“Uh, yeah Applecart connects to Austin Street.” I pause, feeling my heart pound faster. “Are you new to town?”
“Not really new, but I don’t leave my apartment very much.”
“That explains it.” I lean forward and point through the opening between the front seats. “You can drive forward and turn left when you get to Green Avenue. That will take you to Austin. Then you take that to Applecart.”
“Does that go by the train station?” His lips purse out as he waits for my response.
“Uh, no, not at all,” I blurt out. “That’s in the other direction. Why don’t you start driving, and I’ll let you know when to turn.” When he still doesn’t move, I add, “Please.”
He finally shifts the car into drive and pulls forward at the slowest possible speed. I narrate the entire drive to make sure he doesn’t take a wrong turn. When we reach the block before the school, I arch my chin and project my voice even louder, “Can you pull into the bus loop. We’re supposed to meet up with the class there.”
“Do you mean that bus?” His knobby finger trembles as he points over the steering wheel at a yellow school bus number nine crossing in front of the intersection where we are stopped.
My brows spring up, and my gaze slams toward Bella before trailing back to the taillights headed out toward the main highway. “Is that your bus?”
“Number nine!” Her voice rises in pitch, and her cheeks flush pink. “That’s my class!”
“We can catch it!” I grab her hand, yanking her toward my door as I crack it open and drag her behind me. She clutches Little B to her chest as if it’s her job to protect her. I wave my free arm wildly above my head and wail at the top of my lungs, “Come back!”
“It’s no use, Mom,” Bella’s voice cracks under the weight of the tears she’s holding back, and it fuels my legs to run toward the bus. There’s a Stop sign up ahead. I’m not giving up. We will run as fast as we can and catch them while they’re stopped.
“Let’s run!” I continue to wave my hands and scream toward the bus. Bella and I race through the slushy snow-filled streets after the yellow streak ahead of us.
It’s not that far.
If only the bus driver would look behind her, she’d see us. “Wait!” I scream again, my voice growing horse between the shrill volume and the icy air cutting at my throat. The bus makes a left turn onto the highway ramp and speeds up, disappearing. I slowly stop with one last splash in a slush puddle.
I stand still, staring forward because I can’t look at Bella.
She had been talking about this field trip for weeks.
How could I let her down like this?
“It’s okay, Mom.” She tugs at my hand, pulling me back before I even look at her. “We tried.”
It’s times like these that I wish I was more irresponsible. I’d get in that Uber and follow that bus, but they are going allthe way to Burlington, and the expense would kill me. Not to mention, I’d miss my exam.
My exam!
I run my shaking hand through my hair and pivot on my heel. “I can’t be late for my class.” My mind races a million miles an hour. I have no idea what to do with Bella while I’m in class. I don’t exactly have a daycare I can take her to. I guess I’ll just have to take her to class. We wasted so much time, I’ll have the Uber take us back. My brows bend down as my eyes narrow, scanning the street, and my heart slams against my chest.
No Uber.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” Bella’s confusion doesn’t slow her as we retrace our steps back to the school.
“That Uber left with our bags in it!” Her second-grade homework isn’t a big deal, but my super expensive college textbook is extremely important. Not to mention my wallet with my ID, my debit card, and my keys! Stupid Uber app! It takes payment directly from my app, and he never had to wait for me. He just left.
Oh, man.
This is getting worse by the minute. I swipe my hand through my hair again. This time, I resist the urge to yank on it and scream as we run all the way back to the bus loop, only to find itempty.
My eyes blur with tears. This has got to be the worst day ever. I turn in a circle frantically searching for a sign of which direction the Uber went.
The loop is empty.
Well, empty except for one car.
One shiny black car with nice silver rims, that just so happens to have a man and small child standing in front of it. A man wearing a Granite Ice jacket.
