Page 86 of I Don't Need Your Protection
“In case someone finds it, we don’t want it traced back to us,” Clarissa explains as she unlocks the car. “It belongs to my brother.”
Luna opens a garage door for the car to drive out of, and then she hops into the car. It seems the rain has gotten heavy again, and I think I hear thunder in the distance.
“So much for the light rain,” I say. “And we didn’t bring jackets.”
Clarissa stares at her pajamas and then hits her forehead. “How stupid. Should we back out?”
“No way,” Luna says. “We made it this far.”
“We can order from the window,” Jemma reminds her. “We won’t need to leave the car.”
“That’s right. Okay, let’s go as fast as possible.”
As Clarissa drives us toward the ice cream shop, the rain gets even heavier. I want to tell her to head back, but the girlsseem adamant about seeing this dare through. Maybe I need to relax and just go with the flow. After all, I want to have fun with these girls.
“Hey, should we show her the place?” Clarissa asks the others.
Luna and Jemma exchange a look. “You think she’s ready?” Luna asks.
“I think so,” Jemma agrees.
“What?” I ask.
Clarissa slows down before what looks like an abandoned area. She kills the engine and opens the door.
“What are we doing here?” I ask.
“We want to show you something,” she says. “Another secret only the three of us know about.”
“But it’s raining,” I remind them.
“It’s worth it,” Jemma tells me. “Trust us.” They get out of the car and shield their faces.
Once again feeling good that they’re sharing another secret with me, I get out of the car. Clarissa takes hold of my arm and leads me further down. It’s hard to see because of the rain, but it appears like there are a lot of destroyed and abandoned buildings.
Suddenly, she gives me a big shove, sending me tumbling to the ground. My palms scrape across the pavement and I cry out.
“Stay away from Warner!” she yells as she kicks what looks like discarded boxes and old wood at me.
“What?” I ask, covering my face as she kicks other things atme. Luna and Jemma do the same.
“Who the heck do you think you are?” Clarissa continues to yell. “You come tomyschool and stealmyboyfriend. Go back to where you came from, you freak! If I see you go near Warner again, I’ll make your life at Harrington Bay a living hell.”
She and the others kick a few more things at me and then sprint away. I hear the sound of a car drive off.
I slowly lower my hands from my face and blink as the cold rain pelts down on me. Did they just abandon me here?
I don’t understand. Was this the reason Clarissa invited me to her sleepover? So they could abandon me here? My friends were right about her—she is a witch. She’s been after Warner all this time. I’m such an idiot for thinking I could trust her.
With the rain showering down on me so heavily I can barely breathe, I manage to find a half-demolished building that has a tiny spot to take cover from the rain. It barely shields my body, though. I cross my arms over my chest and shiver, trying to keep my face clear so I can breathe. Was not taking my jacket part of Clarissa’s plan? All I’m wearing is my pajamas.
What can I do other than wait for the rain to let up? I have no phone and can’t call anyone. I can try to find an open store and use their phone, but is it safe for me to walk all alone at this hour in nothing but soaked pajamas? Then again, it’s not any safer staying here.
I try to fold myself into my hiding spot so no one would find me here. It still doesn’t protect me much from the rain. “Please make it stop,” I beg whoever will listen. “Please make the rain stop.”
It doesn’t seem like it’s getting any lighter. In fact, it gets heavier. My body shakes so badly and my limbs have grown numb. Even if I want to leave, I don’t think my legs could support me. I think…I think I might die.
Is this my end? Dying in the rain because of a bunch of horrible girls? What would my parents say if they saw me like this? They would be heartbroken. But if I do die…at least I’ll see them again.
