GIRL, UNPLUGGED
YA Novel Chapter 14 | 8 Minute Read
This is Chapter 14 of a YA novel. To see where the story began, check out the GIRL, UNPLUGGED table of contents post, or head to the GIRL, UNPLUGGED section of the Story Hoarder Substack page to see all the chapters.
This chapter is a 8 minute read.
CHAPTER 14: Sticking Together
When I finally admitted to myself that my notebook didn’t actually have a connection to the faceless masses of my peeps who could quickly comment on my tiny internal freak out, I decided I needed to move into action. Before Princess dragged me into her cot mission, I was going to find Russ to thank him for giving me that notebook. That was an action still worthy of my time.
I grabbed a pillow from one of the bins and brought it out, along with my bag and Murph’s, to where the group had set up the cots and laid Rose down. Daria was gushing with gratitude over those who brought the supplies, while everyone else seemed to be gathering in groups around the other cots, each covered not in sitting people as they were intended to be, but in large pieces of paper. I walked over to Rose whose eyes were shut. She didn’t look like she was sleeping.
Daria stopped me. “She’s resting,” she whispered.
“I figured,” I said. Evidently the tension between us had not lifted. “I just got her this pillow,” I said. I presented the pathetic offering.
“Oh shit,” Rose said in a cracking voice. “Pillows are an option? Hook a sister up, Turner.” She stretched her hand out, next to Daria which managed to move her out of the way even though it was clear there was no power behind it. Her smile was crooked, but everything about her expression seemed forced.
The pillow was not exactly what I expected when I took it out of the bin. It was an inflatable travel pillow. I guess it makes sense for long term storage and a quick fix on a museum sleepover, but it looked more like something that belonged at a pool party than a sleepover. I had brought it to Rose already inflated and placed it down on the cot next to her head so she would just have to lift her head a little bit to get it on there. It was a weird dome shape with an indent in the middle where your head goes. It didn’t look all that comfortable to me, but Rose sighed when she settled on to it. “A head hug,” she said. “How wonderful.” Then she smiled a small, but sincere smile.
It was something. Rose was still stuck here instead of in capable hands that could heal her, but at least we made her more comfortable. And I was a tiny part of that. It felt really good, even if it wasn’t enough to warm Daria to me.
I turned to look for Russ. Maybe he thought his gesture was a tiny, unnoticed one, too. I felt the need to let him know differently. Everyone in the room who wasn’t guarding Rose (I’m looking at you, Daria!), was deep in conversation and debate. The papers laid out on the cots were subway maps that Stella found on Val’s desk while helping Princess find the keys to the closet earlier. While we were groping around in the darkness, everyone else had started a debate about the fastest route home — hoping we could beat whatever curfew the police had mentioned when I had come inside to get Dr. Davies.
Russ was in a corner with Colin and Rainbow. He was laughing and smiling at whatever Rainbow had just said. I felt a tug in my tummy. Rainbow was such a nice girl, so put together, sweet, and kind. I bet she was funny, too. I bet Russ noticed, too. In fact, Russ was unexpectedly kind, too — maybe Russ and Rainbow were made for each other. It almost made sense the second I thought about it. “Russ & Rainbow” had such a nice rhythm too it. They could be R&R — The Railroad couple, or Rest & Relaxation — they would make such a catchy hashtag…
Rainbow looked up and noticed me staring at them like an idiot. She smiled and waved me over. I was about to shake my head no, when Dustin and Brenda’s discussion next to me started getting louder.
Brenda, who was sitting next to Dustin hovering over the cot closest to Rose’s, said, “Dustin! These routes are just too long to take today!”
Dustin rolled his eyes. Then whispered, “That’s not a problem with just my routes, Brenda, I don’t think there is a path to get home before curfew if we don’t get moving fast — and continue moving fast.” His eyes darted over to Rose. “We’re going to need to do something soon.” Stella looked nervously between Dustin and Brenda, remaining silent. I didn’t want to look back in the direction of the soon to be announced couple of the year R&R, or to imagine their perfect future together, so I let my imagination dive into the mystery of Stella’s look.
Stella was always so good at doing the right thing and following teachers’ orders to the tee, I wondered what she was thinking without any authority figure there to guide her. Was she trying to decide who was more teacher-like? Was she developing her very own “I am Miss Perfect” plan to rival them both? How the hell would she even engage in conversation with them if she didn’t have to raise her hand?
Damn.You’re just being mean now, Natalie. Stella was such an easy mental target, and something in me wanted to strike out. But Stella was nice — irritably nice, sure — but still nice. The fact was, Stella was probably just as terrified as I was because maybe no one understood it clearer that there was no authority figure to make the decision for us.
“Can everyone come here a second?” Brenda asked, hand on hip, turning to make sure everyone’s eyes were on her. “ Rose, you stay, of course.” It wasn’t like the group had spread far and wide, but we gathered closer around her, using the waning sunlight through the windows to illuminate what she, Dustin, and the others had been working on all this time. I didn’t turn around to see where Rainbow and Russ ended up in this gathering. Some evil imagination engineer in my mind had told me they were probably holding hands.
Not that I should care. I should be happy for them. I came here, on this trip, with Murph, not Russ. Russ gave me a notebook. It didn’t mean anything. I didn’t even think I wanted it to mean anything. Right? I just wanted to thank the guy because it was a nice gesture, but I wasn’t expecting anything else from that. And Rainbow — god — she was legitimately nice in the not annoying way. If Russ made her smile, then she deserved that probably more than anyone else in the room.
I forced all the voices in my head to shut down and focus on the conversation in front of me. Priorities, Nat. Remember where you are and where you want to go. Let’s get home.
Focusing on my future paths home proved as confusing as imagining the future romantic pairings of the group around me. Together, the group had worked out five different routes to get to the ferry and two different routes to the Brooklyn Bridge.
Dustin suggested skipping the ferry all together and taking bridge routes since the bridge is always open to pedestrian traffic. He figured if cars could be knocked out, maybe boats could be too. Those routes continued on to the Verrazano Bridge. Those were the routes Brenda had complained about. And, once he explained it all the way through, none of us liked Dustin’s plan. It was epically long, and Brenda pointed out that – technically – all bridges should be pedestrian bridges in our current predicament, so – according to her – he should stop trying to make up "technologically irrelevant detours." I looked over at one of the maps Princess had started working on when she said, “Speaking of pedestrian bridges, could High Line Park help us get downtown quicker?”
This started another debate over the waste of time it would be to walk to the West Side rather than just moving Downtown constantly getting closer to the ferry. Each person started shouting out their best path and argument. My mind drifted as all of their comments came barreling in and out of my brain.
“Can’t get lost if we take Broadway!”
“Cops and crowds will make that a nightmare!”
The sun wasn’t exactly setting yet, but it was behind the museum now, not directly shining on the entryway windows anymore.
“Let’s move east as we go downtown. It’s so much less tourist-y!”
“Are we really worried about tourists at a time like this?”
We had lunch at noon, maybe even a little after. That meant the sun had been moving down ever since.
“East side has more doctors —“
“West Side has Port Authority! Maybe they’re mobilizing some transportation efforts?”
How long had it been since lunch?
“I don’t get it. Do we want to find police or do we want to avoid them?”
“What about Mrs. Krimble… And Matt? You know, Murph?”
They all stopped. When the silence reached me I mentally sorted through the voices I had heard and realized it was Russ that last spoke. I turned to look at him and noticed all eyes on me.
“Are you waiting for Murph, Nat?” Russ asked. I felt someone step up next to me and squeeze my arm. I turned to find it was Rainbow. Did she notice it was the arm still holding Murph’s bag?
“I —uh—” I tried to clear my throat, but my mouth was so dry I could barely muster any internal mouth movements. It turned into an awkward, loud gulp.
Russ shook his head and continued, taking the pressure off of me to answer. “Because,” he said, looking around to everyone but me, “I just don’t think we should split up right now, so if Nat is staying around I think I’ll stay with her.”
Rainbow’s hand squeezed a little tighter and I focused on that pressure to avoid thinking about all of the weird feelings she and Russ were giving me. Why did he use me as an example? Why did he ask if I was waiting for Murph? Couldn’t he have made the same point with the very obvious example of Rose and Daria? And why was Rainbow here by my side — to support Russ or to support me?
“You guys are going to have to leave me,” Rose whispered. I’m not sure anyone but Daria, Rainbow and I heard her.
Daria looked at her with wild and furious eyes. “Uh… hell no.” Daria was loud enough to call everyone’s attention to her.
“Whoa. What?” Russ asked.
Rose started to speak, but Daria spoke over her, “Absolutely nothing!”
“Rose wants us to leave her behind.” I don’t know why I said it.
Stella stepped closer to Rose and said, “Oh Sweetie.”
Rose smiled softly at me, but Daria turned red-faced and teary eyed at me. Russ’ arm flew between us just as she took a step. What was I doing? Sure this was a great distraction off of the question Russ asked me, but why did I continue to piss people off with my words? Maybe people were always this pissed off at me and I just never knew it because I never said them face to face, I always hid behind a screen and a keyboard. It’s just that Rose said something that I think she wanted others to hear. I didn’t think it was fair to shoot her down right away — even though I wasn’t sure what she was saying was the best idea either, but — you know what? — Maybe Rose needed to hear that it was nuts from someone other than Daria. And it was becoming clear that Daria hated me anyway, so did I really have anything to lose? Didn’t we owe it to Rose to have a voice here too? And, when I thought about it, Daria was being an idiot. No one was going to agree to leaving Rose behind, but Daria wasn’t giving anyone a chance to tell her that for themselves. It was like everything Rose-related was getting filtered through Daria. I understood why that was happening, but maybe it was time to change it. “I’m sorry, Daria, but I think we should hear Rose out, too.” Who the hell did I think I was? As the words spilled from my mouth all I could think was You pompous asshole. I cleared my throat — this time successfully. “And I think, maybe, Rose should hear from all of us, too.” Each word was thick on my tongue. I turned to look at Rose. “For my two cents, Rose, I agree with Daria. I don’t want to leave you anywhere, but in your house or with a doctor of some sort.” Daria softened.
“Yeah,” Colin said, “I also am anti-leave-behind-plan.”
“Think there’s been enough of the flat-leaving for the day,” Rainbow said, shifting her arm to circle around my shoulders that went slack under her touch. I have no idea how long I had been tensing them.
“I didn’t get you the damn cot to cozy you up so I could walk out on you!” Princess said. “It’s a temporary situation while we find you better accommodations is all.”
“Alright, alright,” Russ said loudly, looking around at everyone and then settling his eyes on me. “So it is agreed? We are sticking together until the end of this?”
He was looking at me.
I heard no one else’s response.
He was asking me.
He wasn’t looking at Rainbow.
I kept my eyes on Russ and nodded.
We were sticking together.
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