couldn't make out the driver. With a nonchalance she didn't feel, the dark girl kept walking.
The car, a golden late model Buick, slowed to a halt with another short honk. When the teenager ignored it again, the driver put the vehicle in reverse and began catching up.
Sonny glanced once over her shoulder at the approaching car and gulped, eyes wide. Crap! Now what?! She looked around for a house with a porch light. There! Three houses down! She picked up her pace, hearing a power window roll down.
"Hey, sexy," a rather familiar voice called. "Need a ride?"
The girl slowed down and looked back over her shoulder in amazement, her fear easing. "Jordan...?"
"Or you could keep walkin'," the redhead shrugged with a mischievous grin. "Makes no never mind to me." The engine revved.
"No, no!" Sonny said with some haste, moving around the front of the car to the passenger side. She clambered into the seat with a great sense of relief. "I am sooo glad you're here!"
"I'll bet," the redhead responded. She waited for the door to close before putting the Buick in gear and driving away. "You okay?"
Sonny finished putting on her seatbelt. "I am now," she said with a grin. "How'd you know where to find me?"
Jordan shrugged and pulled a pack of cigarettes from her jacket. She proceeded to light one up, speaking around it as it dangled from her lips. "It was pretty self evident once I knew where you'd been and the time."
The teenager shivered as the heater began to warm her feet and legs. "And how'd you know that?"
A grin played across the woman's face. "Had a little chat with Mr. Bailey."
"Did he... Did he tell you what happened?" Sonny asked tentatively. She was glad for the darkened interior, her face feeling heat of a different sort.
The driver window rolled down a crack and Jordan took a drag from her cigarette. "Not really, no. Just that there'd been a fight and you ditched him."
"Oh."
There were several minutes of silence, the only sound being the car as it made its way down the street.
After a while, it occurred to Sonny that they were still driving away from home. Puzzled, she asked, "Where are we going?"
Jordan pondered the question. "Well, Tom's in a dither and I told him we'd call when I found you." Green eyes sparkled at the teenager. "But, I think he needs time to settle down before we get home. His knee-jerk reaction is gonna be to start yelling and screaming. A bad scene." The redhead shrugged and flicked ashes out the window. "We'll call and then give him time to cool off a bit."
"Oh." A seed of dread lodged itself inside. It wasn't hard to imagine her brother's response to the whole mess. "Good idea," Sonny agreed.
There was a chuckle from the driver's seat.
Eventually they pulled into the parking lot of the International House of Pancakes - IHOP for short. The two locked up the car and entered the building. They stopped long enough in the foyer to make the proscribed phone call. As was expected, Middlestead was at first relieved and then yelling in anger. When Sonny pulled the phone away from her ear with a wince, Jordan snagged it.
"Cool your jets!!" she bellowed, gaining not only the attention of the raging man on the phone but two waitresses, three bar hoppers having breakfast, a dishwasher and a chef who rushed out from the back, wiping his hands on his apron.
Sonny smiled weakly at the stares, a fine shade of crimson. She listened to the guitarist's side of the conversation as people settled down and returned to their own business.
"Now, look, she's fine and dandy. No more worries. I know. Yeah. NO! We're gonna siddown and have a cup of coffee or something." Pause. "Tough! We're gonna have a talk. Yes! You know, it's a girl thing." Another pause. Jordan rolled her eyes. "We're gonna have some coffee and dis the entire male population. You sure you want in on that discussion?" She smiled at the teenager beside her, drawing a circle in the air next to her ear and mouthing 'crazy.'
Sonny stifled a
The car, a golden late model Buick, slowed to a halt with another short honk. When the teenager ignored it again, the driver put the vehicle in reverse and began catching up.
Sonny glanced once over her shoulder at the approaching car and gulped, eyes wide. Crap! Now what?! She looked around for a house with a porch light. There! Three houses down! She picked up her pace, hearing a power window roll down.
"Hey, sexy," a rather familiar voice called. "Need a ride?"
The girl slowed down and looked back over her shoulder in amazement, her fear easing. "Jordan...?"
"Or you could keep walkin'," the redhead shrugged with a mischievous grin. "Makes no never mind to me." The engine revved.
"No, no!" Sonny said with some haste, moving around the front of the car to the passenger side. She clambered into the seat with a great sense of relief. "I am sooo glad you're here!"
"I'll bet," the redhead responded. She waited for the door to close before putting the Buick in gear and driving away. "You okay?"
Sonny finished putting on her seatbelt. "I am now," she said with a grin. "How'd you know where to find me?"
Jordan shrugged and pulled a pack of cigarettes from her jacket. She proceeded to light one up, speaking around it as it dangled from her lips. "It was pretty self evident once I knew where you'd been and the time."
The teenager shivered as the heater began to warm her feet and legs. "And how'd you know that?"
A grin played across the woman's face. "Had a little chat with Mr. Bailey."
"Did he... Did he tell you what happened?" Sonny asked tentatively. She was glad for the darkened interior, her face feeling heat of a different sort.
The driver window rolled down a crack and Jordan took a drag from her cigarette. "Not really, no. Just that there'd been a fight and you ditched him."
"Oh."
There were several minutes of silence, the only sound being the car as it made its way down the street.
After a while, it occurred to Sonny that they were still driving away from home. Puzzled, she asked, "Where are we going?"
Jordan pondered the question. "Well, Tom's in a dither and I told him we'd call when I found you." Green eyes sparkled at the teenager. "But, I think he needs time to settle down before we get home. His knee-jerk reaction is gonna be to start yelling and screaming. A bad scene." The redhead shrugged and flicked ashes out the window. "We'll call and then give him time to cool off a bit."
"Oh." A seed of dread lodged itself inside. It wasn't hard to imagine her brother's response to the whole mess. "Good idea," Sonny agreed.
There was a chuckle from the driver's seat.
Eventually they pulled into the parking lot of the International House of Pancakes - IHOP for short. The two locked up the car and entered the building. They stopped long enough in the foyer to make the proscribed phone call. As was expected, Middlestead was at first relieved and then yelling in anger. When Sonny pulled the phone away from her ear with a wince, Jordan snagged it.
"Cool your jets!!" she bellowed, gaining not only the attention of the raging man on the phone but two waitresses, three bar hoppers having breakfast, a dishwasher and a chef who rushed out from the back, wiping his hands on his apron.
Sonny smiled weakly at the stares, a fine shade of crimson. She listened to the guitarist's side of the conversation as people settled down and returned to their own business.
"Now, look, she's fine and dandy. No more worries. I know. Yeah. NO! We're gonna siddown and have a cup of coffee or something." Pause. "Tough! We're gonna have a talk. Yes! You know, it's a girl thing." Another pause. Jordan rolled her eyes. "We're gonna have some coffee and dis the entire male population. You sure you want in on that discussion?" She smiled at the teenager beside her, drawing a circle in the air next to her ear and mouthing 'crazy.'
Sonny stifled a
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