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Race Cars | Shook Chapter 23 Part 3
Dyan escaped the mansion with the Blue brothers and they're making their way down the neighborhood roads surrounded by forest...
“Where are we going!?” Dyan said with what little breath she had.
“To the bridge!” Navy yelled back. Maya and the others are s’posed to meet us there!”
True groggily unbuckled her carseat and slid out of the car. Mrs. Blue had just shaken her awake and told her they had made it to the hotel Dad and her siblings were staying at. Bear was barking like crazy, his deep ROOF ROOF! Echoing in the silent morning.
Fog was coming from True’s mouth as she breathed, and she could see frost forming on some people’s cars. Her gloves did nothing. True felt as if she had just dunked her bare hands in ice water, and handn’t taken them out yet.
“Maine is too cold!” True yelled.
As they walked across the parking lot to the hotel, True had to run just to catch up with Mom, who shouldn’t have been going so fast.
“Can I stay in the car? I’m tired,” True said.
“Quit whining, girl.” Mom snapped. She struggled to walk, adjusting Baby Teal every so often in her arms while walking Bear with her other hand.
True huffed and crossed her arms, but Mom still wouldn’t let her be. “Here, hold Bear,” Mom gave Bear’s leash handle to True. Mothers are so mean, True thought.
Then Bear turned to the side and started to bark louder and more consistently, yanking right so hard True tripped. Then Mom stopped walking so abruptly True nearly bumped into her, she looked up to see her Mom staring to the right.
“Maya!?” Mom yelled over to Maya, who was walking on the sidewalk nearby.
Maya jumped and her hands flew up. She glanced at Mom and True with wide eyes.
“What are you doing over there!?” Mom asked.
“Oh, uh, nothing!” Maya quickly sped over to the two. When Teal noticed Maya, she squealed and smiled. “Mom, what are you doing here!? I thought you were states away!”
“I was, but I missed you and your brothers and sister so much. I have to give you each a proper goodbye kiss.”
Mom then leaned down and kissed Maya’s forehead, and with her free arm gave Maya a hug. Maya hesitated to return it. When the hug was over, Teal reached a hand out for Maya, and when Mom asked Maya if she wanted to hold Teal, she did, wordlessly.
“Have a good year at school, baby.” Mom smiled at Maya.
“Goodbye, Mom.” Maya said more seriously, staring off at the forest beyond the hotel. True wondered why Maya would be acting so robot-y.
“Now truthfully hon, why are you outside? And where’s your father?” Mom asked.
Maya held out her finger for Teal to grab. “Oh, I just uh, needed some fresh air. I’ve got a big semester coming up after all! Dad’s right inside! You should go talk with him while I tell True all about our trip here.”
Mom glared at Maya, who gave her smile. Mom smiled back and said, “okay,” She took Bear's leash from True and tied the dog to a light pole at the curb and went inside.
Maya looked around quickly and drew in a wet breath through grit teeth. She walked into the road, then stopped, and handed Teal to True.
Teal was heavy! True sat at the curb on the sidewalk to not collapse completely. Now the back of her skirt would be dirty by sidewalk germs! Dumb Maya!
“Why are you giving me Teal!?” True asked, and Maya quickly shushed her.
Maya looked around once more. After, she focused her full attention on her younger sis. “True, I’m going to tell you something top secret that Mom and Dad can’t know, so don't tell them.”
“Why!? What are you up to, Maya!?”
“SSSSHH!” Maya hissed and stomped her foot repeatedly. “Do you want to know or not!? ‘Cause if you don’t be quiet I’m NEVER telling you!”
True was shocked. Maya usually said she wouldn’t tell True about something, not she’d never tell True about something. True backed up, almost tripping off the curb.
“What is it?” True asked.
“Will you tell!?”
“No!”
Maya looked around, then leaned down to True’s eye level. “I’m running away. Well, me and the rest of the crew.”
There was silence.
Then True asked, “For real?” and Maya nodded.
Warm tears made True’s vision blurry. “I will never see you again?” she wavered.
Maya hugged True tight, as tears slid down her face. “Don’t cry. We’ll mail you. Or, better yet, you can come with us. We don’t have that much room, but you and Teal can still squish with us.”
“Really!?” True asked, pulling away.
“Shh! Will you keep it down!? She’ll hear you!”
Maya pointed to the window and took Teal out of True’s hands.
True got up and looked through the dark windows to see Mom talking with the staff lady at the front desk.
“We have to hurry if we don’t want to get caught. Dyan and the others should be waiting for us on the other side of her neighborhood bridge,” Maya explained, her breath turning to fog in the winter sun.
“And how are we going to get there?” True whispered.
That’s when Maya reached into her coat pocket and pulled out some keys.
True’s eyes widened. “But you can’t drive!”
Maya’s hands slammed the air. “We don’t have a choice! Besides, I’ve seen Dad drive the truck loads of times, could it be that hard?”
Find out what happens next in the next part!
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