Page 19 of Five Survive

“They must be done. Come on,” Arthur said, leading Red up to the RV and along the side. And she might have been wrong, but there was a moment where it looked like he had reached for her hand.

They approached the others at the front, the torn-open wheel lying discarded on the road, the RV lowered back down on its new tire. Simon was cradling the jack like it was an old friend. Smiles on everyone’s faces as the flashlight landed on them.

“There you are,” Maddy said to Red. “I was getting worried.”

“Thanks for all your help there, Red,” Oliver added, his arm tucked through Reyna’s. Red was pretty sure Reyna had done most of the work anyway.

“You’re very welcome,” she replied.

“Oh and, by the way, I checked,” Oliver continued, speaking toboth Red and Arthur now. “Thisisa dead-end road. Well, it goes through some trees over there, but it’s so tight we’d never get the RV through.”

“Okay, sorry,” Arthur said, and what was he apologizing for? They had all gotten lost. And Red was the one who told them to keep going, who brought them down here.

“That’s fine,” Red said. “We can turn around.”

“Right, let’s get this show on the road.” Oliver clapped again. “Red, can you take the old tire, shove it in the storage compartments? Maddy, grab the blocks and the wrench.”

Red picked it up, the tire limp and awkward in her arms. She looked down at the tear, eyes tracing along its frayed edges. Completely destroyed.

“This way,” Simon said to her, gesturing with the jack.

Arthur, Reyna and Oliver headed off into the high beams, glowing as they made their way back around to the door.

“So,” Maddy said, the blocks and wrench gathered precariously in her arms. “Arthur came looking for you. Worried you were lost in the dark.”

“And he found me,” Red said. “End of story.”

“Oh, what’s this?” Simon asked, opening the closest storage compartment and pushing the jack inside. “Girl gossip?”

“Nothing,” Red said, brushing past him to chuck the tire in too. It made a loudthwackas it landed.

“Oh, come on, include me.” He stuck out his bottom lip, tugging on Red’s sleeve.

“There’s nothing to be included in.”

“Arthur went looking for Red,” Maddy said, the blocks and wrench falling from her arms into the compartment with a loud clatter. She pushed the door shut and locked it in place with the handle.

“Ooh, saucy,” Simon said with a click of his tongue and an exaggerated wink.

“We were gone for like three minutes,” Red said, walking toward the back side of the RV, the others on her heels.

“That’s enough,” Simon said, and Maddy laughed.

“Will you two—”

“—fuck off?” was Simon’s suggestion.

“—shut up?” was Maddy’s.

“—make out?”

“Ew, Simon.” Maddy’s face crumpled in disgust.

“Oh as if you wouldn’t,” Simon said, overtaking Red and turning around. “I’m very good-looking. Check out these cheekbones. Camera loves these cheekbones.”

“That’s not what Camera says behind your back,” Red said, pushing him on.

“Huh, betrayal!”