Chapter Fourteen
"I'm okay, he's just a douche." Josephine admits as everyone tries coddling her about Marcus.
School ended almost two hours ago but in gym class we decided to stay after and watch the boys practice football. Erica tagged along and stayed with us.
Almost the entire time we've been out here, people have been asking Josephine questions about what happened last night and if she's okay. I'm starting to feel sorry for her, the constant sympathy is just a reminder of why she should be sad.
I'll have to admit that she's taking it very well though. She's hurt about it but is holding it together.
"We need a break." Erica starts, "How about after the boys get done tackling each other, we can all go get food and meet up at the park?"
A picnic in the park sounds fun! It's a beautiful day. Not too windy, not too sunny and it's not rainy. This perfect weather doesn't happen often in Tennessee. We should take advantage of it and make an event out of the beauty of today.
Josephine nods, "Sounds fun."
Everyone begins discussing the details of it and a few minutes later Ethan, Trace, Cameron and Mason all jog off the field.
The four of them go into the field house to get cleaned up and about fifteen minutes later, Cameron is the first to walk out and meet us.
"What's the plan?" he walks up and sits beside Josephine.
Nobody has even mentioned a plan to Cameron but he knows us well enough to figure out we wouldn't all be sitting out here for no reason. There's got to be some kind of idea planned for us.
Mason and Ethan walk out next and stand in front of us all, a few seconds later Trace follows and stands beside them.
Adalyn fills them in, "We're going to the park for a picnic. It's the park off route nine, beside the old high school."
We make our way to the semi-empty parking lot. The only cars left belong to jocks and people in clubs.
Trace walks to his truck while everyone else sorts out the seating arrangements.
Taking nine cars to the same place is just a waste of gas so we're all going to carpool and meet back here later.
Cameron, Josephine and Erica agree to go get the food. Mason, Ethan, Adalyn and Lucas are going to the store.
Trace and I are going to pick up the kids from after school care and we'll all meet up at the park in an hour.
His truck door creaks shut, like always, as I close it.
"How old is this truck?" I ask him curiously.
"Missy is an eighties baby."
I can't decide what's funnier. The fact that he named his truck Missy or that he just referred to it as an 'eighties baby'.
He pulls out of the parking lot and the two cars holding our friends follow behind for a moment before we all go separate ways.
"Who do you think was outside your house last night?" Trace asks abruptly.
There wasn't anybody out there, there couldn't have been. It doesn't make sense for someone to be there one minute then gone the next. People don't just disappear from the middle of an open yard so fast.
I shrug, "I was just seeing the shadow of a tree."
That has to be it.
He turns to look at me, disbelief evident on his face, "You honestly believe that?"
I have to believe that. If I don't, then that means I'll have to consider the ulterior option which is that someone was very well outside my window last night, looking in and watching me.
The guy from the parking lot is the first face to mind when I think about who it could've been but I've never seen that guy before in my life; I'm not sure why he'd be stalking me or how he'd be able to know where I live so that leaves the other person, the person I'm trying desperately hard not to think about: Cole.
For him to be watching me indicates he still cares. Him caring goes against everything his past actions have proven so my only other choice is to believe what I saw. And what I saw was the shadow of a tree.
"I do."
If it's Cole he would've left something, he'd never just appear without making his presence known.
Trace pulls into the elementary school parking lot and we make our way to the double doors of the gymnasium.
He gets in there and the teacher recognizes him instantly, calling over Dylan and Olivia. They're playing dodge ball with the other kids but a big grin breaks out on each of their faces when they see Trace.
"Have they been good?" Trace asks her as his sibling run up and wrap their tiny arms around him.
The young woman nods and gives him her best smile, "They've been excellent."
Trace smiles and signs a paper before grabbing their backpacks off a hook and leading us all out the door.
"Hey, Emma!" I look down to see Dylan grinning up at me. I wasn't sure they'd remember me considering we've only ever met once for about ten minutes, at night and under terrible circumstances.
The little boy's smile soon fades as he stops in confusion, "Why are you hanging around Tracy?"
Trace rolls his eyes at his little brothers nickname and I laugh.
"When Dylan was five he thought it'd be cute to give me a girl name, the name just kind of stuck throughout the years. They probably don't even remember what my actual name is."
Dylan shrugs and I laugh again.
It's cute they gave their older brother a nickname. Especially a nickname like that. I've heard 'bubba' and 'big man' but never the feminine version of your actual name.
"Yea, why are you still hanging around my biggest brother? Aren't you like, too cool for him?" Olivia asks, pushing for an answer to the question her brother previously asked.
In Olivia's arms is a little baby doll wearing a dark pink dress with yellow flowers. It's a pretty doll that she's gripping like it's her most prized possession.
"We're going to the park," I exclaim and each of their little mouths turn up into a grin, "and yes, I am too cool for him but he's pretty cool too so I decide to keep him around." I tease.
Trace smiles over his shoulder.
He opens the truck door before pulling the seat forward, revealing a backseat that they both climb into.
"Can we go to the one beside the old school? That's my favorite one!"
Trace nods, "That's the one we're going to bud."
We pull out of the parking lot and the ride is nothing like the quiet one we had on our way to pick them up. Throwing two little kids in the backseat made the noise level hit maximum as they argue, sing and even play games as we drive along the busy street.
"What are we eating?" Olivia asks sweetly.
"I think Erica said they're getting BBQ."
Trace gives me a bewildered look, "For a picnic? How's that going to work?"
That is a strange thing to take for a picnic but if they follow the plan correctly then we should be fine. We just have to count on Mason, Ethan, Adalyn and Lucas to pick up all the necessary items at the store.
"We have one group going to the store for everything we might need like plates and dipping sauce. Another group is going to get the food from Urban Stove Tavern. As long as nobody forgets anything, the picnic should run smoothly."
He turns into the parking lot. It's about a hundred feet away from the playground itself so we're going to have a good walk to do.
Fun.
We get out and a few seconds later Cameron's group pulls up and joins us.
Josephine walks around the car and sees the kids, "Hey rugrats!" she exclaims and they both run up to her with open arms.
The seven of us make our way across the open grass. The smell is airy and clean. I can hear the birds singing a beautiful song and the frogs spreading news to one another. The playground is quiet but the nature around me is wonderful.
We get to the playground and Dylan and Olivia take off running, kicking up rocks as they move with such force and energy.
A question I've been wondering for a while comes into mind again and I decide to finally voice it.
"How old are they?" I ask Trace.
"She's seven, he's nine."
I could tell she was younger than him but I didn't know how much younger. They look so similar in age that if not for the maturity difference of their faces you may think they're twins.
Another car pulls into the parking and Adalyn, Lucas, Ethan and Mason all climb out with sacks of groceries.
Trace and Cameron begin pulling picnic tables together so there'll be room for all eleven of us to eat close to each other.
When everyone else reaches the top of the hill, I'm surprised at how well they all did at the store. It's good they had Adalyn with them because if it was just Mason, Ethan and Lucas, they would've gotten distracted playing with the gumball machine.
"The food is here, come eat." Trace tells the kids and Olivia goes down the slide while Dylan drops from the monkey bars, both racing to the table.
They brought back a big bag of cooked BBQ, paper plates, napkins, hamburger buns, plastic forks and BBQ sauce.
Ethan holds up another two sacks that hold plastic cups and a variety of drinks.
Everyone makes a very unorganized line and begins grabbing at the food. Mason is the first in line with Adalyn following
He reaches over and grabs a bun before slapping three scoops of BBQ on it. He reaches for another scoop but stops when he sees Adayln giving him death glares.
He walks away frowning and I chuckle.
"Can I have some Dr. Pepper please?" Dylan asks me sweetly and I smile at his politeness.
"If it's alright with your brother I'd be happy to pour you some." I look over at Trace and he nods once, giving me permission. Dylan holds out his cup and I pour it halfway full before he smils and scurries away.
I take a seat in between Trace and Ethan.
We all begin eating while Cameron talks about a girl he hooked up with last night. All the boys laugh while all the girls roll their eyes. Trace isn't listening as he distracts the kids from the sexual conversation and tells them pointers for dodge ball.
It must be hard to bring two young kids around your teenage boy friends and try to shield them from stuff like this. Casual conversation of Cameron and a girl smashing in various places all over his room.
"Can we go play now?" Olivia asks and Trace looks at their plates.
"Eat the rest of your meat and then you can. Don't worry about the bread."
Ethan and Lucas begin chuckling at Traces comment and Dylan gives them a confused look. His little eyebrows furrow together for a moment before shrugging it off and eating the rest of his BBQ.
Poor kid. He's probably used to his big brothers 'confusing' immature friends.
Olivia shoves a handful of pork into her mouth and jumps up, running over to me. "Let's go!" She grabs my hand from it's previous position on the table and begins pulling it.
I turn my head, "We're going to play?" I ask and a big grin breaks out over her adorable face and she nods wildly.
A small laugh escapes my lips from her cuteness and I stand up, allowing her to pull me along.
"Are you coming Dylan?" I turn around and he chews quickly before downing a sip of Dr. Pepper and running up to meet us. He takes my hand into his smaller one.
They lead me to the top of the slide and Olivia goes down first, her shoes slowing her down as the rubber skids against the plastic.
"Your turn!" she calls up to Dylan and he slides down, keeping his shoes off the slide, understanding that that'll make him go faster.
When he's at the bottom they both look up at me expectantly and I grin before going down myself. The slides used to be so much bigger.
It's funny to watch them run around the playground. The way they play with each other so good and their smiles never faulter. They just play like carefree kids would.
"Incoming!" Ethan yells as he runs at full speed towards the kids with his arms out like an airplane. The three of them take off running and laughing.
After about twenty minutes of playing, Ethan is stuck in the baby swing.
"Get some butter or something," Adalyn says.
Mason throws his hands up in frustration, "Okay, cause I have a stick of butter just chilling in my pocket." he says sarcastically.
Josephine rolls her eyes and walks over to Ethan's leg. She puts her hand on his thigh and begins pushing on the skin, trying to get his let out of the tight swing.
Ethan looks at her struggling while holding his thigh before his lips curve up into a wicked smile, "Although the feeling of your hand on my upper leg feels nice, I don't think it's working Josie."
She yanks her hand away, embarrassed as her cheeks turn a light pink.
Trace and Lucas try lifting him out while Mason yanks at the bottom of the swing.
"How the hell did this seem like a good idea?" Trace asks Ethan, his voice strained from working to hold his best friends weight.
"I saw it in a movie once but the guy in the movie didn't get stuck. Sitting in the baby swing took him to an alternate reality where he was a German kitten."
Lucas and Trace drop him and give him an incredulous look while everyone else starts laughing.
Seriously, what do these people watch?
Josephine hangs up the phone after calling the police to tell them about our embarrassing situation.
"How long will it be?" I ask her and she turns around, sliding her phone back into her pocket.
She sighs and runs her hands down her face, "She said it'll take about twenty minutes before they can get here."
Ethan groans and throws his head back, "I'm beginning to see how this was a bad idea."
We glare at him and Josephine nods in agreement.
I walk over to play with the kids while we wait for the police to show up and get the teenage boy of the toddler swing.
Olivia and Dylan are doing the seesaw when I get over there. Her legs aren't quite as long as his so when he goes up, his feet stay on the ground but when he goes down, her feet dangle about a foot above the ground and she laughs.
"Want to help us do the tunnel?" Dylan asks with a wide smile and I nod.
"Sure."
They get off and lead me to a long, red tunnel that seems to be about ten feet long and at the end is a plastic frog statue. The tunnel is it's tongue and when you reach the end, you stand up in the mouth to get out.
It's a weird piece of equipment but oddly, I really like it.
Olivia goes through first, her tiny body fitting easily in the tight space. Dylan goes behind her and I follow him. I'm bigger than they are so it's not as easy for me as my back drags along the top of the plastic.
When we get to the end, the three of us stand up and look back down the tunnel we just went through. Not many can say they've crawled through the tongue of a frog and popped out of it's mouth.
I jump out of the side, avoiding the frogs plastic gums that surround us. This thing is seriously weird.
I help Olivia out. Dylan steps out himself, fumbling over for a moment but catching himself quickly.
They run off and I brush the dirt off my knees.
"You know you're pretty good with them."
I turn around to the familiar deep voice and see Trace walking up, hands in his pockets as always.
"You seem like you are too."
My eyes scan the playground before landing on two short people laughing by the swing Ethan isn't stuck in. Trace and I walk over and lean against the metal railing beside the monkey bars. Dylan pushes her on the swing as they both giggle.
He lets out a soft laugh, "Yea, they can be..." he trails off to find the right word, "energetic sometimes. But they're family and I love them. It's me and them against the world so the least I could do is to them to survive in it."
I notice the way he leaves out his parents. Every time he describes his life there's never any mention of them in it. The way he speaks about his siblings is like he's raising them, maybe he is. I just wish he would open up to me once in a while, just give me something to go on. Because right now I have nothing and I'm curious as hell.
"You're doing a good job, they're great kids Trace." he turns to look at me and I give him a small smile.
Olivia runs up to us with a frown, "I left my baby in the truck," she pouts and Trace turns to look at his truck, noticing the distance between where we are now and the parking lot.
"I can go with her," I say simply and hold out my hand for her to take.
She grabs it and we begin making our way down the hill to the light blue truck.
"What's your baby's name?" I ask her on the way, trying to make conversation.
"Charlotte."
We arrive at the truck. She climbs into the backseat, crouching over as she walks around. I stay outside the vehicle and call out the baby doll's name, even though I know it won't answer, just to feel like I'm doing something.
A smile takes over her face and I know that she's found it. She jumps out of the truck with her baby doll hugged tightly in the elbow of her arm.
"Alright, watch out," I say as I close the truck door. She moves before admiring her doll like she hasn't seen it in years. It's amazing how she loves it so much but forgot it in the truck for a BBQ sandwich.
Suddenly, a black, shiny truck pulls into the parking lot. The music is blaring a rap song through the open area. The windows are tinted so all I can see is the reflection of my surroundings.
It looks like the truck will keep going past us and park on the other side of the parking lot. But instead, it pulls up and comes to a slow halt in front of Olivia and I.
Something about the way the truck is moving is enough to make me feel uneasy. The way it sped into the parking lot with tinted windows and loud music, and the way it stopped in front of Olivia and me. Whoever is driving that truck knows something, and I'm not sure I'm ready to find out what it is
I quickly grab a tight hold on Olivia and push her to the side farthest from the truck. The door opens before our eyes and the music gets louder as a foot hits the concrete.
Is it the same man that Trace saved me from in the parking lot? Has he been following me this entire time? Will Olivia and I have enough time to make it back up to the others?
The boy steps around the truck and my breath catches as I take in the person standing in front of me.
Authors Note:
Hey guys!! Thanks for reading! If you liked this chapter, click that little star at the bottom! Have a great day and stay safe!!
Who do you think got out of the truck? Is it someone we've already seen or is she meeting someone new?