sign of
inhabitants.
They
didn’t stop, but followed the GPS directions on Eddie’s phone and continued the
short drive through town. The restaurant, where Sarah worked, was next to an
inn, nestled close to the mountain. They would stay there for the night, and
with luck, they would find her in the morning.
When
they checked in, the manager informed them that the restaurant had just closed
for the night but graciously let them in and assembled a simple meal of
sandwiches, chips, cookies, and drinks to take back to their room. Apologetic
that she couldn’t offer more, she proclaimed that dinner was on the house.
The room,
which consisted of two queen-sized beds and a small sofa, was dark and cold
when they entered. Eddie promptly found the lights and cranked the heater up to
the red zone.
Huddled
in her snow coat, Liliana sat cross-legged in the middle of one of the beds and
took a bite of her sandwich. “Mmm, I don’t think ham and cheese has ever tasted
so good,” she said.
Her
companions took up similar positions around the room and ate in silence, for a
few minutes, as the relief of food and the realization that the long day had finally
come to an end sank in.
“Wow, I
can’t believe it was only yesterday that all of this started,” Eddie said.
Liliana
was surprised. “This all just started yesterday?”
“Yep. I
met Tyler yesterday and Toby, the night before. It’s been a whirlwind ever
since. Now, here we are, a thousand miles from home, and on the run from
kidnappers. How did we end up here?”
“That’s
a good question. I’ve only known you guys for a few hours, and I can’t figure
out how I ended up here either.”
“I
called my father and told him that I went on a research trip to Tucson. That
excuse will work for a couple of days, but then what? Who knows how long it
will take to find Tyler’s brother.”
“I know
what you mean. I have a good cover story, and it should be a few days before
anyone misses me, but then what?”
“Well,
whatever,” Tyler said. “I say we face our worries tomorrow.”
Liliana
turned to him. “You don’t sound concerned. You’re not worried about what you’re
going to face when you go home?”
Tyler shook
his head. “No, not really.”
“You
don’t think your family will miss you?”
“Nah. I
was staying with a foster family. And really, I don’t care what they think. The
only real family I have to speak of is my brother. Once I find him, then I
guess we’ll see what happens.”
“I’m
sorry. I didn’t know that you lived with a foster family.”
“Don’t
worry about it. Anyways, I say for now we enjoy this gourmet, paper-bag dinner
and get some rest. Hopefully tomorrow we can find Sarah and get ourselves one
step closer to finding my brother.”
“Sounds
good to me. I claim the bed,” Eddie declared, to Tyler. “You can have the
couch.”
“Why
don’t we flip for it?”
“Hmm,
let me think…No,” Eddie said with a smile. “The couch is short and my legs are
long. I need a good night’s sleep because I’m the one doing the driving. The
bed is mine.”
Tyler
looked at Liliana, who sat comfortably on the other bed.
Don’t
even think about it ,
she thought. I’m the girl. I get the bed .
The
idea never crossed my mind , Tyler thought. But since we’re on the subject, it would make more
sense, don’t you think? You’re a lot shorter than I am. The couch would fit you
much better.
The
bed is mine . She
smiled sweetly, but her thoughts held a slight tone of glee at the idea of his
discomfort.
To make
his point, Tyler stretched out on the short sofa, his feet dangling over the
edge of the arm rest. You’re going to feel guilty all night, as you lie in
your nice, comfortable bed and think of me on this hard, lumpy couch.
And
that’s supposed to convince me to give up the bed? You’re going to have to do
better than that .
She laughed out loud.
From his
own bed, Eddie looked amused at their interaction and shook
inhabitants.
They
didn’t stop, but followed the GPS directions on Eddie’s phone and continued the
short drive through town. The restaurant, where Sarah worked, was next to an
inn, nestled close to the mountain. They would stay there for the night, and
with luck, they would find her in the morning.
When
they checked in, the manager informed them that the restaurant had just closed
for the night but graciously let them in and assembled a simple meal of
sandwiches, chips, cookies, and drinks to take back to their room. Apologetic
that she couldn’t offer more, she proclaimed that dinner was on the house.
The room,
which consisted of two queen-sized beds and a small sofa, was dark and cold
when they entered. Eddie promptly found the lights and cranked the heater up to
the red zone.
Huddled
in her snow coat, Liliana sat cross-legged in the middle of one of the beds and
took a bite of her sandwich. “Mmm, I don’t think ham and cheese has ever tasted
so good,” she said.
Her
companions took up similar positions around the room and ate in silence, for a
few minutes, as the relief of food and the realization that the long day had finally
come to an end sank in.
“Wow, I
can’t believe it was only yesterday that all of this started,” Eddie said.
Liliana
was surprised. “This all just started yesterday?”
“Yep. I
met Tyler yesterday and Toby, the night before. It’s been a whirlwind ever
since. Now, here we are, a thousand miles from home, and on the run from
kidnappers. How did we end up here?”
“That’s
a good question. I’ve only known you guys for a few hours, and I can’t figure
out how I ended up here either.”
“I
called my father and told him that I went on a research trip to Tucson. That
excuse will work for a couple of days, but then what? Who knows how long it
will take to find Tyler’s brother.”
“I know
what you mean. I have a good cover story, and it should be a few days before
anyone misses me, but then what?”
“Well,
whatever,” Tyler said. “I say we face our worries tomorrow.”
Liliana
turned to him. “You don’t sound concerned. You’re not worried about what you’re
going to face when you go home?”
Tyler shook
his head. “No, not really.”
“You
don’t think your family will miss you?”
“Nah. I
was staying with a foster family. And really, I don’t care what they think. The
only real family I have to speak of is my brother. Once I find him, then I
guess we’ll see what happens.”
“I’m
sorry. I didn’t know that you lived with a foster family.”
“Don’t
worry about it. Anyways, I say for now we enjoy this gourmet, paper-bag dinner
and get some rest. Hopefully tomorrow we can find Sarah and get ourselves one
step closer to finding my brother.”
“Sounds
good to me. I claim the bed,” Eddie declared, to Tyler. “You can have the
couch.”
“Why
don’t we flip for it?”
“Hmm,
let me think…No,” Eddie said with a smile. “The couch is short and my legs are
long. I need a good night’s sleep because I’m the one doing the driving. The
bed is mine.”
Tyler
looked at Liliana, who sat comfortably on the other bed.
Don’t
even think about it ,
she thought. I’m the girl. I get the bed .
The
idea never crossed my mind , Tyler thought. But since we’re on the subject, it would make more
sense, don’t you think? You’re a lot shorter than I am. The couch would fit you
much better.
The
bed is mine . She
smiled sweetly, but her thoughts held a slight tone of glee at the idea of his
discomfort.
To make
his point, Tyler stretched out on the short sofa, his feet dangling over the
edge of the arm rest. You’re going to feel guilty all night, as you lie in
your nice, comfortable bed and think of me on this hard, lumpy couch.
And
that’s supposed to convince me to give up the bed? You’re going to have to do
better than that .
She laughed out loud.
From his
own bed, Eddie looked amused at their interaction and shook
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