“What was she talking about? ‘We aren’t one of you?’” Ava pressed.

Everyone avoided her eyes though, along with Ashton’s. Even Luke.


“We stick together. No matter what, that’s all she meant. You guys don't really know us, that's all,” Layla tried to cover.

“She’s trying to say you two aren’t as screwed up as we are,” Louis sighed.

“Look at their clothes,” Ava spat, eyeing Alex with disgust. “They’re rich. I bet the worst thing that’s happened to them is they weren’t crowned homecoming king or queen.”

“Can’t we just tell them?” Luke began, a pleading tone in his voice.

“No,” Harry snipped.

A silence set in.

“Why not?” Luke whispered.

“Part of what Ava said was right. We don’t even know them.”

“They know too much already,” Luke said, still in a soft voice. “They know we’re all runaways.”

“How’d they find that out?” Ava stood on her feet now.

“I told her,” Luke admitted, his light eyes darting.

“You told her? You told her what? How much did you tell her?” Harry was standing over the group now, looming with dark eyes.

“I told her… we aren’t from here. We’re… all lost souls,” Luke snuck a wink at Alex.

More silence. Ava’s eyes were daggers through the night.

“Nothing else?” Harry clarified.

“Nothing else.” Luke repeated.

“What more is there to tell?” Alex wondered.

“Alex… stop,” Ashton warned. “It’s not our place.”

“Listen to your brother. Alex,” Ava spat.

“That’s enough,” Niall intervened. “I think it’s time for everyone to head out. Head home.”

---

Everyone headed in different directions.

“Niall, you coming?” Ava asked once everyone departed. She was waiting to head home when her brother waved her away.

“I’m going to help them back to the garage. I may just crash there anyway.”

"Suit yourself," Ava spat.

“I think, I’ll tag along,” Luke ducked away from the others and walked side by side with Alex.

The walk back was quiet. Alex, Luke, and Ashton followed Niall. Niall was obviously a man of few words for the only thing preoccupying his mouth was a cigarette.

The garage was unchanged and still as musty and run down as it had been a couple hours ago.

“Alex, wait…” Luke had grabbed her wrist, as she was about to tail the others inside.

“What’s up?” Alex said, her voice quiet.

“Come here…” Luke pulled her a few yards from the door and fresh out of earshot. “I think you deserve to know what that was back there.”

“Really though… why was everyone freaking out about you all being runaways? I mean we are too, what’s the big deal? What can't you tell us?”

“Shh,” Luke held a finger to his lips as he cast a shifty gaze behind him, nervous someone stood behind him holding his every word. “So the thing is… it sounds dumb saying it out loud.”

“Just say it,” Alex egged.

“We’re The Runaways,” Luke sighed.

“Yeah we all are… we covered this.”

“No, like The Runaways. It’s a gang. We kind of all ended up here on accident. But we’ve been keeping a low profile until we all turned eighteen. Luckily Ava’s Birthday was last week and we’re out of here in a few days.”

“What kind of gang?”

“We’ve uh… we’ve put our dent in this town. We have to get out of here before they realize some of the damage we’ve done is because of our hands.”

“What kind of damage?” Alex swallowed, her voice cracking.

“Sometimes, secrets are best.”

Silence.

“Where are you guys going?” Alex wondered.

“Anywhere. We’ve got a couple cars between the few of us… enough to drive off into the sunset.”

“Romantic idea.”

“If you and your brother play your cards right, you could tag along.”

“Oh, probably not. I’m not thinking we could, or would,” Alex began, shaking her head anxiously.

“What else do you have to go back to? Where are you going? Because to me, it seemed like you didn’t come from a home. And with you guys ending up in the middle of nowhere, I’m guessing you don’t have a destination in mind. Just think about it. If you want of course. I have to get going though…it’s late.”


---


Alex awoke the next morning to an empty garage. Not even Ashton was still asleep on his dusty futon. She tried rubbing her eyes to emit the sleepiness that loomed under her now dull eyes. Throwing herself up, she began her search.

The morning sun was still weak and she imagined it to only be dawn. The colors of the sky were golden and pink and Alex couldn’t help but admire the Ferris Wheel in the distance. Now at a stand still. But it was silent and no one was in sight. She sat in the course grass and decided to wait for them to arrive sooner or later.

“Alex! Morning,” Ashton crooned from behind her. The sun was stronger now and she was catching herself dozing off.

“Hey, where were you?” Alex asked, noticing Niall in Ashton's shadow.

“The car. And it can’t be fixed… Not for a while at least. The parts are uh… really expensive,” Ashton scratched the back of his neck.

“Follow me,” Niall suddenly beckoned. He had been lurking by the garage when he summoned them. “Listen,” he began to walk towards his pick up parked further down the dirt road. “I heard Luke talking to you last night.”

Alex’s stomach tightened. Would Luke get in trouble with the others for spilling their plans? Their secrets?

“Don’t worry. It’s okay. I won’t tell Harry or Ava. They’re the only ones apprehensive of your being here. But I was wondering if you had put more thought into whether you want to come or not,” Niall asked.

“Actually, I haven’t,” Alex said. In all truth she thought about it, but didn’t talk to Ashton or come to a conclusion herself.

“My thoughts… why not? I like you guys,” Niall said, loading into his truck. Ashton sat shotgun as Niall filled him in.

They had driven into ‘town’ by the time Niall had finished explaining. Ashton turned back and looked at Alex. His expression was unreadable for Alex so she waited for him to talk first.

“What do you think?” Ashton asked. His eyes big and green, curiosity brimming.

“I think… we have nothing else to go back to. So why not?”

“Yeah… yeah,” Ashton looked forward, pondering.

“You guys have a couple days. If you want to come, I advise you do your best to suck up to the others. Ava will take some work. So you better start now. Don’t tell the others you were invited. It’s a secret. Wait until the others bring it up, and hopefully they will. Cause if the others don’t invite you on their own, you aren’t coming.”

Alex swallowed, realizing her future depended Ava.

Stubborn, cynical Ava.

Notes

What'd ya think!

xxxx