Carmine snuck carefully through the house. Normally, she would have gone stealthily out the front door, but tonight was different. Instead, she went through the garage and out the side door leading to the backyard.
Her bike was leaning against the side of the house. She hadn't used it much since she got her car, but tonight she was going to have to get to Mia's house as fast as she could. Carmine really wished she could just take the car, but of course that wasn't an option. She was always paranoid that her parents would wake up in the middle of the night and see it gone. So far they hadn't caught her sneaking out, but she knew in her heart that the first time she took the car would be the time they decided to wake up and look out the window. And there was no explanation Carmine could come up with as to why she'd need to take the car out in the middle of the night. At least if they caught her walking, she could say she couldn't sleep and needed some air or something. It might not have been the best excuse, but it was still better than anything she could come up with for taking the car out.
So here she was, unlatching the back gate, wheeling her bike out onto the driveway. She glanced back at the house, making sure the lights were still off before peddling as fast as she could in the direction of Mia's house. Twenty minutes later, she rounded the corner of her friend's street. Of course, Anna was already waiting across from the house, hiding in the shadows of a tree in someone's front yard. Carmine found herself getting almost jealous that Anna didn't have to worry about sneaking out; she could leave out the front door whenever she felt like it.
Carmine quietly walked her bike up to the edge of Mia's house and leaned it against the side wall, as far away from any windows as possible. She locked it and then hurried across the street to where Anna was waiting.
"She still inside?" Carmine asked Anna.
Anna nodded.
"Any sign of Rudi?"
"Not yet."
"Good."
Carmine had actually forgotten about Rudi as she was busy locking her bike up. It had only been as she approached Anna that she even remembered the reason they were out here like this. She really would have hated for Rudi to see her. But then again, if she really was stalking Mia, she'd see Carmine and Anna with her tonight anyway.
"So what's the plan?" Carmine asked.
"Well, hopefully we won't need one." Anna told her. "Maybe Rudi won't show up."
And maybe frogs'll learn to fly, she thought to herself. But she didn't say that. Instead, she said, "She probably will. I mean, Mia said she's been here all week, right?" So why would tonight be any different? But Carmine knew Anna was an eternal optimist.
"I know." Anna told her, surprising Carmine. "And if she does come, we're going to have to think of a way to distract her so we can...do this."
"You have anything particular in mind?" Carmine didn't really want to have to improvise at the last minute.
"Yeah. But it's not really something I want to do. I just hope it doesn't come to that."
Carmine nodded but didn't say anything. Anna didn't really look like she wanted to talk about her plan, and with that look on her face, Carmine wasn't sure she wanted to know anyway. Instead, they waited in silence for Mia.
It wasn't long before Carmine saw a window on the second story of Mia's house slide open. A figure crawled out, making its way across the roof and down to the garage before hopping onto the driveway.
"That's really how she sneaks out?" Carmine asked, surprised. It seemed like there should have been an easier way.
"She's been doing that for years." Anna confirmed, smiling at Carmine; it looked like she thought it was as impractical as Carmine did.
"So where to?" Carmine asked as Mia approached.
"Downtown?" Mia asked quickly. She seemed a little jittery, even considering the circumstances.
"Maybe there'll be enough people there that we can lose Rudi if she shows up." Anna said, nodding.
"Maybe." Mia said doubtfully. "But she's always there. And she's impossible to lose."
The girls walked to the end of the block, down to the bus stop. When the bus finally came, they piled on and headed for downtown. They got off near some office buildings that were still surprisingly full. Carmine would have thought a lot more people would have gone home by this point.
"They stay in that building really late." Mia told her, talking kind of fast. "I don't usually come here, but maybe if we go somewhere different Rudi won't be able to find us."
Carmine quickly scanned the streets, looking for potential targets as much as for Rudi.
"There don't seem to be a lot of groups around here." she said doubtfully.
"There's a couple take-out places about a block away." Mia told her. "Usually there's a couple of people grabbing something before they go home."
"Then let's try that." Anna said. Carmine nodded.
Mia led the way, Carmine and Anna in tow. Mia tried to hide it, but Carmine could see she was jumpy. At first she thought it was just nerves over the fact that Rudi might show up, but now she wasn't so sure. Mia's eyes were darting back and forth, but it didn't look like she was checking for Rudi. Something in her face made Carmine wonder if that look had more to do with hunger. Suddenly, Carmine wondered just how long it had been since Mia'd been out; she'd never seen either of her friends look anywhere near that frazzled before.
Carmine kept an eye out for anyone they might be able to grab; the sooner they got this over with, the better. She didn't see any groups of three, of course. Despite the few fast-food places around, this was more of a business district; most of the people here were probably going to be by themselves. Carmine decided it was time to improvise.
"How about that guy there?" she asked. "If we get him, then wait for that couple over there...that could work."
But Mia was already shaking her head.
"Why not?" It seemed like a pretty good idea to Carmine.
"Look who's over there." Mia said darkly, nodding her chin towards something on the other side of the street. Rudi was leaning up against a building. She would have been almost impossible for Carmine to see if she was still human.
"How did she find us?" Carmine asked.
"She might have been following us for a while." Anna told her. "She should be pretty good at staying hidden herself."
"So what are we going to do?"
"Distract her." Anna said, shrugging.
"Yeah? How?"
"I'll take care of it." Anna said. "You two cross the street – head towards that couple. I'll get her when she goes by."
"You sure?" Carmine asked.
She wasn't an expert at this or anything, but Mia seemed a little too on edge to be really good at putting anyone at ease right about now. Maybe Anna should help with that instead. But Anna shook her head, as if she already knew what Carmine was thinking.
"You stay with Mia. Make sure she does it right. I'll catch up with you both after, ok?" And to Mia, she added, "Don't be too hasty."
"I won't." Mia promised. But Carmine could see she was already staring hungrily at the couple.
"I'll be right back." Anna promised.
"Yeah...I guess." Carmine mumbled. She glanced back at Mia.
"Why don't you wait here for a second?" Carmine told her cautiously. She wasn't really sure she could get those two on her own, but she had to have a better shot without Mia – especially if she was going to be looking at them like that.
"I'll be ok." Mia promised.
But Carmine wasn't so sure. She hesitated, trying to decide.
"I promise." Mia told her, wiping the leer off her face. "See?"
"...Ok." Carmine said finally. "But if you start acting weird, we're going to stop."
Carmine started to walk up to the couple, Mia behind her. She couldn't help but notice Mia still seemed just a little too anxious about this. She just hopped Mia wouldn't be weirding them out enough to blow this whole thing.
"Any sign of Rudi?" Carmine asked, mostly to get Mia to start doing anything other than look at the people across the street with that unnatural gleam in her eye.
"She's with Anna." Mia told her.
"You sure?" Carmine looked over her shoulder.
"Positive." Mia said. She pointed down the street to where Anna appeared to be casually talking to Rudi.
"Well, there's that at least." Carmine mumbled to herself.
She walked slowly up to the couple, trying to look apologetic. Not that it was hard – she was already pre-embarrassed about what she figured Mia would probably end up doing.
"Um, excuse me." Carmine started. Mia was right behind her.
The woman looked at Mia for a second before taking a small step backwards.
"I'm sorry – please ignore her." Carmine told the couple. "She's a little hyper today...too much caffeine...or...something." she mumbled.
"I'm fine." Mia nodded a little too enthusiastically. Carmine took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.
"Mia, please." Carmine mumbled. Then turning back to the couple, she gave her best put-upon smile.
The next thing Carmine knew, she was asking for directions to get to her own house. Of course, Mia thought that was just incredibly funny. Carmine turned and glared at her.
"Why don't you wait over there." she whispered harshly, pointing towards a bench a few yards away. Mia rolled her eyes but walked towards the bench anyway. When Mia was finally seated, Carmine looked at the couple.
"I'm sorry – what were you saying?" she asked.
The man picked up right where he left off, telling Carmine how to get back to her own neighborhood. And now that Mia wasn't there weirding everyone out, things went a lot smoother. Actually, Carmine thought Mia might have made it easier. The couple felt bad enough for Carmine that they weren't actually as suspicious as they should have been. But there was no way Carmine was ever going to tell Mia that.
Carmine was just lowering the woman to the ground when she heard someone come up behind her. When she looked up, Anna was walking towards them.