When push comes to shove, you really gotta give the cops credit. I mean, despite my pushing and shoving, I still found myself in the back of a cop car, though I could've sworn I made no move to get in whatsoever. Sadly, this cop car was not occupied with another body like I was expecting it to, but cops know better than that. So, plan foiled. I was hoping to pester Blue on the way to the station, but he probably wouldn't have said anything anyway, save maybe a few brainscreams of 'SHUT UP' to my head.

I sat on the uncomfortable plastic seat in the prisoner compartment, planning my next move, when I facepalmed. Well, not really because my hands were cuffed behind my back, but you get the gesture. I was about to leave Audrie and Karmen behind, and they would be scared sick, probably already were, that I was not in the place they thought I was. What was I going to do about that?

Then another thing struck me in the face. About an hour ago I thought I was the only one who was definitely different from the rest of the human species, but now I knew there were not one, but two others like me. How cool was that?! I mean, that's like sitting by yourself in middle school, then having to do a group project in class with two other people, and you all realizing that you like a really obscure anime that is totally the bomb!(I mean, if you like anime, if you don't, that okayish, but bless your soul)

I wasn't alone, and for anyone who understands loneliness, realizing you're not can be an overwhelming feeling.

With my guilty but lightened mood in mind, I almost didn't notice that my phone was vibrating in my back pocket. But I did, and when I did, I frantically started to contort my left arm to get it out. As I was doing so, I thought as to why they hadn't confiscated it, ow this really hurts my arm a lot, and looked to see where they were, since I was alone in the stagnant car. I noticed a male cop leaning against the front portion of the car, chatting seriously to a female one in front of him. I was in eyesight of the woman, but her body was postured in a way that said her attention was on the conversation, and I was barely noticeable.

The phone fell out of my pocket and onto the plastic seat. I scooched over so I was not sitting on it, and leaned belly down with my head hovering over the screen. Using my nose, I pecked the green button on the screen, and listened. Owchy, that screen hurt.

"Izz! Izz! Where are you?! You're not in the band room, and you're sure as hockeypucks not anywhere else!" It was Karmen's voice, and on the edge of exploding.

"Tell her when we find her, that I have a few choice words to say to her for this prank, it's honestly not funny" Audrie muttered menacingly in the background.

At least they thought I was pranking them, and I wasn't kidnapped or any thing. Odd though, in movies it always seems to be the opposite.

"I'm sorry....really, uhm..." I was lost for words this time. Should I tell them the truth?

"Well where are you? We want to leave as soon as possible, the frickin' news is here, and once our parents see what happened, they are gonna freak out big time. So, little Miss Izabellah, you better start yapping as to where you are because I'm getting really tempted to borrow one of these police dogs for a walk..."

That's when the lightbulb in my brain went off.

"Okay! Okay! I'm sorry! I was just really embarrassed! I'm-I'm..."

"Spit it out munchkin!"

"...in the back of a cop car.""

***

"YOU'RE WHAT?!"

"Okay, now it's your turn to listen, please?"

"Okay, but you better have an explanation-"

"I do I do, don't worry. Now, I need you to go to the cop cars parked by the firetruck in the West parking lot. Just tell the people exactly what you are doing."

"And what's that?"

"Looking for me of course."

"Ohhhkaaaaayyy."

"You know everything you do now except that I am currently incarcerated."

"Izz, I know I promised to bail you out when you got arrested, but I kinda meant after the car ride, not before. And also, this seems in the verge of illegal..."

"I know it does, but trust me, I'm innocent, and you coming to find me will do just the trick to get me out...do you trust me Karmen?" My tone turned to one of pleading,  then baited breath. 

A slight pause.

"Yes Izz, I trust you,"

I breathed out, relieved.

"Thank you, now be quick about it, I think they're starting to leave." I calmly stated.

"Wait wha-"

My nose hit the red button and the line cut short.  I wasn't ever good at goodbyes, but in this instance they really needed to get a move on, because vehicles around me were starting to rev, and the two cops at the front of the car were breaking their talk.

I hurriedly turned to my back, and in the process hit my right arm in the back of the plastic seat. My face twisted into agony, but I resisted screaming with every fiber in my lungs,  because I couldn't afford to attract attention. I gingerly propped myself back up, and grabbed my phone behind me in my left hand, and expertly finagled it back into my pocket.

Now for a split moment I felt like I let my soul relax, and thought of a face that people see more often than I do. Moments later, my clothes fit me better, and I looked like myself again. I realized that I had a choice to make; follow the stranger, or find my friends. I couldn't have both, which is the way it goes sometimes, but, so goes life. Anyway, the minds of my friends were more important, and with what's currently unfolding with Audrie, I needed to be with her more than ever. Plus, I had a gut feeling that I would meet Blue again in time, one way or another.

Now all that was left to do was wait. Wait for my friends to rescue me. Huh. They were repaying the favor and they didn't even know it.