Suddenly I have a whole new understanding of my Aunt Kate. She left home when she turned eighteen, too. She didn’t want her trust fund, or the family money. She made a new life for herself here on the east coast.
Who says I can’t do the same thing?
Belle is paler than usual when I get back to our dorm. “You’re leaving,” she says just before she crushes me to her in a hug. “I can’t believe they’re making you go.”
“What makes you say that?”
“My mom just called. She said your mom is coming to get you tomorrow. She wanted me to be prepared for when the driver showed up in case they knocked on the door.”
“Yeah, well that’s not happening.”
I walk past her and reach into the closet, taking out my suitcase and hefting it onto the bed. I start putting clothes in there. Enough for four days.
“Then why are you packing up?” Belle says, eyeing me like I’m not making any sense.
I turn to her. “What if when they come to get me, I’m not here?”
Belle lifts an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“What if I’m gone? What if they can’t find me?”
“Okay…” she says, staring at me like I’ve lost my mind. “Are you just going to run away?”
I nod. Her eyes get even bigger. “Sophia! You can’t run away! It’s not safe out there.”
“I’m not going far. I’m going to the garden.” I give her a wild grin and then turn back to my suitcase, tossing in a few outfits, but mostly filling the space with blankets and pillows. I flip the suitcase lid closed and press down on it, zipping it up. “Just until I’m eighteen.”
Belle glances at the dry erase board calendar on the wall, where I’ve written my birthday, which happens to fall in the middle of spring break. “That’s four days from now.”
I nod. “I’m going to hide out in the garden and wait until I’m old enough to make my own decisions. My parents can’t take me from Shelfbrooke. I’m going to stay, and I’m going to graduate right next to you.
She puts a hand on her hip. “That’s assuming I actually go to graduation. Which means I’d have to actually get over my fears long enough to attend a huge, packed ceremony.”
“You will,” I say. “I have faith in you.”
Belle stares at me for a long time, her thoughts clearly going in circles as she thinks about my totally insane plan. She gnaws on the inside of her lip. “If you’re not here when they come to get you, they’ll be barging in our dorm looking for you.”
“I know,” I say. “And I’m sorry. Maybe you could stay with your mom for a few days? Just lie and say you have no idea where I am.”
She shakes her head. “No. If you’re hiding out in the garden, then I will, too.”
“What?” I say, bursting out into a laugh. I don’t know why this is funny, but the idea of Belle and I in the garden for four days is kind of hilarious. “You’re going to be so bored! There’s not even a bathroom!”
“What’s your plan for that?” she says.
“I was going to slip out of the side gate, then run to your aunt’s house.”
She laughs. “Sounds like you’ve got this all figured out. I’ll get my suitcase.”
* * *
Declan callsme about two seconds after school gets out for the day. Belle and I have already discussed if we should tell him about our plan or not, and we’ve decided that’s a definite yes. Declan can be trusted. And we figure someone needs to know where we’re hiding just in case a freak hurricane or something comes our way.
“Hello?” I say, feeling that whoosh of warm fuzzy feelings when I answer the phone. It happens to me every time he calls or texts. Boys are weird that way.
“Are you okay? You weren’t in last period. Just making sure you’re not sick or something.”
“I’m not sick, but… some weird stuff has happened since you last talked to me.”
