Runaways (Orphans 5)

"I expect you'll be gone when I return."

"We will for sure," I said angrily.

"Good."

He turned and left the house. As soon as the door closed, Nana apologized for him again.

"We've got to get going," Crystal said. "It's all right. I'm glad you found everything."

"It's easy to forget things these days," Nana said mournfully.

"Shouldn't we stay and help with the dishes?" Butterfly asked.

"No, you don't have to do that," Nana said. "I don't have much to do with myself as it is."

They followed us out of the house, once again apologizing for Gerry.

"Maybe on your way back, you can stop in again," Norman said.

I smiled.

Nana hugged Raven and Crystal and then gave Butterfly an especially long hug before hugging me, too. I got into the car and started the engine. Everyone got in afterward and I turned it around and headed toward the driveway entrance. The two of them stood side by side watching us, waving, looking smaller than ever.

"I wish we could have stayed," Butterfly said sadly.

No one spoke.

"I only hope that son of theirs doesn't report us to the police," Crystal remarked.

It was a worry we carried with us for nearly two hours before we felt more comfortable.

It had been a great stopover, I thought, but then when I looked at everyone and saw the sadness in their faces, I thought again. Maybe it would have been better if we'd never met Nana and Norman

Our time with them seemed to confirm what we'd always feared: we'd never have a chance to be loved, to be part of a family. Being orphans had tainted us forever.

6 A Ray of Sunshine

Crystal returned to her maps to find us the safest routes because she was still worrying about Nana and Norman's son Gerry and Gordon's inevitable report to the police.

"Even if Louise talked him out of it for the time being, hoping we would come back, thinking we might have just gone off on a joy ride, he would be furious by now, especially if he followed that false map," she explained. "Let's continue to stay away from heavily traveled highways where policemen patrol more frequently. Turn here," she instructed. "Yes," she said reading her map, "just follow this until I tell you to turn again."

"Can we have a picnic today?" Butterfly asked once we'd been on the road for a while. "It was fun eating in the backyard with Nana and Norman yesterday."

"It looks like it might rain," Raven said, sounding a note of discouragement.

The dark clouds crawling toward us seemed to have already seeped into the car. Raven didn't even notice that I hadn't turned on the radio. She sat staring out the window, watching the scenery go by, looking like someone hypnotized. When I gazed at Crystal and Butterfly in the rearview mirror, I saw they were both pensive, Butterfly looking sadder than ever.

"You want to sing or play riddles?" I asked. No one responded. "Great. You're all a lot of fun. I might as well have stolen a hearse to drive," I said.

"What's that up there?" Raven suddenly said, sitting up.

Maybe a half mile ahead of us, at the side of the road someone was sitting on a suitcase. I slowed as we drew closer.

"It's a hitchhiker," Raven declared. "A girl. Pick her up, Brooke."

"No," Crystal said.

"Why not? She's probably all alone, like us. Who else is going to pick her up? Besides, she might get caught in a rainstorm," Raven fired back at her.