Two dark shapes lurked at the exit to Denver International Airport. One was male with shiny black hair that went down past his shoulders. The other was female with the not-quite-arrogance of someone used to being the object of others’ affection.

“Where the fuck are them two lovebirds?” asked the boy in a low voice like sandpaper.

“They should have been here awhile ago.” muttered the girl. In contrast, her voice was high, smooth and decidedly female. Like everything else about her thought the boy with an inward smirk.

“This sucks. Curfew was half an hour ago.” He looked sideways at her. “If his dumb ass was caught…”

Amanda looked up at the sky. “That plane that came in a couple minutes ago. I wonder if it was them…” Her voice betrayed worry.

“It was.” I said. Jenna and I had just walked up.

Andy fought to conceal the relief in his face. Amanda was grinning with the air of a convict on death row during a power outage. “Ga!!” she said, hugging me. “Ga” was, supposedly, my nickname. only she used it though. “You’re Jenna, then?” she asked, hugging her too.

“No, Amanda. I must have misplaced her. This is a flight attendant I met on the way.

“Hey, numb-nuts.” Andy smirked. “Sure took you two long enough. Stay up too late getting acquainted last night?”

Now a normal girl might have taken offense at that. Jenna just grinned wickedly and said “Oh yeah. Gabe’s great in bed.”

“Damn straight! I can sleep for days.” Everyone broke down laughing.

“You’re gonna like this” said Andy as we piled into my mom’s car. He produced a shining key from his pocket.

“Oh fuck yeah! That’s to the stoner house isn’t it?” The stoner house was an abandoned house next door to mine. We’d been trying to get inside since Febuary. I’d measured every last pin in each lock on that damn house. Ever since I began planning this kidnaping, I’d made locks my bitch. The crank-like device I used back at Jenna’s was my own invention.

“My uncle’s a locksmith,” Amanda said, “I distracted him while Andy made us a key.”

“That thing is a bitch to work. I had to put each measure in manually!” Andy said bitterly

“Two, two-point-five, point-five, one, three, two.” I muttered, examining the key. “One-two slots.”

“Eyes on the road, dillhole!” Amanda yelled.

I felt Jenna’s head on my shoulder again and looked sideways at her. “You asleep, love?”

“Mmmmhmmm” I grinned. I couldn’t help myself. I turned my head and kissed the top of her head.

Jenna couldn’t sleep. She was all alone in a strange house. The whole place felt cold and empty. She missed the warmth beside her she had become accustomed to. She could see his house out of her window. I guess he’s already asleep she thought sadly. I know why I have to hide here, but… I hate it! She wanted to be beside him again. But his mother would wake up and find them lying together. She suppressed a giddy shudder at the thought. Fuck fate, she thought, it’s always something, isn’t it, you stupid bitch?

“Jenna?” That was his voice! She looked at the door where I stood in shadow, grinning. “I can’t sleep.”

I crawled onto the bed and she held me against her. The way it’s supposed to be. I knew we were both thinking it.

CHAPTER FIVE