qualifications you've made up. Or are you going to next explain to me how children are dead wei ght as well?”
Michael shut up.
Even so, we haven’t told Marc or Gabriella about the plan . Although Louise didn’t want to agree with her husband, he had a point; they’re not exactly stable people. One whiff of the plan and they might either spill the beans or impede the hell outta the beans in some other way.
And they better not leave me behind! I do so contribute. Heck, I donated the weapons needed for the plan .
The Man really shouldn’t have given me a whole pack of pens and pencils. It was rather dumb of him.
Nothing else interesting has happened lately…um….except for that.
Hmmm.
The lights
just
went
out .
* * * *
A few things turned into an entire outfit. A tennis skirt, blue polo, and silk headband later, Ashley and Juniper were out the door. It had taken them two hours to leave the house, mostly because Ashley couldn’t stop looking at herself in the mirror. The girl staring back at her seemed older, and sad.
“This is so weird.” Ashley smoothed her skirt for the tenth time. “It’s like looking at who I’m going to be.”
Juniper smiled at her, looking like a proud mother.
“You do look older. You should get used to dressing like this all the time,” She grimaced, “even if that skirt is a little short for your actual age.”
“You sound like my dad…” Ashley ducked her head.
“The skirt makes a good distraction. Every person will be too busy looking at your legs to notice your baby face.”
She was glad Juniper had gone on with the conversation, skipping over Ashley’s mention of her father. “Thank you.”
Juniper didn’t ask what for. “You’re welcome. It’s already three.”
“Okay.”
When they were on the main floor, Ashley remembered something.
“Hang on, I’ll be right outside.”
Juniper was halfway out of the door with Ashley’s luggage. “Hurry up!”
Ashley ran into the basement. Christopher was out on errands, or so Juniper had told her. A dark basement confirmed his absence. She tore a piece of pap er from a notepad on his desk. “Thank you for helping me”, she wrote. After that, Ashley was going to sign her name, but on an impulse, she scribbled, “By the way, I think she loves you too”. It was all she could think of in way of returning the favor. She ran back upstairs and out to the car.
****
It was done. Ashley was on the plane. She had Juniper and Christopher to thank for that. If Ashley’d had her way, they both would have been sitting in the seats next to hers. As it was, first class was fairly empty.
Ashley was on her own. Twelve was too young an age to be independent, and Ashley was scared shitless. However, the thought of starting a new life also filled her with excitement. She was eager to forget about the horrible things she had seen in the last day. It was depressing she had to do it without company.
“Here’s a crazy idea: why don’t you and Christopher come with me?”
They were parked in the lot at the airport. Ashley’s sudden outburst was received with a sad smile from Juniper.
“That’s sweet, but it wouldn’t work.”
“Why? Don’t you love him?”
J uniper reeled back in her seat.
“I---that doesn’t matter. I can’t go. ” She lost her bravado and began mumbling. “Can’t go anywhere.”
“But why not?”
There was a second when Juniper considered not sharing her other secret, but what was the harm. The girl was leaving anyway.
“Because, I killed a man.” She corrected herself. “No, not just any man. A cop.”
“Oh.”
Ashley had been hoping her friend was something more, but it seemed Juniper was a stereo-type of herself after all. A college-dropout turned hooker turned cop-killer. Ashley was surprised she was still alive. She tried to think of what she could say to leave the car quickly and without seeming ungrateful. It would be unwise to anger a killer. Her plans died when it was
Michael shut up.
Even so, we haven’t told Marc or Gabriella about the plan . Although Louise didn’t want to agree with her husband, he had a point; they’re not exactly stable people. One whiff of the plan and they might either spill the beans or impede the hell outta the beans in some other way.
And they better not leave me behind! I do so contribute. Heck, I donated the weapons needed for the plan .
The Man really shouldn’t have given me a whole pack of pens and pencils. It was rather dumb of him.
Nothing else interesting has happened lately…um….except for that.
Hmmm.
The lights
just
went
out .
* * * *
A few things turned into an entire outfit. A tennis skirt, blue polo, and silk headband later, Ashley and Juniper were out the door. It had taken them two hours to leave the house, mostly because Ashley couldn’t stop looking at herself in the mirror. The girl staring back at her seemed older, and sad.
“This is so weird.” Ashley smoothed her skirt for the tenth time. “It’s like looking at who I’m going to be.”
Juniper smiled at her, looking like a proud mother.
“You do look older. You should get used to dressing like this all the time,” She grimaced, “even if that skirt is a little short for your actual age.”
“You sound like my dad…” Ashley ducked her head.
“The skirt makes a good distraction. Every person will be too busy looking at your legs to notice your baby face.”
She was glad Juniper had gone on with the conversation, skipping over Ashley’s mention of her father. “Thank you.”
Juniper didn’t ask what for. “You’re welcome. It’s already three.”
“Okay.”
When they were on the main floor, Ashley remembered something.
“Hang on, I’ll be right outside.”
Juniper was halfway out of the door with Ashley’s luggage. “Hurry up!”
Ashley ran into the basement. Christopher was out on errands, or so Juniper had told her. A dark basement confirmed his absence. She tore a piece of pap er from a notepad on his desk. “Thank you for helping me”, she wrote. After that, Ashley was going to sign her name, but on an impulse, she scribbled, “By the way, I think she loves you too”. It was all she could think of in way of returning the favor. She ran back upstairs and out to the car.
****
It was done. Ashley was on the plane. She had Juniper and Christopher to thank for that. If Ashley’d had her way, they both would have been sitting in the seats next to hers. As it was, first class was fairly empty.
Ashley was on her own. Twelve was too young an age to be independent, and Ashley was scared shitless. However, the thought of starting a new life also filled her with excitement. She was eager to forget about the horrible things she had seen in the last day. It was depressing she had to do it without company.
“Here’s a crazy idea: why don’t you and Christopher come with me?”
They were parked in the lot at the airport. Ashley’s sudden outburst was received with a sad smile from Juniper.
“That’s sweet, but it wouldn’t work.”
“Why? Don’t you love him?”
J uniper reeled back in her seat.
“I---that doesn’t matter. I can’t go. ” She lost her bravado and began mumbling. “Can’t go anywhere.”
“But why not?”
There was a second when Juniper considered not sharing her other secret, but what was the harm. The girl was leaving anyway.
“Because, I killed a man.” She corrected herself. “No, not just any man. A cop.”
“Oh.”
Ashley had been hoping her friend was something more, but it seemed Juniper was a stereo-type of herself after all. A college-dropout turned hooker turned cop-killer. Ashley was surprised she was still alive. She tried to think of what she could say to leave the car quickly and without seeming ungrateful. It would be unwise to anger a killer. Her plans died when it was
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