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Chapter 26: Conflict

Lucas didn’t know what had gotten over him. It could’ve been the fact that he was sleep-deprived, hungry, tired, frustrated because of the uncertainty of their situation, or just because for the past few weeks, he had had no one else to talk to but Gia and Jersey. And Jersey wasn’t much of a talker, what with being a dog and all.

Or maybe it was just because secretly he knew she was right.

This had gone too far.

It was completely unrealistic to believe that they could survive on their own with no money what so ever. But the other option, going back home, seemed just as unpleasant. He didn’t want to go back home to…

Lucas shuddered in horror. The mere thought of Tina made him want to stick a pen through his eye, into his brain and swirl it around.

But still, Gia had a point. And now Lucas felt bad about yelling at her. He also couldn’t help but be a bit worried.

He hadn’t gotten very far, so he turned around and walked back the same route that he had came, hoping to find Gia and Jersey where he left them. But that had been at least 20 minutes ago. It was very unlikely that they’d still be there.

And he was right, as it turned out. The bench by the fountain was empty. He sighed, sitting down, and thought through his options.

Go on his way and hope that Gia finds her way back home?

Or go wander around in the big city, hoping to run into her.

Or perhaps –

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a high-pitched scream. He easily recognized it, as he had been yelled at by the same voice for the past few months. And it did not seem like Gia was doing too well. When he heard loud barking that sounded like the dog had gone insane from the anger, he rose and ran fast, following the noise.

It didn’t take him long to get to the source of all the ruckus (actually he was surprised no one else had heard and followed it), but he froze when he found them.

Jersey looked ready to attack, barking and growling like he had rabies, his sharp teeth revealed to the man he had trapped into a corner in a dark parking lot. Whenever the man tried to move, Jersey would move closer, ready to stop his escape.

Lucas wondered why Jersey didn’t just attack, but then he realized that the dog had probably been waiting for him to come and solve the situation. That’s why he barked, instead of just growling. Jersey was way smarter than he looked.

Lucas’ eyes scanned the parking lot from the shadows where he still stood, pondering the situation and how to proceed. At first he didn’t see Gia.

Then, he noticed the small figure lying on the ground not too far behind Jersey. His initial thought, which was to come up with a plan, was replaced in panic. Without thinking at all, Lucas ran over to Gia.

As soon as he noticed him, Jersey forgot about the man he had trapped, only for a second. But that time was enough for him to realize it was his moment to escape, and that’s exactly what he did.

Jersey started barking again, and was about to follow him, when Lucas commanded him not to. Obediently the dog became quiet and sat down beside Gia.

She must’ve fallen down. Or perhaps the man had pushed her, maybe there was a struggle even. After making sure that she had a pulse and was still breathing, he tried to shake her awake. She didn’t seem to have any physical injuries. At least, not any visible ones.

“Gia? Wake up,” he said, shaking her lightly. It took a while, but eventually her eyes slowly opened.

“Lucas?” she asked, surprised to see him. “What happened?”

“I was going to ask you the same,” Lucas answered. “Come on, stand up.”

He helped her up, but as soon as she put some weight on her leg, she nearly fell again if Lucas hadn’t caught her.

“What is it?”

“My ankle. It really hurts.”

“Can you walk?”

“Walk? I can barely stand!” she snapped at him. Instantly she felt bad for saying that. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. But we need to go. Lean on me and I’ll help you walk, okay?”

Gia wrapped an arm around him as his was firmly around her torso to keep her up. She couldn’t put any weight on her ankle, so she could only use one leg.

“Where are we going?” she asked him as they slowly made their way in the dark city.

“I saw a payphone over there. I’m going to call my mom.”

Gia stopped limping, making him stop too. He was giving up. She hadn’t really expected him to, but he had.

“You were right. This has gone too far. We need to go back,” Lucas explained. She saw that he was hesitant to say these things, but still she knew that he meant every word. He just didn’t want to believe it.

“Lucas, you don’t have to do this because of me,” she said.

He grinned. Boy, was she glad to see that grin on his face again. They hadn’t had a lot of things to smile about in the past few weeks. “I think you’ve made it very clear that you can’t last 20 minutes without me. Now come on, let’s go.”
_____________________________

Gerard and Mikey drove to the airport. Driving all the way to Nevada would have taken too long, whereas a plane could take them there in an hour.

“I need to get to Nevada”, Gerard said hurriedly and took out his wallet.

“I am sorry sir, but there are no planes leaving at least in the next four days”, the cheerful lady behind the high counter said.

“But I need to go to Nevada now!”

Because Gerard was becoming a nervous wreck, Mikey pushed him away so he wouldn’t scare the lady.

“Listen, we have to get to Nevada. His daughter is there and she might be in trouble. Is there anything you can do?”

The lady kept the polite smile on her face. “I am sorry, but all flights have been canceled because of the aviator strike. If you have booked your flight beforehand, the cost of the ticket will be returned to you if you fill out this form.”

Gerard glared at the lady. If looks could kill, she would have died a very violent, painful death a long time ago.

“Come on Gerard, we have to think of something else”, Mikey said, even though he was just as disappointed as his brother. Hesitantly Gerard followed Mikey back to the parking lot.

“What now?” Mikey asked when they got there.

Gerard shrugged. “We drive.”

“That could take days.”

“I don’t care if you come or not, but I’m going.”

Mikey’s phone started ringing and because it was the police, he had to take it. “It’s the police. Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right back.”

Mikey went to talk on the phone and after a few minutes he came back with a sort of an amused look on his face.

“The kids they thought were Gia and Lucas had different hair colors and different names. You’ll never guess what they called themselves”, Mikey said.

“What?”

“Frank and Helena.”

Gerard’s eyes widened. “That’s got to be them! Did they know where they were going?”

“Sacramento. They must be looking for his mom.”

For the first time in weeks, Gerard didn’t feel completely useless. He knew where Gia was, kind of, and even if he didn’t, he’d still be happy.

She had been seen. That meant she was alive. As time had progressed and he hadn’t been in any contact with her, he had became increasingly certain that she was dead. Now he knew different. But he wouldn’t allow himself to be absolutely certain until he’s hugging the life out of her.

______________________________

Lucas had found his mom’s number on the phonebook, and called her. She had immediately promised to pick them up despite it being well past midnight, and commanded them to stay where they are.

Gia felt a constant pulsing pain on her ankle, and had to keep her leg straight and down in order for it to not hurt so much that she’d scream. They sat by the side of a building where his mother had instructed them to go so she’d find them better.

“How’s your ankle?” Lucas asked. They had been sitting for at least an hour already, so his mom should be there soon.

“It still hurts. And I think I have a bump on my head,” she sighed, holding a hand on the back of her head.

“What exactly happened?”

“I’m not sure. Me and Jersey were just walking, and suddenly there was this guy. I think he had a knife. He attacked me, demanding money, and then Jersey jumped on him and I fell and… I just blacked out.”

“How do you always manage to find trouble? Honestly, I was gone for 20 minutes. I can’t trust you alone for a second.”

Gia smiled. “I’m just glad you’re back. And not just because I’d get killed by myself.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry for yelling at you… And for the record, you were right. We need to go back.”

“I’m sorry too. I know how you feel, so I shouldn’t have… I mean, I’m not sure what’s gonna happen with me and my dad. But I want to try.”

“And I guess I should give Tina a chance. But just one.”

They talked for a few minutes longer, until they saw the bright headlights of a car. A beige BWM pulled up in front of the building and Lucas immediately stood up. The door opened and a woman got out from the car.

Lucas ran straight to the woman, and she wrapped him in a tight hug. Gia followed more slowly, half because she didn’t want to interrupt the sweet family moment and half because she still limped because of the sprained ankle.

“Oh my god, I was so worried,” the woman cried. “Your father called every day and your brother almost came back home. You ever run away again and I will kill you so bad that you wish you never crawled out of me.”

“Mom, that’s disgusting,” he complained, and struggled to get free from her wrath. Eventually she did let go, and wiped off the tears from her eyes.

“I’m sorry, I’m just so glad you’re okay. We thought you were dead.”

“Well I’m not,” he said.

“And… She is your friend? Or should I say partner in crime?”

Lucas pulled Gia closer, and said: “Yeah, this is Gia.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Evelyn, but you can call me Evie. Of course, the circumstances could be better. Lucas mentioned something about your leg hurting?”

“Um… Twisted my ankle a bit…” Gia answered shyly.

“Well, I’ll check it out when we get back to my house, okay? I took some ice for you, it’s in the backseat.”

“Did you bring what I asked?” Lucas asked.

His mom smiled. “Yes, three sandwiches, a box of cereals and all fourteen cheeseburgers are all in there as well. Get in, you two.”

The drive lasted a little over an hour, but during that time the soft , heated up seats made the two of them fall fast asleep.
______________________________________

When Gia woke up, she felt like she had been hit with a hammer. There was a pounding pain at the back of her head, but her ankle felt better. Her body was covered with something soft and warm, and the thing she laid on felt like a cloud.

When she removed the soft, white duvet, she was met with cold air. She noticed that she had been laying on a big bed. She didn’t recognize the room, and it took her a while to realize where she was.

Lucas’ mom’s house. That meant that her dad was probably on his way to get her and bring her back home.

After making sure that she could walk properly without snapping her ankle, Gia left the room. She slowly walked on the halls, following the strong smell of freshly made coffee. It reminded her of home. Gerard always made coffee the first thing in the morning.

Gia stopped at the open entrance to the kitchen, hiding behind a wall when she heard a soft female voice.

“You have no idea how worried we’ve all been. Your father called me so many times. He and Tina were dying of worry.”

“I’m sorry.” Gia recognized this voice. It was Lucas.

“It’s been crazy. Amber alerts, your pictures on TV and newspapers... The FBI was even contacted” the woman continued. “Your father will be so relieved when he finds out you’re okay.”

“Please don’t tell anyone”, Lucas said. “Not yet, at least. I have to talk to Gia before anything happens.”

She replied after a short pause. “Alright. But only because you asked and I missed you so much. But I can’t keep it a secret forever. Your father – and her family as well –need to know that you’re safe.”

Gia agreed with her. They needed to know.

“Now, go see if Gia is awake. I’ll fix you two some late breakfast.”

“I’m already up,” Gia said quietly, stepping into the kitchen. Her cheeks felt warm from the blush, and she hoped that they wouldn’t think that she had been eavesdropping. Which she had.

“Good morning,” the two of them said.

“Sit down. Would you like some breakfast?” Evie asked.

“Yes please.”

When she sat down by the table on the opposite side from Lucas, he said: “We need to talk.”

Gia nodded, agreeing. “Yeah. We do.”

She had never been this homesick.