Our Time Has Come, and We've Got These Big City Dreams

I heard heavy footsteps come up the stairs. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. “I’ll get that,” Dad boomed. “It’s probably the pizza.”

“What about the noise?” The voice, belonging to one of Dad’s friends, was slightly faint but still clear.

“I’ll check it out after I get the pizza. It’s probably just some damn raccoon that got in through the window.”

I rolled my eyes. Sober Dad wasn’t all that smart. Drunk Dad? Even worse. I stepped over the books and grabbed more stuff. I threw random junk into my backpack, anything that could fit. I just wanted to get out of the house. I ran over to the window. “Alex,” I hissed.

“Yeah?” he called up softly.

“Look out.” I threw my backpack out of the window. I heard a thump and a hiss of, “Ow!”

“I told you to look out!” I called.

“Whatever,” he muttered, rubbing his head.

“I’m coming down,” I warned him. “Don’t let me die.”

Alex laughed. “Like I’d be stupid enough to lose you.”

I ignored this as I threw my leg out the window, straddling the windowsill. If I didn’t concentrate on the task of escaping, I could get hurt. Throwing my other leg out, I turned myself around and held onto the windowsill with my hands. I slowly eased myself down, and I gasped when hands grabbed a hold of my feet.

“Relax,” Alex whispered. “It’s just me.”

I nodded and continued to lower myself down. My hands slipped, and I let out a little shriek as I fell. Four pairs of hands caught me before I hit the ground. I looked up to see Zack and Rian holding me. They set me down upright, and I was instantly swept up in a pair of warm arms. “Oh my God, you scared me half to death. Don’t ever scare me like that again, Tara. Ever.” I was about to respond to this when Alex’s warm lips covered mine. I melted again, too tired to acknowledge the fact that our second kiss, much like the first, had an audience.

“Hey, you!” I broke off the kiss and looked up. My dad was leaning out the window. “Damn kids!”

I looked down immediately, just in case he recognized me.

“Hey, she’s pretty.” I guessed he was pointing at me. “You know what? If you give her to me, I won’t call the cops on you damn kids.”

Alex growled. “Like hell.”

“Okay then. Tara!” he bellowed. “Tara! Call the cops!”

“Mike,” one of the guys inside told my dad. “She’s not here.”

I risked a glance up. My dad was turned around, facing his friend inside. “Fine then,” I heard him say. He lurched forward, farther into the room. “You call the cops!”

“Shit,” said Rian. He and Zack started running to the car. Alex grabbed my hand and we ran after them. We got in the car and Rian drove away as fast as he could.

“Wait!” I yelled out. “My backpack!”

Alex held it up. “Got it.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. We were all okay, for the time being.