07:58
The new group of four girls make their way out on to the main street. They look for any signs of the other people from the side street. Since the coast is clear they make a run for a nearby parking garage. Finding transportation is the first goal.
"Alright, it'll be easier if we split up. Mani take her and go look up stairs, and we'll go down stairs." Lauren says as she checks the safety on her gun.
"Wait. Split up?" Camila protest. Her defences showing.
"Unless you want to wait here and stand watch? Unarmed." Lauren replies with what Camila thinks for sure is a teasing tone.
The smaller girl backs down. Before she can reply Normani pulls Dinah by the arm dragging her up the stairwell. She turns to see Lauren already a whole flight down ahead of her. She runs after her as fast as she can. The word 'unarmed' still bouncing around in her head.
08:03
"Hey, will you slow down!" Camila calls out, panting.
Lauren doesn't reply. She slows her speed so the smaller girl can catch up.
"Thank you."
"Whatever."
"What's your deal? I'm giving you money to help me." Camila stops walking. The other girls attitude starting to irritate her.
Lauren stops now. She spins to face her. "You think I want a hand out?" she asked harshly.
"I didn't mean it like that." Camila takes a step back. The last thing she wants to do is piss off someone with a gun.
"Just stop talking. The faster we find a car the faster we'll go find Zayn and the faster I can get rid of you."
Camila crosses her arms, lowering her head. She doesn't want a confrontation. Lauren turns away, continuing through the lowest level of the garage. The other girl quietly following behind.
08:06
"What's your name?" Normani asks the girl behind her.
"Dinah." she replies, pulling her jacket closed.
"I'm Normani. And the one with the fierce green eye's is Lauren. Don't worry though, your friend will be fine. She wouldn't harm a fly."
"Good to know." The Polynesian sighs.
"Okay... Someone's a zombie." Normani laughs.
"Sorry. This just isn't the best situation."
"True." Normani sends her a small smile. "So, what's your friends name? She's cute."
Dinah checks the right side of the garage as Normani checks the left. She stops when she sees a little red fancy car.
"Her names Camila. But look." She points to the car.
"Yes! A 2014 Corvette Stingray! Nice score!" Normani cheers. They run over to the car and she begins trying to open the door. No luck. She takes off her jacket and wraps it up around her fist. The dark haired girl shatters the glass with one blow.
Suddenly the car alarm is blaring through the garage. Bouncing and echoing throughout the different levels.
"Shit!" Normani rushes to try to silence the car.
Dinah covers her ears.
08:09
"Wait." Lauren halts the other girl holding out her hand. "Do you hear that?"
Camila shoves her hand away then stops and listens. The car alarm is faintly heard as Lauren and Camila make their way up the stairs. No luck in the lower levels.
She nods. Then panic brushes over both of them. If Purgers out tonight hear that, they'll know someone is in here. They take off running up the rest of the stairs. The alarm growing closer.
Then it stops. So they stop. Lauren takes a deep breath. But knows the potential threat is still there. They hear the car turns over and know it's just above them on the next level. Camila goes to climb the last flight but again Lauren stops her.
"They have to come down, we'll wait right here."
08:12
"Out of every car, we find one with no back seats." Normani laughs.
Dinah laughs softly too. She's too busy playing with all the buttons in the fancy car. Her dad has one just like this but won't let her anywhere near it.
Normani throws the car into gear and they pull out of the parking spot. They have no time to spear. If anyone outside of the garage heard them, they're done.
They round the first ramp and see their friends already waiting. Lauren grins at the fancy car. Her and Camila run to the passenger door.
"So.. How's this seating arrangement going to work?" Dinah says to the green eye'd girl standing by the door, looking in.
08:15
All the girls heads turn to the front of the car. Roar of engines coming from below them. Eye's go wide. Lauren pulls Camila by the arm and shoves her in the car. She climbs in right after. Dinah sits on the space between the seats, right above the gear shift. Camila is seated half on Dinah and half on Lauren.
Normani Steps on the gas and they barrel down another ramp. They take the turn with tires screeching. She remains in control of the car. The girls hold on to the dashboard and any other thing to steady themselves. Mani pulls the car to a quick left. Another car, a white jeep, comes up from the ramp she avoided.
Both cars zoom through the third level over to the other exit ramp. The jeep chasing them gains speed and bumps into them. They jerk forward then Normani pounds on the gas pedal. She takes the corner again with wheels squealing under them. The go down the ramp and emerge out of the parking garage.
Still the jeep chases them on the street.
"Go faster!" Dinah yells at Normani.
Doing as told she presses the gas pedal down, shifting into sixth gear. The car plunges forward down the street. Camila sits terified. They have someone on their tail and they don't have on seat belts. The outcome of either is enough to render her in tears. She sinks into Dinah's shoulder.
They speed further down the street, slowly losing the following car. Lauren chances a glance back and the other car is now the length of a whole block away. Gradually falling behind.
"Okay, Mani. You can slow down." she says. But Normani doesn't listen. The car is topping 100 by now. "Mani!" Lauren shouts. Dinah reaches her long leg over and mashes on the break. They drift to right then the left. Squealing to a stop.
Normani's eye's stay trained forward. A white knuckle grip on the steering wheel. The three other girls breath out a sigh of relief. Camila wipes at her eyes and leans her head back, forgetting Lauren is behind her. The green eye'd girl moves her shoulder away.
"Sorry." Camila apologizes.
Lauren ignores the smaller girl. She leans forward to check on her friend. Normani is rubbing at her eyes, trying to refocus.
"You okay?" she asks.
"Yea. I was just scared."
"Well, lets keep moving. We can stay out in the open for long."
Normani nods. She slowly puts the car into drive again. They drive in silence for awhile. Passing by Purgers who are stealing, spray painting on walls or starting fires. A sprinkle of chaos everywhere.
08:37
"So where do you think he went?" Normani finally ends the silence once her nerves are calmed.
Lauren looks out the window thinking. "You don't think he'll be stupid enough to go back to his house?"
"I don't know."
"It's our best bet."
They silently agree and Normani takes the next turn toward the highway.
"Wait!" Camila suddenly chimes in.
Normani and Lauren look over at the small girl, waiting for her to continue.
"Does he have any hangouts? Like a girlfriend or something?"
The two girls burst out in laughter. Dinah and Camila share a look of confusion.
"What? Is he your boyfriend?" Camila finally ask after their fit of giggles dies down. Her question directed at Lauren, the one not laughing any more.
Normani shares one more cackle before speaking. "He's not. He's been in love with Lauren forever."
Camila nods in understanding.
Lauren rolls her eyes. "We can check his friends place."
"You mean Liam?" Normani groans. Liam isn't her favorite person.
09:21
They arrive at a run down neighborhood. Driving by cautiously they look around. From further inspection, Normani's black car isn't parked here. But there is other people. They hang out down the street. The gang of guys eye the girls suspiciously.
"Go around back to the alley." Lauren tells her friend.
"You can't be serious?" Camila looks at the green eye'd girl in disbelief.
"How else do you expect us to get in?" Lauren shoots the smaller a look.
"Well we didn't see the car. He probably isn't here."
"Yea because he probably ditched the car."
"Or he didn't even make--"
"Stop! Both of you!" Normani shouts.
"Yea. You're fighting like a married couple." Dinah says. Her and Normani snicker behind their hands.
"Whatever." Lauren throws the other girls a dirty look. "Go to the back."
Camila nudges her friend with her elbow. Now isn't the time for jokes.
09:27
The little red car parks in the alley behind a house that looks almost abandoned. Lauren and normani lead the other two girls toward the back of the home. Dinah and Camila link hands, afraid of what can possible be on the other side of the wooden fence.
"Stay low." Lauren whispers behind her.
The girls nod and they move through the gate. Doing as told they crouch to hide in the shadows. Knowing most people in the lower class do all they can to protect themselves from The Purge like boarding up thier homes,
they split up again and go to each side of the house. Normani tries to wiggle a window open. No luck. She shakes her head to Lauren and Camila wait on the other side of the house. The green eye'd girl nods then goes to try the other window on the opposite side. It slides open.
"What if they have weapons?" Camila whispers.
Lauren rolls her eyes then turns to the girl. "You should go wait with you friend then." She turns back to the window.
"Okay," Camila raises a brow. Disbelief clear on her face. Then concern for her takes over. "But you'll be alright?"
Lauren stops mid jump. Shock on her face. "Yea. I'll be fine." she replies before jumping through the window.
09:30
Camila rushes back over to the two waiting girls. They lean against the wall in silence. Normani's head and hand shoot up. Her gun trained on the small latina. She throws her hands up.
"It's just me."
"Where's Lauren?" Normani peaks out of the corner looking to the other side of the yard. "Did you leave her?!" she hisses.
"She told me to come back over here." Camila drops her hands as Normani lowers her gun.
The girl in black doesn't even reply, she gets up and dashes across the yard.
Camila and Dinah look at each other then back to the car. This can be there escape. Sticking to the shadow the fence cast over the yard, they make their way back over to the car.
"Are the keys in there?" Dinah ask as Camila pulls the door open.
All of a sudden the car alarm goes off again. The girls jump back away from the car. Hands shooting over their ears. Panic in their wide eye's.
09:32
Normani shimmy's her way up in and through the open window. Her eye's take a few seconds to adjust to the new darkness. However being familiar with the house from parties in the past she's able to make her way over to the door.
She inches down a equally as dark hallway. A small shuffle sound comes from the room to the right. Normani slows her pace and takes a deep breath in then quickly turns with her gun at aim in to the room.
"Shit! Mani you scared me!" Lauren turns just as quickly. They both physically relax, exhaling and lowering their weapons. "Where are those girls?"
"I left them outside. She left you alone. What were you even thin--"
Normani is cut short when a car alarm goes off. Brown and green eye's mirror each other's panic.
"No one's here. Let's go!" Lauren shouts. She grabs her friend by the arm pulling back down the hall but this time right through the back door.
Confirming her dread, it is the red car they took from the parking garage. They run up to it and see the two girls in blue jackets running down the alley.
Normani reaches into the car and stabs the keys in the ignition. The alarm ceases. The last wale of the car horn echos off the back fences as she looks up and sees Lauren running after the girls. She looks around before getting into the car.
09:34
Camila and Dinah decided their best bet was to run and seek shelter ifn case anything went wrong inside the house because of the alarm. They dashed down the alley but as soon as they turned the corner they came to a halt.
On the opposite side of the street, where they saw all those men standing out on the porch of a house. But they are all distracted by a girl arguing with one the guys.
"Camila, let's just turn around," Dinah whispers to her friend. She intertwines their fingers. "The alarm stopped. Come on." she tugs on her friends hand.
They begin to back up and Lauren almost runs into them.
"What the fuck?" she yells. "You were supposed to wait!"
Camila and Dinah turn quickly to shush her. But the guys across the way already heard her.
"Hey!" a deep voice shouts.
Lauren grabs Camila who grabs her friend and shoves them behind her. She has her hand ready on the gun under waistband.
"What are some fine girls like you doing out on Purge night?" he calls out.
The three girls remain quiet. Staring down the potential threat.
"Fuck off, Bruce!" The girl who was arguing with him suddenly shouts. "Leave them alone."
His gaze turns to the short girl. "Fuck you, Ally." he shouts, standing to approach her.
The three girls standing across the street watch the argument slowly inching back.
Then the guy named Bruce takes a swing at the smaller girl. Lauren's fight or flight instincts kick in. She's already on the other side of the street before Normani pulls the car up beside the other two girls.
"What's she doing?" Dinah asks as pulls Camila back from following her.
Lauren has her gun trained on the big guy who just knocked down the short girl. He puts his hands up and backs away.
"Get up," she tells the girl. "And you stay away from her." her green eye's narrow on Bruce.
The girl slowly gets to her feet.
"This isn't any of your business pretty girl!" Bruce barks out.
"It is when you think you can hit a girl!" Lauren yells back.
Normani and the girls, who piled into the car, pull up beside the green eye'd girl. She gets out and leans over the top of the car, her gun too aimed at the guy.
"What the fuck is this shit?" Bruce furrows his brows. "You come to my neighborhood aiming guns at me and shit?!"
"Get in the car, Lauren!" Camila calls out.
Lauren takes the short girl by the forearm, pulling her back to the car too.
"We're leaving now." Lauren finally replies. She motions for Ally to get into the car and she does. With the gun still on Bruce, she herself get's in.
Normani slams her door behind her and pushes on the gas. They speed off down the street, leaving a dust cloud behind on Bruce's front yard.
09:41
"What the fuck was that?" Normani leans over everyone crammed in the car to address her friend.
"What?" Lauren cocks a brow. "They're the ones who set off the alarm!" her eye's narrow on Camila and Dinah.
"We didn't want to wait outside the house." Camila defends herself and her friend.
"You're lying," Lauren tries shifts in her seat so she can face the smaller girl. "You ran. You wouldn't of ran if you weren't trying to leave."
"No. We ran because we didn't want to get caught if the alarm drew attention!"
"Same thing!" Lauren's voice goes lower. "You're unarmed and stupid."
Camila scoffs. But before she can continue the small girl sitting on top of them clears her throat.
Finally everyone acknowledges the new girl in the car. Their nerves settling and adrenaline dying down.
"Who are you?" Normani asks.
"I'm Ally," the caramel haired girl replies with a soft smile. "Thank you for helping me back there." she turns to Lauren.
"You're welcome." she replies flatly. The argument with Camila still on her mind.
"What was that even about?" Dinah asked her.
The little red car turns back onto the highway avoiding a fire up ahead.
Ally sighs. "My boyfriends cousin is an asshat. That's all really."
"You knew him?" Normani jumps back in.
The short girl goes into more deep details about her brothers cousin being some wanna be gang banger and she went over so she won't be alone on Purge night. The two girls offer her sympathetic smiles and even protection.
While she talks Camila looks over at Lauren who is looking out of the window. She sees the girl reflection and all the emotions written on her pale face. She looks sad, tired and defeated.
Camila leans over and whispers. "Are you okay?"
Lauren jumps and pulls away, pushing herself further into the car door. "I'm fine."
"I was just asking bec--"
"I said I'm fine."
Camila flinches at the other girls tone. She backs down and turns back to the other conversation. Were the girls are now introducing themselves to Ally.
"...I'm Dinah Jane and this is Camila Cabello." the Polynesian points to her friend.
Camila forces a smile. Her thought still wondering why Lauren was so harsh to her or why she even cared.
"Cabello? Like Judge Cabello?" Ally's eyes widen in realization.
"Yea, he's my dad." Camila nods.
Ally's face softens. "Why is a judges daughter out on purge night? I thought yall rich folk stay home safely behind steal bars and locks."
Lauren stiffens a snicker. Camila shoots her a look.
"Long story." Camila mumbles.
"Any way guys." Normani cuts in. "Where do we look next? If Liam wasn't home, they have to be somewhere."
"Wait y'all were at Liam's?" Ally questions.
"Yea. You know him?" Lauren chimes in.
"Yea. He's my boyfriends friend." she replies. Her voice shaky on the word boyfriend.
"Do you know where he could be tonight?"
"Maybe over at Harry's?" she suggest. "I know they all hang out over there sometimes."
"Then let's go look over there." Normani replies. She takes the car in fourth gear. The little red car speeds down the lonely highway.
10:13
The whole car ride was oddly quiet. Lauren and Camila didn't bicker. Dinah or Normani didn't ramble. Even the short girl was silent.
Normani drove to the west side of town. Even further from Dinah and Camila's neighborhood. This street was quiet unlike the previous two. The suburbs residents or the 'Middle Class' go into hiding just like the Upper Class. Their morals on Purge night just the same.
"I don't remember what house?" Normani slowed the car.
All the houses looked alike. Cookie cut out homes. All with a garage, drive way and one nicely trimmed tree.
"Do you even think he'd come here? I mean you did shoot him." she says.
Ally's eye's go wide. "You shot someone?"
"In the leg." Lauren defended.
"You still shot him?!" the smaller girl stares at the girl she's sitting on.
"Whatever." she replies. "He stole my money."
Ally squints out of the window. "I think it's 257. Just up here."
Normani takes the car to said address and they all turn to see if any sign of Zayn or Liam is present. The house is dark but a lone black car sits in the drive way.
Lauren is already pulling at the door handle.
"No wait!" Camila reaches for the green eye'd girl.
"Fuck no. He took my money!"
"Lo, stop! Just wait. We need to do this right." Normani moves the car up the street quickly.
Lauren still struggles at the three girls now holding her back. She tries to pull away but the small car offers no space to work with.
"Lauren, we need to make a plan calm down!" Normani tries to reach her friend again.
"Fine!" the green eye'd girl gives up. She yanks her arm away from Camila. Staring out the window with an evil scowl. "What's the plan?"
10:21
After arguing over possible scenarios, they came up with a good plan. Even the new comer agreed to help. Camila and Dinah will act as distressed victims, pounding on the front door. The guys will see the girls and want to help. After luring them to the front of the house, Lauren and Dinah will slip in through the back. Ally will hide near by, armed, in the front in case anything goes wrong up there.
They exit the car up the street. Normani laces up her boots. Dinah sits in the passenger seat, her feet hanging out of the open door. Lauren checks her gun before handing it to Ally. She gives the small girl a quick run through on how to use it.
"You got it?" she asks.
Ally nods. "My dad was a hunter."
"Alright," Lauren replies then turns to Camila. "You okay?"
The brown eye'd girls head steps up but her eye's remain distant. "Huh, Yea."
Lauren steps over to her. She takes the smaller girls long pony tail and pushes it over her shoulder. She pulls her blue jacket together then zips it up.
Camila watches her. Her heart thumping faster and faster the higher the green eye'd girls fingers got. The feeling becoming to over whelming, she softly pushes her hands away.
She clears her throat. "Come on. Let's get this over with."
Lauren recollects herself and agrees. Her and Normani head to the alley while the other three walk down the street toward house 257.
10:25
"Are we really doing this?" Dinah whispers to her friend.
Camila glances over to the small girl behind them. "You think she'll run with us? I mean she has a gun. We can make it the rest of the night with it." she says lowly.
Dinah eye's suddenly shoot wide open. "Mila!" her hands reaches out to halt her friend. "What if he left the money in the trunk?"
Camila now has the same realization wash over her.
10:27
"We're suppose to be finding our money, not finding lovers." Normani teases her friend.
They come to the back of house 257. They're suppose to wait until hey hear the girls yelling.
"Shut up. It's not like that." Lauren says.
"Mhmm."
"Normani, drop it. We have to listen for them."
"Whatever." she giggles, nudging her friend with her shoulder.
10:28
Ally and Dinah stood watch. Camila, like before at the first house, stood low and in the shadows on the opposite side of the car. Rouding the fence she silently prays the alarm wont go off when she pulls on the door handle.
She looks over to the house and all is still quiet. Breathing in deeply she inches closer to the car. Then something catches her eye on the bumper of the car.
Nissan GTR
Flashbacks to hours ago on the bus cross her mind. The man told the bus driver it was a black Nissan GTR that made the bus swerve off the road. She shakes her head trying to dismiss the new information.
"It was them." she whispers to herself. Her brows furrow together. The petite girl squats beside the car, breathing deeply. Her stomach on the verge of spilling out her last meal. She can't believe they agreed to help the girls who got them stuck out on Purge night in the first place.