Destiny Keeps Getting in the Way

[Melinda’s Point of View]

An escape plan. I wasn’t going to the damsel in distress any longer. It’s the twenty first century. I don’t need my knight in shining armor. I just need myself. If I was able to graduate a whole year ahead of my class then it shouldn’t be too hard to escape some dimwits, right? Right.

Another motel. Juan and another body guard left to drop off the video to my father. The one that was left with me wasn’t the brightest of the three. When God closes a window he opens a fucking door!

He watched Ed, Edd and Eddy on cartoon network. How I miss those cartoons. Actually I miss Los Angeles entirely. If I make it out I would have to talk to Nathan about moving back to Los Angeles. London was great but I rather stay in Los Angeles.

Okay, enough about that. I looked at my options. I could try something that might not work but who knows.

I stood up from the floor. “I need to get some lady… material.” I said and made myself blush.

The body guard looked at me as though he couldn’t figure it out. Was he really that dumb?

“I’m on my period, genius.” I snapped.

“Oh, well… you have to wait until Mr. Rodriguez comes back.” He said in his deep voice.

“But I’m bleeding and soon I won’t have anything to wear. You guys don’t think about laundry!” I said.

He seemed to think about it. A lot. How hard was it? Was he actually catching up?

“All right, but I’m going with you to the drugstore.” He turned off the TV.

“I have no problem with that.” I flashed him a flirtatious smile. “So, you work out?”

|Drugstore|

I recognized this drugstore. I looked across the store and saw the skate park I used to go to with Rodrigo.

We entered the store. I flirted with the body guard all the way to the store so he could let his guard down. It wasn’t that hard.

I just had to compliment him on his muscles and his hair.

He flexed a couple of times for me and I giggled like a little girl at a Justin Timberlake concert. Once inside of the store I felt freer because he didn’t keep his eyes on me. I went the tampons section and he blushed and walked away.

I smiled. There’s always a back exit around here. I checked to make sure I wouldn’t be seen getting out. The store had about ten aisles and I saw the body guard looking at the male enhancer section.

“Steroids… I knew it.” I muttered under my breath.

I made my way to the ice cream section. Rodrigo and I had come several times here to get ice cream or something to eat like chips or cookies. I suppressed any memories because I had to concentrate on my escape plan.

So far so good. I made it to the ice cream section.

I saw the place where they storage everything. I sneaked inside and ran the rest of the way. I didn’t stop for anything. Not even for the bad looks the workers were giving me. I exited through the back and then made a left. I ran down the alley as fast as I could. At the end of the alley I checked the street from left to right. I took a right. If I went left and if body guard already found out I was gone then he would check the front exit first before the back.

In Los Angeles there isn’t a lot of walking people.

Taxis? This is Los Angeles not New York. There aren’t that many taxis here and if you want one you usually call the company. So I continued to run down the street. I slowed down when I had about three blocks behind me.

I went in an alley and rested a little to catch my breath. I had to call my home but I had no money and no cards. At least I was out. That’s what counted the most. I was away from danger.

After about a few minutes I was back to normal. I got out of the alley and checked both ways. It was all clear.

I stopped a random person.

“Do you have a cell phone I could borrow?” I asked the person.

“No hablo ingles.” The woman said.

Thank God I’m a Latina. “Tiene un celular que pueda usar? Estoy perdida y necesito llamar a mis papas.”

The woman understood me and took out her phone. I could scream of happiness but I didn’t want to scare off the woman. She gave me her phone. I tried to remember my house number and all I could remember was Rodrigo’s.

“Hello?” Rodrigo’s mom answered.

“It’s Melinda, Senora.” I said.

“Melinda, mija, que lindo gusto. Linda no está.”

I cursed. “¿Sabe donde esta? ¿O su número?”

“Tengo su número.” She said “¿Tienes para escribir?”

With my hands I gestured to the woman if she had pen. She nodded and handed me the pen. Rodrigo’s mom gave me Linda’s number. I called Linda and she answered.

“Hello?”

“Linda! It’s Melinda!”

“Melinda Oh my god! Your dad just told me you were kidnapped… again.” Linda said. “How—“

“I got away. Now listen to me—“

“Nathan is here. Let me hand you to Nathan.”

My heart soared a thousand miles.

“Melinda, where are you?” He sounded so relieved as I was.

“I’m near the park I used to skateboard with Rodrigo. But I can’t go over there because they would be looking for me. I’m just three blocks down the skate park on Cesar.” I said.

“Don’t move.” Nathan ordered.

“Okay. I’ll be waiting for you.”