The Impossible Adventure

by Betsy Flak

  You don’t register any of it. All you know is that you have to escape, that you have to make it back to the safe haven of Corner Coffee. When at last you arrive in front of the familiar glass door, you tug on the handle.

  The door doesn’t budge.

  Horror surges within you like a tsunami. You shake the door against its frame, then peek over your shoulder, back toward the alleyway. The Fruitvale citizens walking by give you weird looks. You start banging on the glass.

  “I’m comin’, I’m comin’.” Sammy emerges from the back room, dragging his Corner Coffee T-shirt over his six-pack. His straight brows collapse into a scowl. When he sees you at the door, it deepens, but he unlocks the door and lets you in with a grumble. “You know I have to make things up to Bryce right now.”

  Your hand wraps around his muscled forearm. “I know, but listen. There’s…” Like a slap to the face, it hits you. You left Magda alone in an alley with some creep attacking her! She told you to do so, but you shouldn’t have listened. Two against one is better than one against one.

  But three against one is even better. You tug Sammy toward the door. “C’mon, c’mon, we gotta go help Magda!”

  Sammy’s free hand squeezes your clenched shoulder. “What’s going on?”

  “Some creep attacked Magda! C’mon, we gotta go!” You fight against Sammy’s hold, but it’s no use. He pushes you down into a chair. Your knees buckle beneath the pressure.

  Leaving his hand planted on your shoulder—pinning you into place—Sammy whips out his cell phone. He taps three numbers on the screen: 9-1-1. “Yeah, hi, I need to report a possible assault in progress… Yes, Fruitvale. Downtown… Do you know where exactly?”

  Visions of Magda dying in that alley alone play in your mind, looping around and around and around.

  Sammy snaps his fingers in front of your unseeing eyes. “Where did it happen?”

  You startle. “Oh, um, out in one of the alleys off State Ave. The one by the library.”

  Sammy repeats your directions into the phone, then strides to one of the windows by the door. Bryce squats in front of you. When did he get here?

  “Are you okay?” Bryce’s voice is soft, more gentle than you thought possible.

  “Yeah, but I need to go. I need to get to Magda.” You push yourself off the chair. Your legs wobble.

  Bryce presses you back down. “No. The police are on their way. Until we know what’s going on—”

  “But that could be too late!” The heels of your hands swipe at your teary eyes.

  Tucking his phone into his pocket, Sammy joins you and Bryce. He ducks down to capture your gaze. “They said they had a squad in the vicinity and that it wouldn’t take them long to get here. Do you wanna walk down together?”

  Bryce glowers at Sammy, but you ignore his disapproval and nod. With Bryce on one side and Sammy on the other, you retrace your flee. Bryce and Sammy force you to take measured steps. My Grandma walks faster than this.

  A siren screams into the night.

  Your breath catches in your throat. An ambulance pulls up to the alley behind the library, still more than half a block away from you. Uniformed police rope off the sidewalk on either side. As you approach the alleyway, you search for a gap, for a way to sneak past that barrier, for a way to get to Magda.

  Sammy’s heavy hand lands on your shoulder. You glance askance. Sammy shakes his head at you.

  At last you reach the alley, only one of the crowd gathered around the spectacle. Your fingers wind around the yellow police tape. You stare into the pitch-black alley with only flickering lights at the entrance. After a thousand—a million—anxious breaths, a stretcher exits the alleyway. Ebony curls stream over one end. Magda.

  Your stomach plummets past your shoes. A medic presses both hands over Magda’s neck. Blood stains Magda’s clothes. Too much blood.

  Your legs give out. You collapse onto the cement.

  To continue, click here.

  Your eyelids scrape against your eyes. Although everything is blurry, you recognize the familiar nightstand, the window, the dresser. You’re in your own room, in your own bed.

  The memory of last night rears its ugly head. You squeeze your eyes shut, but the vision of blood-covered Davey sprawled over that stretcher is tattooed across your brain. You inhale, then exhale, over and over again. When your breaths stop their shaking, you crack your bleary eyes open. This time, your fingers rush to your phone resting on the wooden nightstand.

  There’s not one message about Davey, just a couple from Paige asking if you’re all right. You dismiss them.

  You shower, turning the heat so high that it sears your skin. Scolding yourself for abandoning Davey back in that alley, you lean into the pain. When you get out of the shower, you dress in your oldest, grungiest T-shirt and shorts. You don’t style your hair nor do you tend to your bloodshot eyes. Today, you’ll be the ugliest person in NFHS. It’s a lighter punishment than you deserve.

  You stumble down the stairs and into the kitchen. There, both your parents wait for you.

  Your mom steps up to bat first. “Honey, your father and I discussed it and we both think you should skip school for the day.”

  You shake your head. If you skip school, you’ll never find out what happened to Davey.

  Your dad’s dark eyes crinkle with concern. “Are you sure?”

  You gulp, not trusting your voice. Your chin dips into a tight nod.

  Beep-beep! Beep!

  Your mom interlaces her fingers with your dad’s. Her forehead tilts toward the front door. “We thought you might feel this way, so we called Paige. We thought with your bike…unavailable, she might be able to give you a ride to school today.”

  Beep! Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

  “Oh, um, I better go then.” You grab your limp backpack off the coat rack, then hug both your parents goodbye. “See you later.”

  Your mom’s smile wavers. “Be careful.”

  “Be safe,” your dad chimes in.

  “I will. Bye.”

  You close the front door behind you, then stop short. You expected Mrs. Torres’s station wagon. Instead, Paige and Julia sit in an ancient black Corvette with the top down. You hop into the red leather back seat before the impatient Paige can initiate a third round of honking.

  Paige tightens the handkerchief protecting her hair from the wind. Her hazel eyes sparkle, far too joyous for the situation. “You ready?” Not waiting for your answer, Paige slams down the gas pedal. The tires peel out as she whips around the corner.

  You suck in a breath. Your fingertips dig into the leather cushion beneath your thighs. Paige is not a careful driver. “W-where’d you get the car, Paige?”

  “From a friend.” Paige flashes a grin. Balancing the wheel between her knees, she unwraps a lollipop.

  “You’re in a good mood,” you grumble. You shove your spine into the padded seat, bracing yourself against the twists and turns of Paige’s erratic driving.

  “And why wouldn’t I be? It’s a gorgeous day, I’m driving a gorgeous car, and I’ve got a gorgeous lollipop.” Paige swivels around to show off said lollipop. Her gaze finds yours instead of the road.

  The car veers to the side. Julia catches the wheel before it crosses into opposing traffic.

  “Oops.” Only after a mischievous smile does Paige return to driving.

  You scowl at her. “How can you be so happy after last night?”

  “After last night?” Paige tilts her head. Her brows furrow in confusion.

  Julia’s fleshy shoulder knocks against Paige’s. “Don’t play dumb, Paige. If I know, you know.” Julia’s brown eyes find yours in the rear view mirror. “You mean after that new guy got hurt last night, right?”

  “Hurt? Davey’s only hurt?” Your heart lifts a smidge.

  Julia nods. “Yup. My dad says that he’s still in the hospital. Apparently, he lost a lot of blood.”

  Your nails scrape against the red leather of your seat. “Paige, can we go? To the hospi
tal? Now?” Nothing is more important than apologizing to Davey.

  Through the rear view mirror, Paige’s lined, mascaraed eyes widen with sorrow. “I’m sorry, hun, but no. Last I heard no visitors other than family until tomorrow at the earliest. But I promise if you still wanna go tomorrow and they’re letting friends in, I’ll take you myself, okay?”

  Crossing your arms over your chest, you slump down in your seat. “Okay.”

  Paige and Julia exchange a look of concern in the front. You ignore it.

  Shifting to sit sideways in the front passenger seat, Julia changes the subject, “So, Paige, you never returned my call last night. Doin’ anythin’ fun?” Julia winks at you.

  You struggle to muster even a weak smile.

  “I don’t kiss and tell, silly.” Paige bops Julia’s button nose with her lollipop.

  Confusion wrinkles your forehead. Paige always kisses and tells.

  Not that Julia notices the discrepancy. “What about earlier, then? Did I miss anythin’ back at Corner Coffee?”

  “Back at Corner Coffee?” Your frown deepens. They already know about last night, so what is Julia talking about?

  “Yeah, last night. When you and Paige were hangin’ out in Corner Coffee after my dad kicked her out. Y’ know, before all the drama with Davey.”

  In the rear view mirror, Paige’s gaze locks with yours. She shakes her head.

  Curiosity supplants your anxiety. What was Paige doing last night? Guess I’ll cover for her now and ask later. “Yeah, no. I mean, nothing of interest happened. Just the usual, you know.”

  “Gotcha.”

  Paige pulls into the student parking lot with the passenger-side wheels bouncing over the curb. The moment she parks, her phone buzzes. She wriggles it out of her pocket. As Paige reads the screen, her glossy lips press into a thin line. “Hey, guys, I’m sorry, but I gotta take this.” She glances at you. “Cover for me in Chem?”

  “Um, sure.”

  With her phone pressed to her ear, Paige peels away. She weaves through the parked cars, heading in the opposite direction from NFHS. Her steps are rapid, hurried. Whatever this call is about, Paige wants to be as far away as possible.

  Something’s off with her. You’d like to know what it is, if only to distract yourself from your own problems.

  If you follow Paige, intending to listen to her phone call, click here.

  If you mind your own business and follow Julia into NFHS, click here.

  You turn away from Magda, leaving her hand hanging in the air. She’s the one who got between you and Paige. If she hadn’t shown up out of nowhere, you and Paige could be together instead of sitting next to virtual strangers.

  Then you remember who the fourth person is. You tilt your head to peek past Magda’s crazy mane. There Paige is, chatting up Harry, probably buttering him up to get closer to Josh.

  Envy jolts through you. Paige and Harry get paired up, but you get the stupid new girl.

  “Quiet down, class.” Ms. Lin settles her hands along the edges of the steel podium. “As you might—or might not—have noticed, we have two new students this year. Magda and Davey Dalca, would you come to the front of the room?” While stated as a question, it’s no request.

  Magda scowls, her full lips pressing into an annoyed line. She shoves her chair back. It screams against the tile. When Magda reaches the front of the classroom, she flips on a heel. Her hands dig into her hips. She glares at her fellow students.

  Next to Magda, Davey sends a sunbeam of a smile over the class, a direct contrast to his sister. His ivory teeth shine in the fluorescent lighting.

  “Just say your name, why you moved here, and something interesting about yourself.” Ms. Lin takes a sip from a charcoal mug displaying the periodic table.

  Davey’s chest puffs out. He sways back on his heels with his hands in his pockets. “Well, my name’s Davey Dalca, like you just heard.” His elbow bounces off Magda’s upper arm. “This here is my sister Magda, which you pro’ly figured out already. Magda and I moved to North Fruitvale cuz our mom got a really good job offer. She’s the Dean of Admissions over at Krendley now, so if you need some help getting into college…” Davey winks at the crowd.

  A few students chuckle.

  “Anyway, yeah, something interesting about myself…” Davey’s hand rubs the back of his neck. “I dunno, there’s not really that much. Like most red-blooded young men, I like playing football, basketball, baseball, you know, all the sports.”

  “You gonna try out for the football team?” Harry yells from the back, his beady eyes narrowing with concern. The NFHS football team has a home winning streak going back two seasons that Harry, Josh, and the others seek to continue this year. But that doesn’t mean they welcome strangers.

  Davey shrugs Harry’s loaded question off. “Dunno. Pro’ly not.”

  “And what about you, Magda?” Ms. Lin prods.

  “Oh, um…” Magda’s front teeth, as white as Davey’s, worry her lower lip. “Well, I guess, like you said, my name’s Magda Dalca. Davey said why we moved here and for my ’something interesting’…I’m Davey’s twin. The end.”

  Ms. Lin frowns, but she dismisses Davey and Magda back to their seats. For the rest of class, Magda refuses to meet your gaze nor does she say one word to you. When the bell rings at last, you hurry away from her, back to Paige’s side.

  The rest of the day is uneventful. You shuttle from class to class to class, sometimes with Paige, sometimes with other friends. Although…one thing is out of the ordinary. Four different times—once in the cafeteria, once on the stairway, and twice by your locker—the hairs on the back of your neck prickle. Each time, Magda stands only a few feet away. Even though you never catch her staring at you, it’s weird and creepy. She’s weird and creepy.

  After the last bell rings for the day, you rush up the stairs to your locker.

  Paige is already there, sliding a violet notebook into its slot in her organized rainbow. When you arrive, she beams up at you. “Hey there! You wanna hang out with Julia and me?”

  Your hand slips into your pocket to collect your phone. You check the time, then shake your head. “Can’t. I got a shift over at Corner Coffee. It starts in fifteen minutes.” That’s just enough time to ride your bike over to Fruitvale’s downtown and make yourself a mocha before your shift officially starts.

  Paige’s index finger pulls at her lower lip. “Hmmm. What if Julia and I come to Corner Coffee with you?”

  Now there’s a thought. Bryce used to be a real hard-ass when it came to having friends over during shifts. But ever since he and Sammy got together, he’d become much more chill. “Yeah, sure. I mean, Bryce might kick you out, but I think Sammy’s workin’ this afternoon too.” You grab your faded backpack, empty except for the Corner Coffee T-shirt and a library book for your dinner break.

  “Oh, so they’re still a thing?” Paige leads the way down the stairs.

  “Yup, ever since early this summer. I mean, I’m happy for Bryce, I’m glad he found someone, and certainly Sammy’s existence makes my life easier. I just wish they didn’t disappear into the back room quite so often, if you know what I mean.”

  Paige pokes you in the ribs as you exit the front doors and work toward the bike rack. “Oh, please, like you wouldn’t do the exact same thing if you worked with your significant other.”

  “What was that? Something about a significant other?” Julia pops up over your shoulder. Her brown eyes look you up and down, like she’ll see your significant other on you.

  Having reached the rusty bike rack, you kneel down to unlock your bike. “No, Julia, we were just talkin’ ’bout Bryce and Sammy.”

  Julia bites her lower lip, then hops over her bike. With a foot on either side, she ties her loose curls into a tight ponytail. “Oh, right. Are we headin’ to Corner Coffee then?”

  “Yup.” Paige leaps on top of her bike and streams away, pedaling as hard as she can south along State Ave toward Fruitvale’s downtown.

/>   You and Julia follow. Eight—instead of the usual ten—minutes later, you stop in the alleyway a block away from Corner Coffee. It’s the only one with bike racks, even if they are across from the dumpsters. Scrunching your nose at the rancid scent, you hold your breath. Above you, the fire escapes from the apartments over the library and the other shops loom.

  Your heart jumps into your throat.

  The brick walls close in on you, blocking out the sun. The alley’s exits on either side drift farther and farther away. Goosebumps crawl up your arms.

  You shudder, shaking off the doom and gloom. This is where you always park your bike. There is nothing different today from any other day, except that it’s the first time you’ve come here after school.

  Behind Paige and Julia, you hurry out of the alley and onto State Ave. Late afternoon sunlight streams down, peeking between two puffy clouds. Your bare arms stretch out to either side, baking in the sun’s caress. When Paige and Julia stop in front of a boutique’s spotless window, you raise your face to the warmth with your eyes closed. A breeze tickles your arms and legs.

  After a couple minutes, you peer at Paige and Julia from between slitted eyes. They’re pointing at and discussing the shoes displayed in the window, a variety of platforms, stilettos, and wedges.

  You frown. If you know Paige, this is the beginning of a shopping trip—one that you can’t join. You slide your phone out of your pocket and check the time. Less than five minutes left. As it is, you won’t be able to make your mocha before your shift.

  Paige moves toward the glass door of the shop with Julia on her heels. When her hip nudges it open, a string of bells tinkles. Paige glances back at you and tilts her forehead toward the opening, inviting you in.

  You shove your hands into your pockets and shake your head. “Sorry, I can’t. It’s ’bout that time.”

  “That’s right! I forgot you have to work today. Don’t worry, we’ll meet you at Corner Coffee after a li’l harmless window shopping.” Paige waves goodbye, then disappears into the store. Julia does the same.