Page 96 of Wandering in Darkness
“Antonio, you really don’t have to,” I assure him. “These two seek out danger, but you don’t have to. You’re normal.”
“Hey! We are absolutelymostlynormal!” Felix protests. “We’re going to go get our bags packed, right, Lane?”
“Not sure what we’re packing, but sure,” Lane says.
“Well, we need pig food and dog food, and you need to see if your sister will watch Clawdia. She’s a bit reluctant when it comes to adventure.”
I shake my head. “You’re not taking your pig!”
“Don’t listen to him, Oinky! He’s just jealous he doesn’t have a pig to take on adventures,” Felix says as he drags Lane after him.
“If the three of us leave right now, do you think they’ll be able to find us?” I ask.
“They’d probably beat us there,” Antonio says.
“Not with your driving,” Grayson mutters.
Antonio’s eyebrow arches. “Why do you say that like my driving is sketchy? I am aphenomenaldriver. I’ve never even gotten a ticket!”
“How many police chases have you been in?” I ask.
“I mean… people don’t say that, right? They say how many tickets they’ve gotten,” Antonio says.
“Because it’s usually not something one should have to ask,” Grayson explains.
“I don’t understand,” Antonio says as he pushes the container of syrup around. “Your words are hard to understand.”
“Are they?” I ask, quite skeptical.
“Do I need an overnight bag? Is this an overnight trip? I’ll head home and grab some stuff and pick you guys up in like twenty-five minutes? I’ll be pretty quick.”
“Don’t you live like twenty minutes away?” I ask.
“He’s going to outrun the cops on the way there,” Grayson tells me.
“Shush it, both of you! I don’t live that far away! That’s Frank’s place! I’m finding new friends who appreciate me!”
I smirk. “You’re stuck with us now.”
“We’ll see about that,” he grumbles as he heads off.
I look over at Grayson. “Like… should I pack? How do we plan for an operation like this?”
“I don’t know, but you guys can stay at my place tonight. That way you at least don’t have to drive all the way back tonight.”
“Okay, true,” I say. “I’ll grab my stuff… I guess we’d drive separately, then? You’re not going to come back here afterward, right?”
“I will go wherever you want me to go.”
I raise an eyebrow, assuming he’s teasing. “Funny.”
“I’m not joking. If you want to live here, I’ll move here. I have no attachment to where I’m staying. I want to be wherever you’ll be happiest.”
“Hmm…”
“If that’s okay.”
“Hmm…”
