Free Collide by Shelly Crane Page B

aren’t there yet.”
    “How can you tell if it’s one or not?” I asked, trying to probe and see what the news was saying about them.
    “They have a mark behind their ear but other than that, you can’t tell them from anyone else. Little deceiving suckers,” she said in her usual southern belle accent which I’ve always found weird because they’re originally from a prominent subdivision of Detroit.
    “What do they want?”
    “Well, the news said they want to trick us onto their side. They want the world but the good guys have come now and told us all about them and their shady plans. They’ve already taken the moon, that’s what happened to it. Isn’t that awful? They’re trying to flood the earth by messing with the tides.”
    “Yeah. It is.” I didn’t contradict her that that would have happened along time ago if that were true. “But maybe we shouldn’t believe everything we hear on TV though right? I mean, have you seen these so called good guys? Did they come on camera and say these things?”
    “Oh no, they are strictly anonymous. They don’t want to take any credit or focus for this. They want us to concentrate on savings ourselves from these things.”
    “Ok, well, I gotta go, but it was so good to see...”I couldn’t finish because her eyes bulged and her mouth dropped open. I knew exactly what she saw before I even turned around.
    Merrick, well Matt, standing there with our loaded down cart, alive and well and out with me. I squinted my eyes to tell him to stop but he had already noticed her face and realized a mistake has been made, though not knowing which one.

    Sherry, what do I do?
     
    I shifted me eyes towards her so he’d come our way.
    “Matt, honey, look who I ran into. Your sister, Racine. They found your truck, someone crashed it and left it in Orland Park. Pretty crazy, huh?” I said before I turned back to Racine, waiting for the blow.
    “Sherry! Why didn’t you tell me Matt was with you?”
    “I’m sorry. You got to talking about those...things, the Keepers and I got sidetracked. He’s fine though, see,” I spouted, waving my hand over him.
    “What are ya’ll doing? I thought you broke up with him, Sherry. What? Are ya’ll on a getaway or something together?”
    More of an accusation that a question. She never saw her brother for what he was and thought me ‘ungrateful’ to let such a handsome catch get away. I had better lay it on thick if she was going to believe me. I reached over to grab Matt’s arm and laid my head on his shoulder. I felt Merrick tense a little under my touch.
    I knew I was about to lie. Racine was always so unfocused I doubted she’d notice. She kind of seemed to have only two cylinders out of six running most of the time. I could pull this off. I could lie.
    “Now Racine, you know me. I’m so back and forth, but I can never let him get away for too long.” I glanced up at him and smiled. “We just decided to head up here and get away from things for a while, spend some time, alone.”
    She totally bought it.
    “Ah! That’s so sweet! I’m so glad you finally came to your senses, girl. Well little brother, you’re never this quiet. Get your butt over here and give your big sister a hug!”
    Think. Think.
    “Oh. Me first! I mean we have been separated for a whole ten minutes,” I said lamely, hoping she took it as loveydoveyness.
    I reached my arms up around his neck and hugged him, up on my tip toes, while I whispered in his ear. He put his shaking hands on my waist while he listened. I pulled his cheek down to touch mine.
    “He always picks her up and twirls her when they hug. Be cocky and enthusiastic,” I whispered against his ear and pulled back to give him a reassuring smile.
    I let go and stepped back, he seemed to be breathing heavier. He was just nervous, fearful of a scene in the middle of the store. I placed my hand on his back, rubbing to soothe him, but that seemed to make it worse. His eyes glazed over and he