waiting at the front for our ride.
Ayden waved at me from her group of friends. "Elle, over here!"
I meandered over to them. Nodding and greeting them each until I reached Zephyr. He offered me a small smile and nod. "Hey."
I smiled back. "Hey. Sorry about-"
"Don't worry about it." He scrubbed the back of his head and laughed. "I let my mouth run away with me sometimes."
"I gotcha. It's cool. I was having a day." The others were watching our exchange with curious glances but didn't ask us to elaborate.
"I see you got them to let you off your leash final." Joash commented, shifted closer to Coral. I arched a brow. Back on again it seems?
"Uh, yeah." I chuckled and lifted my wrist showing the bracelet. "Only to get a more permanent one I can't duck out on."
"What did you do to get a babysitter?" Bayu asked as we began to pile into the bus that had just arrived.
I struggled on how much to tell them. Then figured the truth wouldn't hurt. "Tried to run away while you were all getting drunk."
"What?" Ayden gasped at me as she slid into the first available seat. "Why didn't you tell me?"
I shrugged and took the seat beside her. "Cause I didn't want you to get in trouble too."
"But why would you want to leave?" Bayu leaned over the back of our seat astonishment in his voice. "You're safe here."
Zephyr smacked his brother on the shoulder. "Not everyone came here willingly, fucktard."
"I know that, but you didn't have to hit me, dipshit." Bayu smacked his brother back and the two of them began to make more and more creative names for each other.
I found myself smiling as they argued back and forth. It made me wish for a sibling. Nikki was the closest thing I had to a sister. I frowned and shifted in my seat, letting the rumbling of the bus fill me.
"I would have helped you if you really wanted to leave," Ayden murmured a few moments later.
I angled my head her way. "Don't worry about it. I'm working it out."
"I knew you didn't come here on your own," she continued, her head dipped down a little bit. "And I hoped that making friends and even going to the party might help but it seems you are determined to leave."
"It's not that." I sighed and lifted a foot onto the bench of the seat. "I just got pulled out of my life so abruptly that I didn't get to explain to anyone or even prepare. My dad..." I blew out a harsh breath. "We don't exactly have the best relationship and he just showed up out of nowhere, dropping this bombshell on me and then disappearing. I just want answers, and no one seems to want to give them to me."
"That sucks, but I want you to know I'm here if you need to talk." Ayden reached out to touch my hand but then stopped, dropping it back down into her lap.
Smiling softly, I grabbed her hand and squeezed it tight, forcing back the flinch that came with her death. "Thank you."
Chapter 18
The bus came to a stop right outside of Newbury. We all piled off and most of the students rushed off to different parts of town before their feet barely touched the ground. I loitered by the bus until Ayden and the rest of them got off.
"So, where to?" I tucked my hands into the front pockets of my jacket and waited for Ayden to lead the way.
"We're going to the game store," Bayu announced before he and his brother took off down the street.
Coral and Joash were opening holding hands now and whispering to each other. Coral blushed at something Joash said before murmuring, "We're going to go check out..." she seemed to struggle with an answer before Joash just led her away. She waved and flushed prettily. "Bye!"
"How much you want to bet they don't make it to a single store?" Ayden shook her head and giggled. "I swear those two are worse than rabbits."
I watched them leave with a perturbed feeling. "They seem a bit..."
"On again off again? Yep." Ayden popped her p's and sighed, shrugging. "Their better than a soap opera I'm telling you."
We strolled down the road heading into town. Newbury wasn't a large town by any standards. I was used to growing up in Omaha so this kind of place really wouldn't have done anything for me under normal circumstances. Except two weeks stuck