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Iwas going to the Untapped Potential gig tonight, but I couldn’t figure outhow.
My bedroom was on the second floor, so there was definitely no chance of me sneaking out the window. I had no cell phone, so I couldn’t call Margot to pick me up. No doubt Mom and Dad hid my car keys somewhere. Dad probably kept an eye on the back door while Mom watched the front.
I was under house arrest, and no matter how I tried to work it in my mind, I couldn’t find a way to escape.
Morning passed into afternoon quickly, and the hours seemed to tick by faster and faster.
Instead of pacing the room or staring at my ceiling, I picked out my outfit for the gig because Iwasgoing. I decided on a pair of dark-wash jeans and a black semi-see-through top. Using them as fuel for my determination, I laid them out on my bed, strengthening my resolve.
But even though I set my clothes out, there was no way I could grab the wig. I’d left Stella in the car last night, and I wouldn’t be able to get to her.
As the day went on, no one came and interrupted my plotting.
The only viable option played around in my head. There was a gas station about five minutes away, and if I managed to get out of the house, I could walk there and borrow the phone. Call Margot or even call a car service, I wasn’t sure. But it was really my only chance of escaping.
If I could even make it out the door.
It was freaking ridiculous that it came to this.
By the time eight o’clock rolled around, I knew that making a break for it was my best option. No other idea came to me. Quickly, I changed into my gig attire, grabbed my fake ID from my nightstand, and headed to my door.
When I opened it, though, I found Jamie standing on the other side, fist poised to knock.
“What are you doing?” I hissed, afraid Mom or Dad would hear my voice.
Jamie pressed a finger to his lips and then grabbed my wrist, drawing me across the hall into his bedroom. Nellie was already in there, sitting on his bed near his window. Once Jamie shut the door, she beamed at me. “We’re breaking you out.”
“Breaking me—what?” I glanced between the two, and their expressions were almost identical. Excited, wide-eyed. “How on earth do you plan to do that?”
“Well, I called Margot from the home phone,” Nellie said. “She’s parked and waiting down the street in front of Mr. and Mrs. Lee’s house.”
Jamie hopped on his bed, right next to his window. “I’m going to go downstairs and ask Dad to make popcorn so Nellie and me can watch a movie. Nellie will ask Mom to help her study her flash cards in the living room. In that little window while they’re both distracted, you can leave through the front door.”
I watched him for a moment, imagining the scenario in my head.
“If you leave, you’ll probably get into a ton of trouble,” Nellie said, her excitement dimming a bit.
“We have no idea how we’d keep them from checking on you,” Jamie added. “And they probably will. Soon. They know the gig starts at nine, so they’ll want to make sure you’re still in your room.”
Got it. Once I was out, I was on my own. My opening of time to get out of the house decreased by the second. “Why are you two helping me?”
Nellie grinned. “Because we believe in true love.”
Jamie, however, had different sentiments. “We don’t like it when you’re unhappy.”
Then they looked at each other. “And…well, we want you to come home for the holidays and call us on our birthday.”
My heart pinched. They’d heard what I’d said to Mom. “You guys.” I moved closer and wrapped my arms around them. They both fit perfectly in my grasp. “I’ll always call on your birthday. Always.”
Nellie spoke against my chest, voice muffled. “And bring presents on Christmas?”
I pinched her, making her laugh. “Only the best.”
“Okay,” Jamie muttered after a moment, growing uncomfortable. “We’ll go downstairs now and start. Listen for the sound of the microwave and then come down. Dad shouldn’t be able to see you then. Good luck…Stella.”
Though my mood had been dismal all day, an easy smile broke free.
So it was settled. Like a little football team huddle, we broke apart, Jamie and Nellie branching off to their respective jobs. I stood on the upper steps of the staircase, listening close as the scene unfolded, waiting to spring into action.
