NOTE: This is going to be an "interlude chapter." It is told from Lucky's point of view. So if you see INTERLUDE CHAPTER in the subject line from now on, it means it's Lucky talking. Everyone got that?
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"I alone am the one you don't know you need
You don't know you need me"
From Eve Six's "Inside Out"
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The dry heat blasting from the floorboards of dad's car was a welcome relief, as soon as we escaped the rain. My jaw ached. I looked over to Elizabeth. She was scrunched as close as she could get to the passenger door. Her eyes flicked over my body, watching my every action warily. Like *I* was going to bite her or something.
"Elizabeth," my voice emerged rough.
I couldn't stand to look at her. She was dripping wet, and shivering violently. Her eyes were wide and teary. My heart was breaking for her.
I knew there was a blanket under the backseat somewhere. I put the car in neutral and left the parking brake on and turned around in my seat with a mission to find it for Elizabeth.
"I KNOW it's back here," I mumbled, half to her, half to myself. I was leaning halfway over Elizabeth's seat, trying to reach the gray blanket I could now see a corner of. I stretched my arms until they ached, trying to pull it from under the rear seat. Finally I got three fingers around it and pulled it from its confinement.
"Gotcha," I whispered. I settled myself back into my seat and unfolded the woolen blanket. I looked up to check on Elizabeth before I prepared to wrap the blanket around her.
Her face was chalk white. Her entire body was shaking. She was pressed into the door; her hand was on the handle. Her eyes were wild.
"Elizabeth?" I asked slowly. What had I done now?
"Can't I please go home now?" She seemed not to have heard my question. Even her voice shook.
"Elizabeth, I was just going to give you this blanket so you could get warm." I purposed kept my voice even and soft. She was scared enough already.
"I don't want it," she interrupted herself with a hiccup. "I just want to be home."
What had happened to the girl who REFUSED to stay home earlier this morning? I couldn't keep up with Elizabeth's mood changes.
"Here, put this around you, Elizabeth, and you'll feel better," I probably shouldn't have insisted. But I did. I opened the blanket to wrap it around her.
"No!" she shrieked. She raised her hands in front of her face protectively.
Tears rose in my throat. I chunked the blanket in the back seat.
"It's okay," I told her in as calm a voice as I could muster. "Elizabeth, I'll leave you alone."
I put the car in gear and tamped down my urge to burn rubber out of the parking lot. I wasn't helping her now. I'd crossed some invisible line, and I didn't know how to go back to being her savior. I was an enemy now. She couldn't trust me, and it showed in every move of her body.
"We're going to get you home," I offered. It was the last thing I could do for her. I just prayed her Gram wasn't home. I kept my eyes from straying to her side of the car. That would probably upset her also.
The rain pounded all around us. I could hardly see the road in front of me. My hands clutched the wheel tightly. It wasn't enough that I was going insane with worry over Elizabeth, now I had to worry about the weather too?
Her teeth were chattering now. I could hear them. But she wouldn't let me put the blanket on her. I took as deep a breath as my constricted chest would let me. I didn't know how much longer I could go without venting some of my feelings. And that could only lead to disaster if Elizabeth was there to see it.
I looked over the dash. The heater was on as high as it would go. Nothing I could do there. I dared to look at Elizabeth.
Her legs were crossed and brought up almost to her chest in a fetal position. Her arms were wrapped around her midsection and her legs. Her hair hung into her face and straight down her back.
I wished she would have let me help her more. I ached to help some of the pain. I turned down her road at last. I was going to have to get out of this car. Away from her.
Her driveway couldn't appear fast enough. I pulled as far up as I could, but she still had a ways to go in the rain. Not that it would make a ton of difference now.
"Here we are," I said, pasting a smile onto my face. She raised her chin and then her eyes to meet mine. All the bad feelings I had been having toward her changed to guilt. Those eyes.
"Thanks for the ride." She seemed to force the words from her lips. I nodded, not trusting myself to say any more. She pushed open her car door and I got out and stood next to my dad's car in the rain. She wasn't inside yet, and I had to make sure she got ALL the way home unharmed.
She got to the door and seemed to be experiencing trouble with her house key. She dropped it on the ground and when she bent to pick it up, she collapsed on the Welcome mat. I was temporarily frozen in place before instinct took over and I rushed up the stairs.
She was sobbing hysterically when I reached her. Her body was convulsing with the force of her sobs. I knew I probably shouldn't try to pick her up off the floor. If I touched her, she was likely to go nuts. I scooped up her keys as quickly as I could, and chose one to insert in the door. Somehow, I got the door opened and turned back to the crying Elizabeth.
How was I going to get her inside without her screaming?
"Elizabeth," I said softly, getting down on my knees beside her. I was careful not to get too close. She jumped at the sound of my voice.
"Elizabeth, it's Lucky," I said, somehow making my voice strong. I didn't know if she could hear me or not.
"Elizabeth, I need to pick you up and get you inside."
Desperation quickened my pulse.
"Do you understand?"
She nodded through her sobs and slowly reached out one hand.
"Please?" she whispered. "I NEED you."
End Ch 11.