Signs Point to Yes

by Sandy Hall

  But how?

  She was stuck, at least until Connie got back from class.

  Connie had promised she wouldn’t be gone long, and she made good on that promise, arriving home just before eleven.

  “I want to make sure I’m here when Teo gets back from work,” she explained. “I only needed to drop off a paper on campus. I can take care of the rest of my finals online.”

  “Do you want me to stay and watch the girls while you work?” Jane asked, even though she wanted nothing more than to go home immediately.

  “No, it’s fine. You go ahead. I’ll pay you for the rest of the day.”

  “Thanks, Connie,” Jane said, looking at her last paycheck. It looked like Connie had added more than the rest of the afternoon.

  “You were wonderful this summer, Jane.” Connie leaned over to give her an extra-long hug, and Jane felt a sharp sting of guilt for not telling her where Teo really was.

  Jane said good-bye to Keegan, Rory, and Piper and promised that she would see them all the time—that even though she wouldn’t see them every day, they still lived in the same neighborhood.

  “We’ll have Jane come babysit again soon, okay, girls?” Connie said when all three of them got a little teary-eyed. Even Jane got emotional looking at their little quivering chins.

  After a few more hugs, Jane walked out the front door and nearly ran headfirst into none other than Ravi Singh.

  “Oh. Shit.”

  “Lovely to see you, too, Jane,” Ravi said. “Now, if you’ll kindly remove yourself from the center of the walk, I would like to go visit with my dear friend Teo.”

  “When was the last time you talked to him?” Jane asked.

  “Well, not that it’s any of your business, but I would say a week ago. Before I knew I was coming home.”

  “He’s not here,” Jane said, shaking her head. “He’s gone.”

  “Gone? Where?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “It’s a long story that you know and I don’t?” Ravi asked, completely mystified by the concept. “I guess that’s what I get for spending the past forty-eight hours sleeping off my jet lag. I woke up in bizarro world.”

  “Okay, we need to talk,” Jane said, pulling on Ravi’s arm.

  “I don’t think so.” He moved out of her grip.

  “Please. Just come home with me. I’ll explain everything. But if you go inside, you could potentially mess up the whole plan.”

  “Me? When have I ever messed anything up? You’re the person who messes things up.”

  “Not this time,” Jane said.

  “I am a perfect, genius angel who never does anything wrong,” Ravi said, talking over her.

  “You like Teo, right? He’s your best friend.”

  “Obviously.”

  “Then come with me and I’ll tell you everything, but if you go in there and talk to Connie, the situation could blow up in Teo’s face. And my face. And maybe even your face if I could find a way to get you implicated in the whole thing. Mostly because it would be fun to take you down with us.”

  “Is this about his dad?”

  Jane nodded.

  Ravi followed Jane down the street, around the corner, and to her house. She was closing in on a plan but had a few more things to figure out first.

  “Margo, thank God you’re here,” Jane said, pulling Ravi through the front door and into the living room, where they found Margo reading on the couch. “Wait, why are you here?”

  “My internship ended last week, but you’ve had your head in the clouds since your date with Teo, so I’m not exactly shocked you didn’t notice.”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Ravi said. “You’re dating Teo? This is the kind of crap that happens when I’m not around to regulate.”

  “We are not dating,” Jane said to Ravi. “It was not a date.”

  “Then why have you had your head up your ass?” Ravi asked.

  “I haven’t!”

  “I’m quoting your sister.”

  “My sister doesn’t know everything.”

  “So what’s up, then?” Ravi asked. “And where’s Teo?”

  “Teo’s missing?” Margo asked.

  “Would you two stop and let me explain what’s going on?” Jane said. “Is anyone else home?”

  Margo shook her head and put her book down while Ravi took a seat in the armchair and Jane perched on the couch.

  “Teo’s in Illinois,” she explained. “With his uncle. As in, his dad’s brother.”

  “Is his dad there?” Margo asked. “I thought he was looking for his dad.”

  “His dad is dead,” Jane said.

  “Poor Teo,” Margo and Ravi said in unison.

  “It sucks, right? I feel so responsible because I’m the one who started all this in the first place.”

  “He didn’t have to go, Jane,” Ravi said.

  “You know it must be true if Ravi’s comforting you,” Margo said.

  Ravi looked startled. “I didn’t mean that. It’s all your fault.”

  Jane rolled her eyes. “The problem is that now he’s talking about not coming home. And I need your help,” Jane said, addressing Margo.

  “I’ll do anything,” Ravi said.

  “I don’t really need your help.”

  “I volunteer as tribute!” he said, standing up.

  Jane ignored him and turned back to Margo. “I’m going to find him. I need to see him, to talk to him. I feel like he’s confused right now and has no clue what he’s even saying. Like he’s just making rash decisions to piss off his mom.”

  “Are you sure he wasn’t exaggerating about staying?”

  “That’s possible, but I don’t really want to chance it.”

  “What the heck are we waiting for?” Ravi asked, clapping his hands. “Let’s go.”

  Jane rubbed her face with her hands and sighed. “No,” she said simply.

  “If you don’t let me go with you, I’m totally going to ruin your plan.”

  “Grow up, Ravi,” Jane said.

  He deflated. “I’m serious. My bro needs me. I need to be there.”

  “Do you have any money?” Jane asked.

  “Oh, so now you’re extorting me?”

  “No, we’re all going to put money in.”

  “All? What do you mean by all?” Margo asked.

  “I need you to come, too?” Jane said, her voice rising into a question even though she meant to make a statement.

  “Seriously? Mom and Dad are going to be so pissed.”

  “They’re not going to be that pissed at you. They’re going to be really pissed at me, but I need your help. You can’t rent a hotel room if you’re under eighteen, and there’s no way we’re going to be able to do a twenty-six-hour round trip without at least a couple of hours of sleep.”

  “Sleep in the car,” Margo suggested.

  “Come on, Margo, please?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You won’t have to put in any money,” Jane said.

  “Hey, if she doesn’t have to put in any money, I don’t know why I have to put in any money,” Ravi said.

  Then, “Fine, I’ll go. When are we leaving?”

  “In like ten minutes? After I pack a couple things?”

  Jane and Margo ran up the stairs, leaving Ravi to wander around the house. Jane hoped he wouldn’t start going through photo albums. She didn’t need Ravi to find the pictures of her taking a bath as a toddler.

  Jane looked around her room, trying to decide what she needed. Phone charger, underwear, a change of clothes, deodorant, hairbrush, and toothbrush were all definites. Something pretty to wear when she surprised Teo? It couldn’t hurt. She tossed it all into a duffel bag and was ready to hit the road.

  At the last second, she looked at her Magic 8 Ball.

  “Am I doing the right thing?” she asked it.

  It is certain.

  “Should I bring you with me?”

  She didn’t even wait for an answer before
tossing the ball into her bag.

  “I’m driving,” Ravi said when Jane rejoined him downstairs in the living room. He was lounging on the couch, reading a copy of Real Simple magazine.

  “Hell, no,” Margo said, coming down the stairs behind Jane. “We’ll follow you home to drop off your car and grab whatever you might need overnight, but Jane’s driving. She’s in charge.”

  “Thanks, Margo,” Jane said.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Jane drives garbage on wheels,” Ravi said, rolling up Real Simple and taking it with him as they left.

  “Are you really stealing our mother’s magazine?” Margo asked.

  “It has some great gift ideas for under twenty-five dollars. And since I’m going to be using all my money on the great Jane caper, I might as well find something inexpensive yet tasteful to get my mom for her birthday next month.”

  “You’re ridiculous,” Margo said. “You are a ridiculous human being.”

  “I take that as a compliment,” Ravi said.

  “All right, let’s get going before Mom comes home and realizes that we have overnight bags with us.”

  “Did you leave her a note?” Margo asked.

  “No, did you?”

  “No.”

  “Damn. We need to think of something to say.”

  “Oh, for the love of God,” Ravi said. “Just tell her you’re going to some kind of girly party or some shit, and let’s get out of here. I’m so tired of waiting around for you two.”

  Both Jane and Margo gave him a death glare.

  “Be waiting for us outside your house in fifteen minutes,” Margo said.

  “How do you know where I live?” Ravi asked, narrowing his eyes.

  “Because I went to your birthday party every year from fifth to seventh grade. It’s not that hard to find.”

  “Fine. I’ll see you soon. But you’d better not ditch me!” he called as he walked around the corner to get his car.

  “He is the worst!” Margo said.

  “I’ve been telling you.”

  Margo shook her head.

  “Concentrate,” Jane said. “We need a note for Mom. Then we’ll pick up the pain in the ass and go rescue Teo.”

  “I’m pretty sure he doesn’t exactly need rescuing.”

  “Oh, you know what I mean.”

  “How’s this sound?” Margo asked, showing Jane the note.

  “I’m not sure that she’s going to believe that we’re outlet shopping and sleeping at Claudia’s later, but your penmanship is impressive.”

  “It’s the best I can do!”

  “I know. We’ll just have to hope that she believes we’re bonding.”

  Chapter 23

  By the time Jane and Margo picked Ravi up and got on the road, it was going on one o’clock.

  “What took you guys so long?” he whined, getting into the car.

  “It literally took us fourteen minutes. One fewer than we promised,” Jane said.

  “Hmph,” was all Ravi said in response.

  “According to the traffic app, we’ll get there in about thirteen hours,” Margo said as they merged onto the highway.

  “Do we even know his uncle’s address?” Ravi asked.

  “No, but we know Mateo’s class schedule. We just need to be on campus between ten and twelve tomorrow, while his class is in session, and I’m sure he’ll tell us where Teo is once we explain ourselves.”

  “Or we could text him and ask for the address,” Ravi said.

  “I think we need the element of surprise on our side,” Jane said.

  “You sound like Teo,” Ravi said. “He’s always talking about the element of surprise.”

  “That’s where I got it from,” Jane said.

  “Why would we want to surprise him?” Margo asked.

  “The way I see it, if he knows we’re on our way, he’s going to be thinking of ways to talk us out of talking him out of staying in Illinois.”

  “Your sentence structure is overly complex,” Ravi said. “But I get the gist of what you’re trying to explain.”

  “Thanks,” Jane said, rolling her eyes. “I don’t want him to anticipate our arrival and have too much time to think it over. He’s going to act like he has options, but the only real option is coming home with us.” Jane paused. “There’s also the fact that either his phone is off or he’s completely ignoring the whole world.”

  They made it about two hours before they needed to stop to use the restrooms and pick up road snacks.

  After that, they went another two hours before they hit traffic. Big-time, rush-hour, construction-zone, stopped-dead traffic.

  “This is terrible. Why did you let the GPS take us this way, Jane?”

  “Shut up, Ravi,” Margo said. “For starters, I’m the navigator. And this was definitely the best option.”

  Ravi sat back and crossed his arms while the car inched along.

  “I think I saw a snail pass us,” Ravi complained.

  Traffic broke up three miles and forty-five minutes later. They were finally zooming through Pennsylvania at a decent clip.

  “I’m starving,” Margo announced. “We should stop for dinner soon. And then we can switch, and I’ll drive for a while. You need a break.”

  “No way, Margo. We can’t stop again already. We need to make up time from rush hour,” Jane said. “At this rate, we’ll never get there. And I’m not sure I’m tired enough to put my life in your hands.”

  “But I’m so hungry,” Margo whined.

  “Eat more beef jerky. We’ll stop when we get closer,” Jane said. “Or when one of us has to pee.”

  “You’re mean.”

  “I have to pee!” Ravi yelled.

  Jane glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “Since when are you on Margo’s side?”

  “I’m not on anyone’s side. It’s mostly about not being on your side. I saw an opening, so I took it.”

  Jane eventually let them stop for dinner at McDonald’s, and they took a few minutes to discuss their next move.

  “According to the GPS, we’re not going to get there until three in the morning,” Jane said.

  “There’s no point showing up in the middle of the night,” Margo said. “It’s not like this guy is holding Teo hostage.”

  “Do we really know that, though?” Ravi asked. “I bet you didn’t even do a background check on him. You sent Teo off to his doom all by himself. How dare you, madam!”

  “Are you done now?” Jane asked Ravi.

  “Yeah, fine.”

  She turned back to Margo. “Basically, what you’re saying is you think we should stop for the night?” Jane asked.

  “Yes,” Margo said.

  “How are we going to rent a hotel room? Don’t you need to be, like, twenty-one?” Ravi asked.

  “You only need to be eighteen most places. Although they’ll think we’re trying to have a hotel party, so you guys are going to have to let me go in by myself.”

  “You’re going to make me sit in the car with Jane the Pain all by myself?”

  Jane and Margo glared at Ravi.

  “Anyway, I know I can rent a room.”

  “Won’t they think it’s weird that you’re alone? Like, some young girl in the middle of the night renting a hotel room?”

  Margo shrugged. “I’ll come up with an excuse just in case and drop it in conversationally if I have to.”

  “The first place we pass with outside hallways, we’ll try,” Jane said. “That way you can say you’re traveling for business by yourself, rather than try to get anyone to believe that Ravi and I are your children.”

  “Jane is so obviously adopted,” Ravi said.

  After they finished eating, they got back out to the car.

  “I’ll drive,” Margo said, and Jane, tired of driving, reluctantly tossed her the keys.

  “Shotgun!” Ravi said.

  “There’s no way I’m sitting in the backseat of my own car.”

  “Children, chi
ldren,” Margo said, holding up her hands. “Please stop arguing or, so help me, I will turn this car around.”

  Jane slid into the passenger seat before Ravi even knew what hit him, and they set off.

  “So, Ravi, I’ve been dying to ask: Why do you hate my sister so vehemently?”

  “What a great question, Margo. Thank you for asking. No one ever asks.”

  Margo smiled at the praise.

  “Allow me to set the stage for you. Jane and I were in seventh grade. We very rarely ever have classes together, due to my superior intellect, but we ended up in the same science class that year. And one day when our teacher assigned a project, both of our lab partners were absent. So I got stuck with her.”

  Jane rolled her eyes so many times in a row she started to feel carsick. “How about you drop the dramatics and get to your point?”

  Ravi poked his head between the front seats.

  “We got a B on our diorama.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Jane said, smiling. “We did. I remember that. It was a diorama of the Amazonian ecosystem.”

  “We got a B,” Ravi repeated.

  “I know. It was great.”

  Ravi blinked at her, stunned. “It was the first B I ever got.”

  “What?” Margo asked, turning to look at him and jerking the steering wheel.

  “Margo! Eyes on the road! You promised,” Jane said.

  “Fine, fine,” Margo said. “That’s a tough cherry to pop, though, Ravi. I totally understand. I remember my first B. The horror, the long-lasting sting of mediocrity.”

  “I forgot I was in the car with geniuses,” Jane said. “I live a B lifestyle. More like a C lifestyle, if I’m being honest with myself. They’re not actually all that scarring.”

  But Margo and Ravi weren’t listening. Instead, they were bonding over their very rare bad grades.

  “I got a D on a paper in my logic class in freshmen year. Can you believe that?”

  “I can’t,” Ravi said. “I’m not sure I could deal.”

  “The professor let me write another one and averaged the grades. Even then it was only a B minus.”

  Ravi was shaking his head, and Jane was doing her best not to scream.

  “Wait a second! Are you the person who wrote ‘Jane Connelly is a B’ on my locker in eighth grade?”