‘Do we think that’s a little overdramatic?’ Aaliyah said from somewhere above him.
‘Are youjoking?’ Lily sounded very muffled. Maybe Aaliyah was on top of her face. ‘You said we were overcautious and we immediately had a fairly big crash and now you’re thinking it’s overdramatic worrying about a possible explosion?’
Okay, good, so they were both alright.
‘Johanna?’ Matt called. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Yes I am but I’m not sure if I can get out by myself,’ Johanna said. ‘I am very sorry.’
‘Not your fault,’ Matt said.
‘Really?’ Aaliyah said.
‘It clearly wasn’t on purpose,’ Lily said.
‘Right, so let’s get out as fast as we can.’ Matt moved a bit and Lily said ‘Ow.’
‘Sorry. Can one of you open the door on the top side?’
There was some thrashing around and then Aaliyah said, ‘Done it. It’s open. I’m going to get out.’ There was a lot more thrashing, which wasn’t that comfortable, and then a lot of the weight on top of Matt disappeared very suddenly, and then almost immediately Aaliyah yelled, ‘Owwwww. Fuck, fuck, fuck.’
‘Aaliyah,’ screamed Lily, right in Matt’s ear. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Hurt my ankle.Reallyhurt it.’ Aaliyah sounded like she was panting.
‘That does not sound good,’ Lily whispered. Then she shouted, ‘You’re going to be totally fine. We’re coming to help you right now.’ Then she went back to whispering. ‘I don’t think I can get myself out because I’m kind of upside down.’
‘Okay.’ Matt could see a lot better now that there were only two of them in the back. ‘I think the easiest thing is if I pull myself out and then help you and Johanna out.’ He was a lot taller and a lot heavier than Lily.
‘Okay. Bereallycareful. Total disaster if you hurt yourself too. You have to help Johanna out before me.’ Lily was right; out of courtesy he did have to get Johanna out first.
Matt hauled himself up to the top and then got out a lot more carefully than Aaliyah had. He lifted a moaning Aaliyah out of the hole she’d fallen into and carried her, fast, down the track out of harm’s way, before helping Johanna extricate herself, also as fast as he could, feeling increasingly panic-stricken about Lily still stuck in there. He turned round to get her, his heart beating uncomfortably quickly with worry, just in time to see her jump nimbly down from the car onto the track, away from the hole. He grabbed her hand and they ran down the road to the other two.
‘You two aresuchworriers,’ Aaliyah said. ‘Look at you sprint there. The car is not going to blow up.’
Aaliyah had been wrong about a fair few things so far this journey. They all turned as one and looked at the car. And waited, expectantly.
And it did not blow up.
‘I’m genuinely surprised about that,’ Matt said.
‘Your head’s bleeding,’ Lily told Johanna.
‘It doesn’t hurt,’ Johanna said. ‘Please ignore it.’
‘Hmm.’ Lily narrowed her eyes. ‘I hope you aren’t just being brave.’
‘I’mnotbeing brave,’ Aaliyah said. ‘My anklereallyhurts. I can’t walk. You two are going to have to go and get help while Johanna and I stay here.’
‘You and me?’ Johanna didn’t look delighted.
‘Yes,’ said Aaliyah. ‘I think they’ll be quicker than you.’
Lily looked between Aaliyah, Johanna and Matt like she wasn’t too keen on Aaliyah’s suggestion either, and then after a couple of seconds nodded. Matt agreed. He wasn’t keen to go for a walk with Lily, but Aaliyah was right.
‘I’m so sorry that we’re asking so much of you, Johanna,’ Lily said, ‘but since there are four of us it kind of makes sense to split into two twos. How’s your head feeling? I just need to ask you a few questions.’ She ran through someHow many fingers am I holding upandWho’s the prime minister of Greecetype questions that people always asked you when they thought you might be concussed. ‘Yep, I think we’re okay to leave the two of you.’
‘Yes,go.’ Aaliyah did shooing motions with her hands.
