsure in a foreign country, but she had to try---she couldn't live without her best friend.
***
Going to Mexico was initially supposed to be an escape because Chase couldn't deal with everything that was happening in L.A. Things were always happening in L.A, but this time it was different, he had just slept with one of his best friends' fiancée---that was like Beverly Hills 90210 stuff---more than what he could handle.
After leaving LaCienega, he had went home, packed, drove down to LAX and asked for the fastest plane leaving L.A without knowing where the hell he was going. He didn't care---just anywhere would do since his reason for leaving was so he could avoid Jace for at least a week.
Several hours later, he had gotten off the plane and discovered Fate had taken him to Mexico and not Africa or North Korea like he had hoped. Realizing there was no way he could repent his sins, he had called his staff back in L.A and told them he was going on vacation in Mexico for the next week.
He had no idea some blonde bimbo would get whiff of the news and follow him all the way to Mexico City begging for a movie role. Even more so, he had no idea he would make an enemy of a girl he didn't even know the name of---prior to the both of them getting into a food fight and getting hauled to the police station down the street. Now he knew her name was Krislynn Reimer, though it really didn't matter because he was planning to call her 'bitch' for the rest of his life.
"Look," she said calmly to the multiple police officers in the room who Chase doubt understood a word of English. "I don't even know why I'm here. I didn't do anything wrong."
"Yeah sure," Chase scoffed since the cops were busily ignoring them. "There's definitely nothing wrong with pouncing on a man in a thong in public and smearing potato salad all over his face." He snorted and turned away---pretty sure he still had a bit of salad up his nose.
"Yeah, well! I would have pounced on you with clothes on if you hadn't pulled my skirt off, jackass!"
"Like I said, it was an accident," he shouted back. "Did the doctors drop you when your mother gave birth?! Jesus Christ! What part of accident don't you get, retard?"
Without saying a word, she slapped him across the face. "Oops," she giggled in a sarcastic manner. "Accident."
Chase angrily glared at her as his cheek burned from the impact of her hand. "Oh, you are so fucking lucky we live in the 21st century," he muttered. "Because I would grab you by the ankle, dangle you upside down and whack you until you shit sideways if we lived in the 1800's."
"Stop! Fighting, no!" A Mexican cop came over and said to the both of them as if they were kids in kindergarten. Chase recognized the cop as the one who had escorted them down to the police station from the resort's restaurant after the staff called them in to stop the commotion---Chase had, after all, kicked his table over trying to get Krislynn off of him.
Taking a pair of handcuffs out, the officer cuffed Chase's left hand and Krislynn's right hand together. "You stay quiet," he said to the both of them, smirking as he studied their horrified faces. "Or I throw away key."
The both of them nodded obediently, terrified that they might have to spend the rest of their lives chained to one another. Without another exchange of words, they sat quietly for another half hour before the same Mexican cop returned. "Resort damages 200 U.S," he said. "100 each, billed to credit card. Understand?"
They both nodded before he continued. "Now, I free," he said. "No more fighting." Again, they nodded, lifting up their respective hand that was fastened by the handcuff, eagerly waiting to be freed.
Except ten minutes later---after going through every key in his key loop, the cop said, "Uh-oh. Key missing. Key must have um... lose it."
"What do you mean missing?" Krislynn shouted. "You were the one who handcuffed us together! You have to have the key!"
Chase rubbed his temple with his free hand trying to block out Krislynn's voice. "But you must have a spare key somewhere, right?" He asked and then deciding to simplify his words, he added, "You must have more keys. Yes?"
The cop nodded. "More keys," he replied. "Lots key---in Chief's office, but no key to office."
"Okay," he murmured. "So then, you just need the Chief to open his office so he can get the keys, right?"
"Si Senor!"
"So call your Chief. Get him in here."
"Chief on vacation," he replied. "Chief come back tomorrow night." Quickly tapping the watch on his wrist, he smiled at Chase before saying, "24 hours."
"No way," he murmured, feeling the life getting sucked out of him.
"I don't get it," Krislynn said hysterically, her head shaking in denial. "You do not mean what I think you mean by that! I can't stay attached to this jerk for the next 24 hours! I feel repulsed by even being in the same country as him!"
"Yeah well, if you never pulled my chair, this would have never happened!"
"And if you didn't pull my skirt, this would have never happened!"
"And if you had gone to anger management, you wouldn't have lost your temper and attacked me! Then we wouldn't even be here!"
"Oh my God, I can't stand you," she shrieked. "Will somebody just do me the honour and chop my arm off!!!"
"Oh thank Jesus, please," he shouted, jumping to his feet. "Somebody! CUT. HER. ARM. OFF!"
At that moment, they knew-loud and clear-the next 24 hours was going to be the longest 24 hours of their lives.
~*~*~
A/N.: Hope you guys enjoyed this chappie and remember to vote and comment!