Chapter 20: Chapter 20

THIRTEEN

Ryder lets out a groan of frustration and annoyance.

"Could she take any longer?!" He shouts angrily, throwing his hands up in the air dramatically. "Seriously, what is it with girls and talking so damn long to get ready?"

I hide my smile so he can't see it. "She's only taking this long to piss you off. Usually, she's ready in less than five minutes."

Ryder grumbles a string of curses under his breath. "I swear I'll leave her here. Actually, better yet, I'll hit her with the car and kill her. She did say she'd rather die than go with me."

I shake my head and smile. I bump him with my shoulder and he glares at me...or I'm assuming he's glaring. He's wearing my sunglasses again.

"This is your fault." He says, beginning to bang the back of his head repeatedly into the car we're both currently leaning on.

Nicky comes walking out of the house-as slow as she possibly can-and makes her way towards us, backpack slung over her shoulder, a suitcase rolling behind her.

Ryder gapes at her. "You're not even wearing any make-up! What the hell took you so freaking long?! Do have any idea how much damn time you've wasted?!"

"Mr. Stevenson..."

I glance over Nicky's simple attire of a t-shirt, jeans, and converse. She purposely begins to walk slower.

"I couldn't decide if I wanted to wear the black converse or the red ones." She says simply, but I see her hide a smug smile.

Ryder looks downright murderous. "You couldn't decide on what f-"

"Mr. Stevenson, do not finish that sentence."

"FREAKING! I was going to say freaking, since when is that curse word?!" Ryder yells, his irritation and anger getting the better of him. I, however, am trying my hardest not to laugh...which really isn't helping my ribs heal.

He turns back to Nicky. "It took you forty-five minutes to decide on what freaking color shoes you wanted to wear?!"

"No." Nicky waves him off like he's stupid. "I took forty-five minutes to decide which color, and whether or not I wanted high tops."

Ryder's jaw clenches and he marches towards the driver's side door of the car. I stifle a laugh.

"Aren't you going to be a gentleman and help me with my bags?" Nicky calls out in a sickly sweet voice.  Ryder stops in his tracks, one foot already in the car.

"I would," He starts in a frighteningly calm tone. "But I'm no gentleman." He pulls himself inside the car the rest of the way and slams the door.

I walk over to his window and motion for him to roll it down. I raise my eyebrow at him and lean against the car.

Nicky places her bags in the trunk and goes over the passenger side door, only to discover it's locked. She knocks on the window and Ryder ignores her.

"Unlock the door, Ryder," I tell him, trying my best to hide my own amusement.

He scowls at me but complies and unlocks the door. Nicky slides into her seat quickly, as if expecting him to try to lock the car again.

Ryder leans out the window, his face closer to mine as he whispers so Nicky can't hear him.

"If I go to jail for murder I'm expecting you to break me out."

I roll my eyes and shake my head in amusement. "Nah, I think I'll leave you there for a while before finally coming to get you. You know, let you reflect on what you've done."

"Hilarious." Comes his humorless and dry reply.

I shake my head again and smile at him. "Have a nice trip. Good-bye Ryder."

He smiles back at me. "Bye Thirteen."

He rolls up his window and starts up the car, backing out of his parking spot and heading off down the driveway. I watch silently as the car drives off out of sight. I feel a hand rest on my shoulder and turn to face him.

"He will be back." He tells me reassuringly. "Though that's not necessarily a good thing. You can't get rid of him that easily."

I laugh, and Henri pulls me in for a side hug, his arm over my shoulders and my arm around his waist.

"Try not to stay away too long this time." He says just as the boys begin walking out the doors and tossing their bags into the back of the SUV.

"And try not to get killed," Henri adds as an afterthought.

I laugh again and shake my head. "I'll do my best."

"Same goes for all of you," Henri says, pointing at all the boys. "I expect the next time I see any of you, you will be alive."

I remove myself from Henri's grip and make my way towards the car.

"What took you guys so long?" I question, only half teasing. It's only now that I really look at them, and what they're wearing. I try not to laugh but raise an eyebrow questioningly.

"Don't ask," Cody grumbles, hopping into the car. I look between the boys finding a common pattern, they've all got a least some speck of paint on them. Though it's obvious that they did their best to clean it off and change their clothes.

Devin's the only one lacking paint...and he looks very pleased with himself.

"Where's Eleanor?" I ask, only just now noticing she's not present.

"Elaine." Devin corrects me. I wave him off.

"She was putting on her make-up," Jason mutters in irritation. "Doesn't seem to understand the concept of leaving on time."

He hops into the passenger seat before Devin and sticks his tongue out while Devin scowls at him.

"Children," Chase mutters before opening up the back door and sliding into the back seat, Devin quickly follows him.

I, however, head off into the house...to find Elaine. Or drag her out by her hair. I don't have a preference at this point.

"Let's go." I hiss when I make it up the third-floor bathroom where she stands in front of the mirror applying her eyeshadow.

We're going to be on a plane. Who wears make-up on a plane ride?

"I'm not ready." She replies, looking at me through the mirror before going back to her make-up.

Give me the strength not to kill her.

I grab hold of her arm harder than necessary and rip the brush out her hand. I begin to drag her out of the room and down the stairs.

She puts up a fight of digging her feet into the floor and wailing about how she can't go out in public with only half her make-up done.

Not my problem.

"You can do your make-up on the plane," I growl in frustration and she finally shuts up.

Little does she know, I'm the one flying the plane...she's not getting her makeup done on a flight full of 'turbulence.'

I throw open the door to the car. My hand still roughly holding onto her arm.

"Devin get in the back," I order him. "I'm putting miss beauty pageant next to Chase since he's like the only one who isn't repulsed by her."

I shove her into her seat and slam the door shut behind her. I hop into the driver's seat and slam my door as well. Henri waves at us as I pull the car out and begin down the driveway. I see Jason shaking in laughter next to me. He opens his mouth to say something but I silence him with my hand.

"Not a word," I grumble and he just smiles and holds his hands up in surrender.

***

She's never flying with me again...no surprise there.

In my defense, she didn't even buckle her seat belt. The boys did without any hesitation this time.

Devin even pulled out a roll of duck tape and began to duck tape himself in further.

I'm not that bad.

I shove open the door to the hotel room we'll be staying in for the next few days. Hopefully, we won't be here for more than a week. And hopefully, we won't be tracked here really easily.

Wishful thinking.

I toss my bags on one of the dining chairs. I picked out one of the nicer hotel rooms this time. Two rooms with four queen sized beds, a kitchen, and a small living room with a fold out couch.

"Girls get one room, boys get the other and the couch?" Devin suggests, I turn and give him a flat look mixed with a harsh glare.

"If you really think I'm going to share a room with that thing, you're stupider than I thought."

He scowls at me and Elaine protests to being called a thing.

"Zip it," I tell her, my tone leaving no room for arguing. Her mouth closes with an audible snap.

Is it bad that I wish Nicky was here just so that Elaine would bother her and stay away from me?

"Chase," I start and he gives me a look that clearly says he knows where this is going. "You're sharing a room with Elaine."

He shakes his head but picks up his bag none the less and walks into one of the rooms. Elaine follows.

"Why am I not surprised?" I hear him mutter as he walks by me.

Jason claps his hands together at me and mouths, 'Thank-you.' He starts doing a little happy dance at not being stuck in a room with her. Devin and Cody laugh while I roll my eyes and smile at him.

"And what about the rest of the beds?" Jason questions once he's done with his little dance.

I just shrug. "Divide it up how you guys see fit," I reply simply as I pull out some clothes and extra bandages from my bag. "I'm going to take a shower before all you guys start fighting over it."

"Hey, where are we going tomorrow?" Devin asks before I can duck into the shower.

"First location on the list in an abandoned building a ways away. There aren't any open roads leading to it so we're going to have to hike in. It's a six-hour hike to get there so wear clothes you don't care too much about...and it'd probably be best if you brought a bag with every intention of spending the night there."

Devin gives me a horrified look. "Prepare to spend the night is some creepy abandoned building? Uh, no thanks."

"There's not going to be anyone there."

"What about anything?"

I roll my eyes at him. "You should be happy it's only a six-hour hike, it used to be twelve hours."

"You've been there before?" Cody asks curiously.

"Not in a long time," I reply shortly.

"You sure you'll be alright for the hike? You still haven't healed."

"I'll be fine." I wave off their concern and make my way through one of the bedrooms and into the bathroom.

I take a quick shower. Even though the shower was only like ten minutes, I'm easily in the bathroom for an extra twenty trying to re-tie and change out my bandages. Luckily I haven't torn a stitch or reopened any of the wounds.

I walk out of the bathroom and make my way back into the living room where I left my bag. The couch has been unfolded and made up and Cody sits on one side of it. His eyes scanning over something on his phone. He looks up when he hears me.

Obviously, Devin and Jason took the queen beds and left the king-sized couch for me and Cody. I point to the couch and then to him and I can see he clearly knows what I'm trying to say.

"How did this...?" I trail off and he just shakes his head with a resigned look on his face.

"Devin." He says simply and I shake my head.

"Unbelievable," I mutter.

"No not unbelievable, just Devin." He corrects me as if that explanation makes anything better.

"Henri gave me fire-crackers." I start and Cody's lip twitches as I walk around to the other side of the bed and sit down. "I'm using them on Devin."

"I approve." He says simply, pulling back the covers and sliding into the bed. I do the same, reaching over and turning off the light.

"Thirteen?" I hear him whisper right as I'm beginning to doze off.

"Hmm?"

"You weren't serious about spending the night there, were you?"

I smile to myself but he can't see it. "Dead serious. You're not afraid of the dark are you?" I tease and he groans.

"No, I'm not. I'm afraid of what Devin will find or do in an abandoned building while we're all sleeping."

I had not thought of that, and now that I have...

"That is seriously a horrifying thought. I'm going to have nightmares now, thanks." I mutter and Cody's laugh fills the room.