Chapter 23 Marla
MARLA
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
It took ten long strides to pace the length of Ranger’s room.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
I chewed on my thumbnail as I waited.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
I drew in steady, even breaths through my lips like Ranger always talked me through. I felt my chest expanding, I held it, and I released.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
“He’s fine, he’s fine, he’s fine, he’s fine,” I whispered to myself as I continued to pace his room.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
The door to the room slamming open made me yelp as I whipped around. My eyes were wide, my body ready to defend itself at the drop of a hat.
Only for me to find Jasmine standing there with a bright smile and that brown hair of hers fluttering about.
“Marla, there you are,” she said breathlessly, like I’d be anywhere else in this clubhouse. She rushed over to me and took my hand. “Come with me. We have to go.”
My body froze. “Wait, what?”
She smiled at me, even as she tugged me relentlessly toward the door. “They have Lizzie, but we need to go.”
My feet automatically found life in them and practically skipped next to her. “Wait a second, Ranger has Lizzie.”
She smiled at me, but her eyes were pointed forward. Scouting. Watching.
What was she watching for?
“Uuuuuh, huh!” she confirmed excitedly.
Though her body communicated something else.
Worry.
“Jasmine,” I said as I yanked my hand out of hers.
She whipped around with fire in her eyes before she quickly buried it. Was she… upset? At me?
“Jasmine,” I said, my voice a bit softer, “tell me what’s going on.”
“Oh, good! You got Marla,” Amanda said as she rushed by my and grabbed my hand again, yanking me with her. “Come on, I’ve got blankets and snacks.”
“Girls!” Doc boomed. “Get out here!”
“We’re coming! Just have to get Marla!” Jasmine called out.
Something was wrong.
Something happened.
“Where’s Lizzie?” I asked as I saw Ariel flank me on my other side.
“Girls!” Doc barked.
“Yell at us like that again and I’ll tell Ghost!” Jasmine yelled back.
“I’d rather have him angry that I yelled at you than killing me because you’re dead, now come on.”
“Dead?” I asked with a gulp.
“You’re scaring her,” Ariel said as we all busted out a side entrance to the clubhouse. “So shut it.”
“Well, desperate times,” Doc grunted.
I watched him flip open what looked like a storm shelter door.
I dug my heels into the dirt and scrambled back a bit.
“I’m sorry,” I said breathlessly, the automatic responses coming back. “Whatever I did, whoever I made angry, I didn’t mean to. You don’t have to put me underground. You don’t—”
“You’re not in trouble,” Jasmine said as she stepped in front of me and cupped my face. “No one is in trouble. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
My body trembled as the wind kicked up. “Where’s Lizzie?”
“She’s coming,” Amanda said as Jasmine wiped a few tears that I didn’t even realize fell to my cheeks.
“I really need you to trust us right now. It’s so paramount, okay?
And I don’t want to tell you, because you’ll worry, and you’ll have anxiety, and we can’t deal with that right now.
I know that’s harsh, and I’m sorry, but we just can’t. ”
My throat choked up, but I still managed to rasp out the only other question I had. “Is Ranger okay?”
Jasmine’s face softened before she smiled. “Yeah. He’s just fine. Lizzie’s riding on his bike, actually.”
I buckled. I couldn’t help it. Someone scooped me up and helped me down a flight of steps, but I couldn’t see anything due to my tears.
Oh my God.
Did he really have Lizzie?
Before I knew it, the girls set me down onto a bench that lined the back wall of… well, wherever the hell we were. And when Doc peeked his head down one last time, I saw his lips moving. I didn’t know what he said, but I knew he said something to us.
But when he slammed that door closed…
“Oh boy,” I whispered breathlessly as I placed my hand to my chest.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Amanda said as she rushed over to me and dropped to her knees. I watched her curl her hands around mine. “You’re just fine. We’re in a storm shelter, and we’re okay.”
My lower lip quivered. “Is—is—is—there a—a storm, um, coming?”
Amanda reached up and moved a strand of hair away from my forehead. “Ssshhh. Focus on your breathing.”
I drew in a stuttered breath before Ariel sat down next to me and rubbed my back. Jasmine sat at my other side, her hand settled against my thigh. My lower lip quivered.
“I don’t mean to be this way,” I whispered.
“We know,” Jasmine said as she laid her head on my shoulder. “I’m sorry for how I talked to you earlier.”
“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” I whimpered.
Before all fucking hell broke loose.