Page 14 of What Comes After

“What do you think that’s about?” I asked her.

Her eyes widened, and she looked scared. “I don’t know. We should probably head back.”

Devyn and I didn’t waste any time. We climbed out from our hiding spot and jogged back toward home base. As we got closer, we could see the police car had stopped in the middle of the road right between our houses, and both my parents and Devyn’s parents were talking to the officers.

“Uh, oh. I think we’re going to be in trouble.”

“Yeah, me too.”

When we were a few feet away, my dad looked in our direction and said, “There they are.”

“Oh, thank God,” Rhonda said.

“Are you okay?” my mom asked.

“Where were the two of you?” David questioned us.

I didn’t know who we were supposed to answer first, but luckily, we didn’t have to. “This is them?” one of the officers asked.

“Yes. Yes, we’re so sorry,” Devyn’s mom replied.

Devyn and I had stopped walking when we were standing a few feet away, and the officers looked at the both of us. “Are you two okay?”

We hadn’t done anything wrong, but I was still scared, thinking we were going to be arrested or something.

“We’re okay,” Devyn answered. “We were playing hide-and-seek, but nobody found us. We decided to come back when we heard the sirens.”

“How long were you hiding?” he asked.

Both of us shrugged our shoulders.

“Didn’t you hear us all calling for you?”

My mom’s voice told me she was angry but trying not to be too mad in front of the policemen.

“We were talking to each other the whole time. We didn’t hear anyone calling us.”

“I’m just glad you’re both alright,” my dad said.

He didn’t seem angry at all, so I thought I might not get into too much trouble later.

For the next few minutes, our parents spoke with the officers before they left. The game was over for the night, and Devyn and I each went with our parents into our own houses.

I didn’t get into too much trouble that night, but my parents did sit me down to talk to me about what Devyn and I had done.

And when I got in my bed that night, I realized it didn’t bother me that I’d gotten into trouble. I’d had so much fun sitting in that tunnel, talking and laughing with my best friend.

THREE

Theo

Four years later

“I think that’s it.”

I knew we were close, but I hadn’t realized I was going to hear those words from my dad today.

“Really?” I asked.

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