Page 140 of The Originals


Font Size:  

“I get it,” I say.

“And even then, we’ve got some explaining to do when we’re back.”

I think of Harper, and how she’s the opposite of my mom. Harper is trusting, yet concerned; my mom is overbearing and self-absorbed. All Harper does is love and care for Sean, while, apparently, my mom is basically a stalker. And maybe a kidnapper, too.

Sean and I grab breakfast sandwiches from the food stand in the discount store, then get in the car and head back to Bramsford. We look like we fit in, but jealous of Sean’s family, left alone by my own, I’ve never felt more like an outcast in my life.

twenty-seven

Sean and I park in the student lot next to the dorm this time around, thinking that emerging from the visitor section will only increase our likelihood of being stopped. It’s a good idea except that the back window of Sean’s car is very obviously missing a hot-pink student-parking sticker.

“They’re not going to tow it on Thanksgiving,” he says, locking the car. I try to burrow deeper into my hood, if that’s possible; the wind here is arctic.

“You’re mighty confident, you know that?”

He shrugs, then takes my gloved hand in his. “Remember the plans?”

“Plan A: You say that you lost your ID and hope the desk guy is feeling charitable today,” I say. “Plan B: We sneak attack up the back stairwell when he’s not looking.”

“That’s right,” he says, smiling like he’s enjoying this. “And then we walk the halls, looking for your sisters.”

Normally, the word sisters makes me cringe: It’s a bitter reminder of my life in thirds. But not today. Today, it’s real.

As it turns out, we don’t need Plan A or Plan B.

“I didn’t even notice that you left,” the desk guy says as we approach. I turn and look behind me, thinking he’s talking to someone else, but no one’s there. His eyes are on me.

Oh!

“Yep,” I say to the guy identified by his name tag as Jarrod. I smile warmly. “We went to get hot chocolate—”

“But it was closed,” Sean cuts in when he sees Jarrod’s confused expression.

“Right,” I say, wondering if I should push it by saying I left my key in the room, hoping the room number would actually be printed on a replacement key. But Sean tugs on my arm before I can say more.

>“I don’t know, but we’re only about four hours away. We’ll find out soon enough.” Sean looks at me and takes my hand. “Let’s stop and eat, though, okay? I’m hungry, and you look like you could use some pancakes with whipped cream right about now.”

“I couldn’t do this without you,” I say seriously. He squeezes my hand, but keeps his eyes on the road.

“Yes, you could,” he says, “but I’m glad you don’t have to.”

When we’re closing in on Mystery, Colorado, the tracker gives us a street address, which Sean punches into his car’s GPS. Happily, I retire the clunky laptop computer to the trunk. The closer we get to the town, the more insanely nervous I feel.

“Deep breaths,” Sean says calmly. “We’re going to find them.”

“But what if we can’t get to them?” I ask.

“We will.”

I think that his confidence is borderline naïve, but it does help me mellow out a little bit. Soon enough, we’re exiting the highway and pulling into Mystery.

Sean follows the GPS directions, turning right onto what I can tell is the university campus even though there are very few students around—it is Thanksgiving, after all. I see a sprawling, frost-covered lawn with crisscrossed walkways connecting old brick three-story buildings that look like they’re part of a collection. Sean navigates around the U-shaped drive and ends up in front of a building marked Ashby Hall. According to the GPS, this is our destination. Sean pulls into a space marked VISITOR while a fresh onslaught of overzealous butterflies ravages my insides.

“They’re in this dorm?” I ask, so confused my brain might explode.

“Is there any way your mom just took them on a college tour or something?” Sean says, grasping.

“On Thanksgiving?” I ask, laughing a short, high-pitched laugh like someone on the edge of crazy might. “Without me?”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like