dine.”
Did he mean what I thought he meant?
"So this is a pity date?" I felt my lips compress in an angry line. “That’s quite generous of you.”
Rom blinked and swallowed hard. "I understand not.”
“I’m talking about this favor you’ve done me. Asking me out on this date so I wouldn’t get hurt again.”
He held up a hand. “You lack understanding.”
“No, I think I understand you perfectly.” Throwing down my napkin, I rose. “I’m not anyone’s charity case. You can take your favor and go cram yourself down the nearest manhole.”
Rom leaped to his feet.
“In fact, I think I’ll just go on a little spelunk right now.” I extracted the phone from my purse and quickly texted Senji for his location. Spinning on my heel, I stomped away.
“Kizzy!” Rom shouted coming along beside me. “You lack reason.”
“If I’m unreasonable, why don’t you just go home and leave me to my own business.” I marched toward the park’s perimeter.
Chapter Six
At home I slammed the door behind me. Mom came running.
“Honey, what—”
“We had a fight.” Taking the steps two at a time I shouted back over my shoulder. “I don’t want to talk about it.” I closed my bedroom door with a loud crash and threw myself onto the bed, fuming.
“Creep! How dare he …” not be totally infatuated with me. “Charity case am I?” True his concern about me getting injured again was kind of sweet and he had followed me all the way to our front door on foot. But still I didn’t want a pity date. And what about the kiss? Had that been pity too?
My phone pinged and the face bore a text from Senji: @ d hsptl .
“Those idiots.” I texted back: Dnt go n.
Jumping up, I toed off my sandals and crammed on my sneakers. I didn’t want to take the time to fully change my clothes. This would be the first time I’d been spelunking in a dress. But what if the stupid tunnel collapsed in on them before I could get there? My jacket with gloves and flashlight in the pocket hung on the back of the desk chair. I grabbed the jacket, pushed my arms through it and then bolted out the window.
Each minute it took to reach the hospital seemed like an hour even though I ran the entire way. When I got there, I didn’t see Petra, Senji or any of the crew. None of the BQs seemed to be around either. I'd received no text from Senji, so I tried calling. No answer. Petra. No answer.
I hopped the front fence, not taking the time to go all the way to the gate. Something drew my attention to a wrought iron banister near the hospital’s south east wall. The area of the tunnel’s entrance was under this banister unless I’d been completely turned around the night before last night.
On investigation, I found a cardboard planking that, when pulled back, revealed a short flight of narrow concrete steps leading down to an arched entry about four feet in height. The wood door, much of it rotting, wobbled loosely when I rattled the knob, but the lock held.
Bracing my hands against the concrete walls of the stairwell, I brought my foot up and rammed a kick against the door. The wood adjacent to the old lock split. Another kick and it splintered, leaving a hole large enough for my hand—without gloves—to get through.
I felt inside for the lever on the metal box containing the skeleton key lock. When I finally, found it, I heard the tiny click, which signaled my success. Upon opening the door, I found myself in an alcove leading into a familiar corridor.
Hearing no noise around me, I texted Senji: Am hre. U@?
A new text pinged back: gr8.
Did that indicate happiness at my arrival or his location at the grate entrance to the tunnel? Dammit.
As I made my way to the grate, the flashlight beam abruptly began to flicker and I slowed my pace. Hitting the end of the stupid thing with the butt of my palm brought the flickering to a stop. I tripped over something underfoot causing me to stumble and crash to a kneeling position on the
Did he mean what I thought he meant?
"So this is a pity date?" I felt my lips compress in an angry line. “That’s quite generous of you.”
Rom blinked and swallowed hard. "I understand not.”
“I’m talking about this favor you’ve done me. Asking me out on this date so I wouldn’t get hurt again.”
He held up a hand. “You lack understanding.”
“No, I think I understand you perfectly.” Throwing down my napkin, I rose. “I’m not anyone’s charity case. You can take your favor and go cram yourself down the nearest manhole.”
Rom leaped to his feet.
“In fact, I think I’ll just go on a little spelunk right now.” I extracted the phone from my purse and quickly texted Senji for his location. Spinning on my heel, I stomped away.
“Kizzy!” Rom shouted coming along beside me. “You lack reason.”
“If I’m unreasonable, why don’t you just go home and leave me to my own business.” I marched toward the park’s perimeter.
Chapter Six
At home I slammed the door behind me. Mom came running.
“Honey, what—”
“We had a fight.” Taking the steps two at a time I shouted back over my shoulder. “I don’t want to talk about it.” I closed my bedroom door with a loud crash and threw myself onto the bed, fuming.
“Creep! How dare he …” not be totally infatuated with me. “Charity case am I?” True his concern about me getting injured again was kind of sweet and he had followed me all the way to our front door on foot. But still I didn’t want a pity date. And what about the kiss? Had that been pity too?
My phone pinged and the face bore a text from Senji: @ d hsptl .
“Those idiots.” I texted back: Dnt go n.
Jumping up, I toed off my sandals and crammed on my sneakers. I didn’t want to take the time to fully change my clothes. This would be the first time I’d been spelunking in a dress. But what if the stupid tunnel collapsed in on them before I could get there? My jacket with gloves and flashlight in the pocket hung on the back of the desk chair. I grabbed the jacket, pushed my arms through it and then bolted out the window.
Each minute it took to reach the hospital seemed like an hour even though I ran the entire way. When I got there, I didn’t see Petra, Senji or any of the crew. None of the BQs seemed to be around either. I'd received no text from Senji, so I tried calling. No answer. Petra. No answer.
I hopped the front fence, not taking the time to go all the way to the gate. Something drew my attention to a wrought iron banister near the hospital’s south east wall. The area of the tunnel’s entrance was under this banister unless I’d been completely turned around the night before last night.
On investigation, I found a cardboard planking that, when pulled back, revealed a short flight of narrow concrete steps leading down to an arched entry about four feet in height. The wood door, much of it rotting, wobbled loosely when I rattled the knob, but the lock held.
Bracing my hands against the concrete walls of the stairwell, I brought my foot up and rammed a kick against the door. The wood adjacent to the old lock split. Another kick and it splintered, leaving a hole large enough for my hand—without gloves—to get through.
I felt inside for the lever on the metal box containing the skeleton key lock. When I finally, found it, I heard the tiny click, which signaled my success. Upon opening the door, I found myself in an alcove leading into a familiar corridor.
Hearing no noise around me, I texted Senji: Am hre. U@?
A new text pinged back: gr8.
Did that indicate happiness at my arrival or his location at the grate entrance to the tunnel? Dammit.
As I made my way to the grate, the flashlight beam abruptly began to flicker and I slowed my pace. Hitting the end of the stupid thing with the butt of my palm brought the flickering to a stop. I tripped over something underfoot causing me to stumble and crash to a kneeling position on the
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