AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I whispered an angry curse in Maxim’s name, and debated the pros and cons of jumping for it.
Best case scenario—I reached the edge of the awning, was able to get a good grip on it, and somehow managed theHerculean arm strength required to pull myself all the way up. Worst case scenario—I missed completely, fell to the ground, and broke my face. Most likely, what would actually happen was somewhere in between.
I was tired of thinking about it, and also just tired.
So, without further ado, I slipped my phone into my pocket, bent my knees for maximum spring action, and went for it.
An ear-smackingcrackechoed across the alley as I lifted off the dumpster’s thick plastic lid and bounded into the air. I couldn’t focus on the lid I’d probably just broken, or the fact that I couldn’t see much without my flashlight. I could only focus on reaching the awning, on grabbing tight, and on making it into my apartment.
My fingers never met metal.
They only found air.
And then I was falling.
Dread struck, hard and fast.
My feet hit awkwardly on the broken dumpster lid, and my legs split in different directions. I flailed my arms for something to grab onto, as I fell lopsidedly down into crunchy bags of trash.
The stink was a billion times worse inside the dumpster than it had been outside of it. The sour tang of curdled milk danced with a dense fog of decomposition, took a twirl with Pepé Le Pew, and ended on a rancid kiss of mold-aged meat.
My arm caught on something sharp, and my side felt cold with sticky wetness. Everything hurt, so I wasn’t sure if any of it was serious. I held my breath and tried to pretend I had the situation under control.
Even so, worry crept its way in.
Had I gotten impaled in the ribs? That would really suck. I couldn’t exactly afford a trip to the ER for stitches.
I wrangled my phone from my pocket and shined the light on my maybe-wound. My white coat had a large hole and wassoaked with red. My shirt beneath it was also red. That was always a bad sign. I slowly lifted the fabric…and found my skin completely unscathed.
Whew.
I shimmied my way out of the trash, and seriously debated going through the front door of the building. I was so close to my apartment I could almost feel the rough cushions of my stink sofa on my face and the warm embrace of my fuzzy blanket.
But I couldn’t give Maxim the satisfaction of seeing me like this.
I couldn’t let him catch me.
I refused to lose.
So, I ambled my way, sore and stiff, toward the subway entrance with another plan in mind. I’d come back better prepared next time. I’d come back with a ladder of my own, one he couldn’t steal while I was at work, a secret ladder for ultimate victory.
I hobbled down the steps, into the harsh light of the station, and waited for the train.
It didn’t take too long before it arrived.
The train car was busy with normal people in their normal suits on their normal schedule of going to work in the morning. I found a spot and sank down on the seat. I received more than a few concerned and skeptical glances. I didn’t care. I closed my eyes and waited for the train to take me to the swankier end of the city.
Soon, I’d make it to my best friend Morgan’s and borrow a shower, some fresh clothes, and a place to sleep. Then, after I woke up refreshed and stink-free, we’d figure this thing out together.
Knowing this, I felt better already.
“Layana,” a familiar voice said.
My heart sank.
I’d been wrong about the worst case scenario of the whole dumpster jump—it wasn’t breaking my head on concrete. It was this—riding the subway while looking like one of the cannibals fromThe Hills Have Eyes,and worst of all, running into Dani.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, as she moved from her seat across the aisle and sat beside me.
