Chapter 145: Chapter 145: Southern Hospitality

THE SEATBELT WAS PINNING me down too tightly, having gone into crash mode after Ruthie's abrupt halt, and I choked, trying to catch my breath. Unhooking my seatbelt, I slowed my racing heart before leaning forward to peer through the windshield. There was something familiar about the figures in front of us.

"Move forward a little," I urged Ruthie.

"No way!" she said, jerking her head from side to side.

"Just do it."

"Fine." She inched closer.

"Aha!" I yelped, causing Ruthie to slam on the brakes again. "Geez, girl!" I hissed.

"You scared me."

I rolled my eyes. "I think I recognize them."

Suddenly, our cell phones started going off with a cacophony of different ringtones. We both jumped. Multiple text and voice message alerts popped up on our screens.

"Guess we're back in cell range," she said, her voice a little shaky, but we ignored our phones. She rolled the car forward a few more feet. "Whoa! Aren't they the new kids from school?"