that Tinshoe Jones was going to block the aisle and make it impossible for them to exit. But then the bus driver stood up and turned his head toward them. Zach let out a sigh of relief.
If Tinshoe Jones knew the driver well enough to complain about him constantly stopping for aliens, he must take this route a lot. And if he took this route, he must have harassed passengers before. The bus driver would come back, say a few things, and Tinshoe Jones would go back to his seat. Everything would work out.
But the driver just took a long look at Zach, Poppy, and Alice and got off the bus. He didn’t say or do a single thing to help them.
Tinshoe Jones wore a smirk on his face like he’d known all along he wasn’t going to get in trouble.
Poppy shoved past him with a suddenness that got her through before he could react. While Tinshoe Jones gaped at her, Zach charged down the aisle, catching Alice’s hand and pulling her with him. Tinshoe Jones grabbed for Alice, and she gave a single, blood-curdling shriek, loud enough for the frat boys to wake up and the knitting lady to turn around in her seat. Loud enough for Tinshoe to let Alice go in surprise.
“Don’t come crying to me when the aliens take your faces!” he yelled after them.
The bus driver was smoking a cigarette, talking to two station employees, when they charged past him and into the building. There were benches and vending machines and bright fluorescent lights. Alice collapsed onto a bench, her eyes a little wet. She looked as freaked out as Zach felt.
“What are we going to do?” Poppy asked, pacing back and forth, backpack over one shoulder.
“This was your plan,” Zach said, and then regretted it. He knew he wasn’t being fair, but he was tired and upset and had no idea what to do himself. He felt useless.
“We can’t get back on that bus,” said Alice.
“Maybe we could tell someone—like a cop. There has to be a cop around a late-night bus station, right?”
“Yeah, and they’ll ask us how old we are.” Alice shook her head. “And call our families. No.”
Zach looked over at the bus driver. One station employee was speaking into a walkie-talkie. The other was watching the three of them.
“I think we have to get out of here,” Zach said.
“Why?” asked Alice. Then she noticed the three men standing together and got up quickly, swinging her bag onto her shoulder.
Zach took Poppy’s arm. “Right now. C’mon. Go.”
“But we didn’t do anything,” Poppy said, walking along with him. “Why would they be after us? Why not do something about that guy? He’s the one—”
“Because we’re kids,” Zach whispered, cutting her off.
“We’re being too obvious,” Alice said under her breath. “Poppy, we should go into the girls’ room and sneak out from there. Zach, meet us outside. Get something from the vending machine. Everyone, go slow.”
Zach took a deep breath and then spoke loudly and as casually as he could, “I’ll meet you guys back on the bus.”
Alice smiled and nodded exaggeratedly, playing casual too now. Poppy tried to follow her lead.
One of the bus station employees had peeled away from the others and was heading in Zach’s direction, his shoe falls echoing in the mostly empty space. He wasn’t rushing, but he had too much purpose in the way he moved to be just strolling. Zach started toward the door, deliberately not running despite wanting to. He paused a minute to look at the vending machine. In its reflection, he saw the station guy drawing closer, his blue uniform making him seem ominously authoritative.
Zach moved toward the door.
“Hey you, there,” the station guy called to him.
But Zach was out through the doors and turning a corner of the building and seeing Alice lowering herself from the girls’ bathroom window. Poppy jumped out after her and they were off and running into the darkness of an unknown town.
CHAPTER SEVEN
T HEY HUDDLED IN THE DARK BEHIND A TATTOO PARLOR and
If Tinshoe Jones knew the driver well enough to complain about him constantly stopping for aliens, he must take this route a lot. And if he took this route, he must have harassed passengers before. The bus driver would come back, say a few things, and Tinshoe Jones would go back to his seat. Everything would work out.
But the driver just took a long look at Zach, Poppy, and Alice and got off the bus. He didn’t say or do a single thing to help them.
Tinshoe Jones wore a smirk on his face like he’d known all along he wasn’t going to get in trouble.
Poppy shoved past him with a suddenness that got her through before he could react. While Tinshoe Jones gaped at her, Zach charged down the aisle, catching Alice’s hand and pulling her with him. Tinshoe Jones grabbed for Alice, and she gave a single, blood-curdling shriek, loud enough for the frat boys to wake up and the knitting lady to turn around in her seat. Loud enough for Tinshoe to let Alice go in surprise.
“Don’t come crying to me when the aliens take your faces!” he yelled after them.
The bus driver was smoking a cigarette, talking to two station employees, when they charged past him and into the building. There were benches and vending machines and bright fluorescent lights. Alice collapsed onto a bench, her eyes a little wet. She looked as freaked out as Zach felt.
“What are we going to do?” Poppy asked, pacing back and forth, backpack over one shoulder.
“This was your plan,” Zach said, and then regretted it. He knew he wasn’t being fair, but he was tired and upset and had no idea what to do himself. He felt useless.
“We can’t get back on that bus,” said Alice.
“Maybe we could tell someone—like a cop. There has to be a cop around a late-night bus station, right?”
“Yeah, and they’ll ask us how old we are.” Alice shook her head. “And call our families. No.”
Zach looked over at the bus driver. One station employee was speaking into a walkie-talkie. The other was watching the three of them.
“I think we have to get out of here,” Zach said.
“Why?” asked Alice. Then she noticed the three men standing together and got up quickly, swinging her bag onto her shoulder.
Zach took Poppy’s arm. “Right now. C’mon. Go.”
“But we didn’t do anything,” Poppy said, walking along with him. “Why would they be after us? Why not do something about that guy? He’s the one—”
“Because we’re kids,” Zach whispered, cutting her off.
“We’re being too obvious,” Alice said under her breath. “Poppy, we should go into the girls’ room and sneak out from there. Zach, meet us outside. Get something from the vending machine. Everyone, go slow.”
Zach took a deep breath and then spoke loudly and as casually as he could, “I’ll meet you guys back on the bus.”
Alice smiled and nodded exaggeratedly, playing casual too now. Poppy tried to follow her lead.
One of the bus station employees had peeled away from the others and was heading in Zach’s direction, his shoe falls echoing in the mostly empty space. He wasn’t rushing, but he had too much purpose in the way he moved to be just strolling. Zach started toward the door, deliberately not running despite wanting to. He paused a minute to look at the vending machine. In its reflection, he saw the station guy drawing closer, his blue uniform making him seem ominously authoritative.
Zach moved toward the door.
“Hey you, there,” the station guy called to him.
But Zach was out through the doors and turning a corner of the building and seeing Alice lowering herself from the girls’ bathroom window. Poppy jumped out after her and they were off and running into the darkness of an unknown town.
CHAPTER SEVEN
T HEY HUDDLED IN THE DARK BEHIND A TATTOO PARLOR and
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