Wild Chase by Storm V (best electronic book reader .txt) 📕

All I could hear in the car was heavy breathing. I sat there with a smile because I had just escaped death. Ian met my eye through the rear-view mirror and he had that knowing look. He knew exactly what I was thinking, this was the first dare-devily thing I had done and, even though I wasn’t supposed to, I was feeling really excited. Maybe, it was the adrenaline rush but it felt amazing. I had never tried to do anything new or anything like this for the simple reason that I always thought I was going to fail and the outcome of my failure. But that, what had just happened, had changed everything.

 We stood outside the next Plaza and I was pretty sure we wouldn’t be able to get in. It was a mansion right in the middle of the city, with a gate and compound walls. There was probably no Room 7 either. It didn’t take very long to reach there with the car since it was only walking distance from the previous one. My hands were shoved deep into my pockets because the cold was unbearable and I needed to find longer pants. “So...” I trailed off.

“My tools can’t get us in there.” Ian stated. I shot him a look but he didn’t see because he was looking at the beautiful house.

“Unless they’ve numbered the rooms, I don’t think there’s a Room 7 there.” I said.

“Unless it’s a boarding house.” Alex suggested.

“Weird place for a boarding house but yes, it could be one.” Ian shrugged.

Before they could stop me, or rather I stop myself; I pushed the intercom button and waited. I couldn’t believe I had just done that. Now all I had to do was come up with an excuse for coming into the house and examine Room 7.

“What are you doing?” Alex whispered.                                                                  

“Buzzing us in?” I guessed. I didn’t have an appropriate answer to that question.

He looked at me, stunned and that scared me. “Okay that was a probably bad idea. Let’s go!” I said and walked away from the gate before the people inside could answer. I heard the buzz from a few feet away.

“Hello?” Ian called. I turned around and saw Ian sticking his mouth near the mouth piece and Alex looking back at me. We were all supposed to walk away not strike up a conversation with the intercom of a boarding house.

“What are you doing?” I whispered.

“Getting us in!” Ian answered and turned his attention back to the lady on the speaker.

“Yes, who is this?” A frail voice came through it.

“This is a boarding house right?” Ian said with confidence. I even heard a hint of a French accent. What was he thinking?

“Yes?” The voice said.

“Oh good! We’re looking for a someone.” Ian went on.

“Ah! Are you looking for Bianca? She was expecting you a little earlier.” The lady asked, suddenly chirpier.  This lady was the worst care-taker ever. If I was her, I wouldn’t send any of my girls out of the house in the middle of the night to meet anyone, especially a boy. She didn’t know we were here, only Ian.

“Yes!” Ian exclaimed.

“Okay, I’ll send her out.” The lady said.

“No no!” Ian yelled, the accent disappearing. “Actually yes, that would be great!” Ian said with the slight accent again. I didn’t know what he was up to and it was freaking me out. I heard another buzz and the gate clicked open. We were in. Ian grabbed Alex by his elbow. “Okay dude, I don’t care how you do it but you have to get the girl to let you check out Room 7. If they have one.” Ian told him and pushed him into the gate.

“What?” Alex said with a panicked voice. “Why me alone?” Where are you guys going to be?” He asked.

“Three people she doesn’t know coming is just going to look weird. And you alone because two guys she doesn’t know will worry her out and Rachel can’t talk to people she doesn’t know.” Ian said in a rush and pushed him again.

“Then why can’t Rachel and I go together?” Alex asked and I shook my head.

“Yeah she’s right. Do you really want a weird girl standing by your side while you talk to the, probably pretty, girl who will show you Room 7?” Ian asked. He was getting irritated with Alex’s questions. However harsh that sounded, it was right. I was just going to ruin it. Ian knew it; I knew it and now, Alex knew it.

“Fine I’ll do it!” Ian replied equally irritated that he would have to do it alone. He walked in and Ian shut the gate behind him.

He came out around fifteen minutes later with a goofy smile on his face and immediately  wiped it off when Ian walked up to him. “So?” Ian asked and moved closer to them.

“There is a Room 7 which was empty. Had been empty for the past couple of months and no one had come to check it out.” Alex replied and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.

“But they could break in.” Ian said.

“No they can’t but I did leave my number with her and she said she’s give me a call.” He said that goofy smile paying on his lips again. He liked her. Or he was going to get a date. He scored. I was happy for him... I think. Of course I cursed her when he was going in, but that was instinct. As soon as I realised what I was doing I stopped and tried to not let it bother me.

“Okay so next Plaza?” Ian asked and looked at me. I nodded and waited for the answer Google provided.

Alex looked at me and I looked at me shoes because all of a sudden, they seemed a lot more intriguing than what was about to happen. I knew what was going to happen, Alex was going start a conversation about the girl and I was going to say something really humiliating. Ian better hurry up with the directions.

“Hey,” Alex whispered and I realised he was closer than I expected.

“Hi,” I replied without looking up. “So you got a date?” I asked. That was the exact stupid thing I wanted to avoid saying. I didn’t even know I was going to say it. It was like my brain was just spitting out things before it finished the thinking process.

“No, I only gave her my number.” He replied and I could feel him looking at me. “Plus I like someone else.”

“Oooh! Who?” I looked up at him and asked him. I was smiling for some reason. Maybe because I hoped it was me. He didn’t reply instead, he just looked at me with that left-sided smile. I usually never spoke this much, what was happening to me? “Sorry, I should have asked that. I don’t know what happening to me; I usually never say things like that.” I apologised and looked down.

“You usually never say anything,” he pointed out.

I couldn’t help but smile. I let the silence settle because I really didn’t know how to reply to that. “Why did you come with us?” I asked. There it was again, my brain had to stop making my mouth blurt out things before processing it. “I mean, looking for Claire.” I clarified when I saw his puzzled look.

“Because I’m her friend and I want to help her.” He shrugged.

I nodded and continued looking at my feet before rapidly jumping with excitement. “You’re her friend!” I said loudly. Ian looked over and Alex nodded slowly.

“Do you have her number?”I asked.”God! Why didn’t I think of that before?” I muttered to myself.

“Yes! I can’t believe we didn’t think of that!” Alex yelled, equally excited, and pulled out his phone. “I’m going to put in on loud-speaker.” He said and did exactly that. We all stood huddled around the phone and waited for Claire to answer.

“Hello?” Claire’s voice came through the phone and I nearly yelled with joy but I just settled for jumping with excitement.

“Hey Claire, it’s Alex.” Alex said.

“I have your number saved. What’s up?” She giggled. I stopped jumping and listen; it wasn’t very easy to do both at the same time.

“I was wondering what you were doing tonight...” He trailed off

“A couple of us are going to catch a late movie. Want to join us?” She asked casually.

“No sorry. I’m busy. But what are you doing after that?” He enquired.

“Umm... Janice invited me for a sleepover.” She said. “What’s going on?” she asked. But as soon as I heard Naomi’s name I jumped. I knew I recognised the voice on the phone, I just couldn’t place it.

“Oh nothing, I just wanted to get a last minute brush up on trigonometry before Monday’s test.” Alex lied with ease. “When did you guys get so close?” Alex enquired.

“Um... a couple of weeks now. Actually, Therese and Naomi are kinda close so that’s how we... you know... Sorry about the last minute brush up by the way. How about tomorrow?” She asked.

“I’ll call you and let you know,” Alex said as he eyed me jumping up and down. If I stopped I knew I would yell and say something that could ruin this.

As they said good bye I was still jumping because I was so excited and it heated up my body. Ian gave me a weird look and I just smiled because the night was finally looking up. “Okay Rachel. Calm. The. Hell. Down.”  Ian said when Alex finally got off the phone.

“Okay. Right, sorry.” I smiled sheepishly and stopped.

“Why are you so happy?” Alex asked.

“So the voice on the phone in the evening, the one that said where and everything...” I trailed off and the boys nodded. “So the voice sounded familiar but I didn’t bother because... well.... I don’t know! But now that she mentioned Naomi I recognised it! And the other girl was Janice!” I yelled and jumped again. Oh this was great! I think, I wasn’t sure if it helped us right at that moment but at least who wanted to hurt Claire.

“What?” Alex asked and started laughing. “Why would Naomi and Janice want to hurt Claire? They’re harmless.”

“Harmless?” Ian asked. “Are we talking about the same people?”

“From our school.” Alex answered.

“Yes. They’re far from harmless.” Ian said. They never did anything to him. What was he talking about?

“They’re mean sometimes but that’s it.” Alex defended them. Something changed inside me when he said that. I was angry that he was defending them. But it was only natural that he defended them. They were his friends and well, they were nice to him. He didn’t know the hell they had put me through for the past two years

“Sometimes?!” Ian was beyond irritated. “You don’t know the things they do to Rachel!” Ian yelled pointing at me. Both the boys looked at me. Ian with anger burning in his eyes and Alex with confusion. I never wanted to anyone to find out about that, especially Alex. This was not supposed to happen. We were supposed to find Claire.

“What do