I'm Not From Earth - 12. Twelve

t w e l v e

"Sett!"

Rover threw open the bedroom door. Somerset jumped at the sudden disturbance, brown eyes snapping up from the TV.

"What the fuck?" He sat up cautiously, disheveling his blankets.

Rover opened his mouth, trying to form words, but only managed an exhale. He waited a few moments, then tried again. "Them... they..."

"What?" Somerset frowned, stretching a hand to scratch his head. "What's with you?"

"Body guards," Rover choked out.

Somerset blinked, then leapt up from the bed. "They're fucking here?!" He yelped, and in a flash, Rover was upon him, his hands clapped fiercely over his friend's mouth.

"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up," Rover whispered, his knees shaking, his shoulders shivering.

"Fuck, jeez. Sorry."

"What do we do, hell, what do we do?" Rover asked, his hands running furiously through his hair. "Dammit, what do we..."

"Grab your bag and clothes. I'll call George --"

Rover shook his head furiously. He started to pace the room in a frenzy. What a stupid idea it was, to break into his father's house!

"No, hell no. We gotta go now. Now! Hell, what do we..."

Somerset grasped Rover's shoulders and gave him a firm shake. "Get yourself fucking together." He stared at his friend straight in the face for a few moments, then continued, as calmly as possible, "I'm going to call George. Go grab your bag."

Every second was dangerous. Time was their enemy. Rover didn't dare to look out the window, afraid that he would see the guards looking up at him. He threw his shorts and shirts into his back pack, his cell into his pocket, dropping things too many times with his rigid fingers. Faster, faster. Forget the clothes in the laundry. Forget the biology textbook. Forget the notebooks. Hell, forget everything that wasn't packed. They had to leave now.

What a stupid idea.

They tore from the room, and Somerset led him to the elevator, but Rover pulled at his friend's hand and shook his head.

"No. Damn, no, they'll come this way."

Somerset shook his head as well. "Don't be an idiot, this is a fucking apartment. Strangers can't get in."

As if on cue, the elevator light shone. The mechanical whir began, softly at first, and then louder. They both watched as the golden numbers approached their floor, mockingly slowly, as if it was asking should you or should you not wait for me? Should they? For all they knew, the guards could be inside. The elevator paused treacherously on each level. A chime sounded. Rover and Somerset looked at each other in worry as rapid footsteps rumbled below. Another chime as it stopped at floor seven; another on floor eight.

"Fuck it," Somerset spat. He grasped Rover's arm, and they made a run towards the stairs. Feet pumping in a blur, they flew across the corridors on the ground floor and entered the harshly lit cavern of the parking lot.

"Wait! Sett." Rover shook his head. "No. No driving. I have to walk. They'll recognize your car, Sett. That's how they got here I bet, by following your car. They'll take us both."

"They won't take me," Somerset shot back defiantly, searching his pockets for his key, "and I'll make sure they don't take you either."

"Are you crazy?! These are my father's fucking guards. I have to walk. No, you have to like, walk with me, or they'll find you, and they'll do..."

"Rover!" Somerset laughed in spite of the situation, and asked, "you actually think it's more likely for us to be caught in a car, rather than on foot?"

"Uhm, yeah."

But before Rover could complete his protestation, Somerset shoved him roughly into the passenger seat, switched on the ignition, and hit the gas. He whipped out his cell phone and punched in a speed dial. Instead of driving towards the front exit, he swerved carefully to the back one, the one that barely anyone uses.

"We're going to hit up George's. No fucking argument. He invited me to his party last week, anyways. I'm just going to tell him that we'll both be crashing so that he'll save a room for us, okay?" Somerset pressed.

"Okay," Rover relented.

"And keep your head down until I say so."

Rover nodded and complied, pulling back his seat and ducking his head. Somerset rolled down his dirty window to get a clearer look, opened the gate, and soon the safe fluorescent brightness of the garage was replaced by the blackness of the night.

"I see the limo bro," Somerset breathed.

Rover said nothing for he couldn't make his throat move. Or any part of his body, for the matter.

"And they aren't following," Somerset said, only moments later. "They're parked along the side of the entrance, and they've killed the engine. I don't think anyone is in the car -- maybe they were going up the elevator in my apartment. Are you alright man?"

"I'm fine."

The car lurched at a red light, and Somerset took the opportunity to pull Rover's seat back up. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Rover swallowed and ignored the question. "Are you sure there wasn't anyone in there, did you see?"

"Well I don't know for sure, it's a fucking limo. Can't see through tinted windows, I'm not a fucking super hero."

They entered the main streets, swerving through sluggish traffic. Rover flashed his head nervously back every few seconds, watching for the limousine, but wasn't able to locate it anywhere. Did that mean that they weren't following? What if the bodyguards swerved in from the left alley right then?

"Can't we like, take away our plate number or something?" Rover croaked, gesturing towards the back of the car. "Just for now?"

Somerset shot an incredulous look towards his friend and then roared with laughter. "Yeah let's fucking do that! I'm sure the guards won't notice a car without a license plate. Oh and I'm sure that them police won't arrest us either! I mean if they do, then you and I would be fucking screwed. Mainly you. But it's brilliant man, brilliant."

When Rover didn't respond or glare back, Somerset dropped the smile on his face and said, "alright, chill bro, chill. Stop worrying. We're almost at the highway, so if you and I haven't seen them yet, then they won't have a chance to track us down. Alright?"

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever."

The streetlights eventually grew more and more scarce, the traffic becoming faster as Rover's panic slowly dissolved. Somerset too drove faster and soon they were flying down the highway, guided with a pair of headlights and the presences of another countless cars. Rover lost himself in his own world of thoughts, watching the buildings alongside the road pass by in a blur of shadows, calmed by the perpetual purring of the engine. They were going to be fine. They were going to be just fine.

They just needed to keep on running.

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