You Can’t Escape Jail Time

Phoebe laughed again but louder this time after seeing Emma's sad face. "You can't escape jail time."

Emma quickly shushed her, running to the door and pulling it open. She peeked out—the hallway was empty.

She closed the door and leaned against it. "The walls are thin. You're too loud. And can you stop saying that? It's freaking me out."

Phoebe smirked and flicked her cigarette ashes into the tray. "You should be scared. Scared enough that you might lose control." She paused. "But seriously... Why would you do this? You love money, yeah, but you've never stolen before."

Emma sighed. "Last night, before I left the dorm, I thought about everything. I got excited when you said you'd introduce me to Scott, thinking maybe some of my problems could get solved. But then reality hit. Tomorrow we have to leave this place, and I have to go back to my mom's tiny apartment... it's impossible. With my bank balance, even a small place is out of reach. I thought you'd understand better than anyone."

Phoebe nodded slowly, her face serious. "I get it, but this seems extreme. So what's your plan for the car? Are you going to sell it?"

Emma didn't hesitate. "Yes. That car is worth a fortune. The money could keep me going for a whole year." She stood and walked to the window, motioning for Phoebe to join her.

Phoebe leaned out the window and looked at the car Emma pointed at. "Wow... that car is really worth a fortune, Em," she said, turning to her with worry in her eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I've already made up my mind," Emma replied.

"What if he comes after you?"

Emma turned to her. "You said you wanted to leave Hidden Towel after graduation and stay with your aunt, right?" Phoebe nodded slowly. "Then, what if I come with you? I can stay there for a while, far away from New York, and come back later."

"Whoa. Calm down." Phoebe let out a long breath and crossed her arms. "I don't even know when I'm coming back. Mom wants to stay with Aunt Tiffy because she's still grieving Brian. Honestly, I might just move there and start over with my family."

"Then I'll go with you," Emma said quickly. "It doesn't matter how long you stay. I need a fresh start too."

Phoebe lifted a brow. "And your family? You're just going to leave them? Em, you can't do that." Emma didn't say anything, and Phoebe continued, "I can't let you just walk away from them."

"They survived without me for four years. They'll survive four more," Emma said softly. "And I'll send my mom money. You're the only person I trust, Phoebe. Please... let me come with you."

Phoebe looked overwhelmed. She took a moment, then walked back to her bed and sat down, thinking. Emma stayed by the window, staring outside with her mind racing.

"I'll talk to Jones when the sun comes up," Phoebe finally said and Emma looked at her. "The car should be easy to sell. It looks so fancy and expensive that nobody will ignore it. And once I leave, you should start packing. We're leaving Hidden Towel by Sunday."

***

Jones handed Phoebe a bag. "Here's all the money from the car. It was easy to sell," he said, though he still looked curious. The car was showcased for just 25 minutes before attracting attention, and soon five buyers came forward, each eager to make an offer. "Why do you need this money so fast? Are you going somewhere?"

Phoebe looked at the bag, then met his eyes. "Yes, Jones. I am." She quickly made up a story about how Emma got gifted the car after a night with a rich guy. Jones chuckled nervously and scratched his head.

"You didn't give me much detail, so I wasn't sure if it was stolen. But it's not listed anywhere, which is weird for such an expensive car," he said.

"It's an emergency," Phoebe said firmly but softly. "I'll be back next month. Can you wait?" She leaned in, kissed him, and whispered, "Thanks for this. I love you." Another quick kiss, and she turned to leave. For a moment, she hesitated, wanting to tell him it might be the last time she saw him. She loved Jones, but Emma needed her now. Supporting her friend was more important, even if it hurt.

Phoebe opened the dorm door and saw Emma packing. She smiled. "Hey there," she said, closing the door behind her.

"How did it go?" Emma asked, then she noticed the bag. "I'm guessing it worked."

Phoebe smiled. "Jones came through. And your one-night guy? He hasn't reported the car stolen. I wonder why." 

Emma's stomach tightened. Perhaps he was still asleep. Perhaps he was still confused. Or perhaps... he was already looking for her, retracing every step she'd taken.

Phoebe stepped closer. "Are you really going to do this?"

Emma nodded, determined. "Yes. I'm sure." She took the bag. The weight of the bag made Emma's chest tighten. There was no turning back now. She hugged Phoebe tightly. "Thank you for helping me. I really appreciate it."

"That's what friends are for."

After a moment, she looked at Emma, then turned back to finish packing. Leaving Hidden Towel was hard. She would miss this place.

By 10 p.m., they had everything ready. They shared the bed—their room had shrunk under the weight of packed bags. The next morning, the alarm went off, shrill and loud. 

"Time to get up," Phoebe said, nudging Emma.

Once dressed and ready, Phoebe grabbed their tickets. She had struggled to get them yesterday, paying far more than she expected, and together, they left Hidden Towel behind, without looking back. 

***

Somewhere far away, Emma's heart raced with excitement. Ezra had no idea she had left the country.

***

Ezra felt an unsettling emptiness as his hand brushed the sheets beside him. He blinked awake, expecting to see Emma—but the space was cold and empty. A frown gathered on his forehead. He pushed himself up with a heavy sigh, scanning the room in confusion.

"Where did she go?" he muttered, swinging his legs off the bed. He reached down for his pants, pulling them on as he stood.

He rubbed his eyes and called out, 'Emma!' but only silence answered.

He checked his phone. Eight o'clock. A wave of anxiety hit him hard.

Father will be furious.

He rushed into the bathroom, and brushed his teeth quickly. In his mind, he tried to calm himself. She probably stepped out she'll be back. But as he stepped out of the bathroom and reached for his shirt on the bed, his foot caught on something. He stumbled forward, barely catching himself before falling.

His eyes fell on his wallet.

He froze.

A cold rush sliding down his spine as his fingers trembled to pick it up.

Did I have two?

He turned toward the table where he remembered placing his wallet and keys last night.

It was empty.

He immediately dropped to his knees, checking under the table, under the bed. There was nothing.

"Maybe I just can't remember," he muttered weakly, forcing a laugh as he picked up his phone. He dialed Emma's number. The call failed immediately. He tried again. Same result.

"Is her phone dead?" he whispered.

He moved toward the closet, pulling out fresh clothes, when the door suddenly burst open.

Scott rushed in. "Did you take your car out last night and forget to bring it back?"

Ezra froze mid-movement. "What are you talking about?" He asked and turned sharply. "Scott, seriously. What do you mean?"

Scott let out an impatient breath. "Your car isn't where you parked it last night. So did you move it or not?"

Ezra scoffed. "You're saying my car is not there?"

"Exactly."

The panic hit instantly. Ezra slammed the wardrobe shut, rushed to the table to check, then pulled open the drawer, only a box of condoms stared back at him. He checked the trash next, half-expecting to see his missing key...or anything. Or his money, which still didn't make sense to him, but all he found was a used condom from the previous night. "I didn't throw that condom away," he muttered, glancing at Scott with confusion. 

Scott raised a brow. "So... you were with a woman last night?"

Ezra exhaled heavily and handed Scott his wallet with anger. "Now it makes sense."

Scott's confusion deepened. "What does?" He stared down at the empty wallet, trying to understand what Ezra was talking about.

Ezra pointed at it. "Last night, it had money."

Scott opened the wallet, even though he felt it was empty. He shook it, flapped it, hoping something would fall out. Nothing. He looked back at Ezra. "It is empty."

"It wasn't empty last night. It had money. A lot of it. I withdrew it for Winter because Dad wouldn't send her any since she refused to come home. I just wanted to help quietly." He swallowed hard. "But now the money is gone." He paused, the realization hitting even harder. "And so is my car key."

"And your car," Scott added.

Ezra groaned low. "And my car."

Scott crossed his arms, asking, "So... who do you think took it? Start from the beginning. I looked everywhere for you last night and you just vanished."

Ezra sat on the bed with a heavy sigh. "I bumped into a girl yesterday and—"

"Oh no," Scott groaned. "You know how these girls are. When will you stop picking up women from parties?"

Ezra clenched his jaw. "Look, playboy, this one seemed different. At least I thought she was. She was innocent. Sweet. Everything she said sounded believable."

Scott burst into laughter. "Innocent? Oh, come on, Ezra."

Ezra stared at him, unamused. "Scott, I'm serious. I think Emma is gone."

Scott's laughter cut off.

"Wait," he said slowly. "The girl you met was Emma? Emma?" He asked again to confirm.

Ezra blinked, bewildered. "You know her?"

Scott scratched the back of his neck. "Not personally. But I know the friend. She wanted to introduce me to Emma and I gave them invitation to attend the party."

"Maybe... maybe the one I met was a different Emma," he muttered, refusing to let himself believe it

"I bet you this was the same Emma. Only one Emma was on the entry list, and I was supposed to meet her last night."

Ezra frowned. "I don't understand."

Scott sighed. "Emma's struggling financially. I was going to help her, but there was a catch. Her friend said she was inexperienced and hadn't been with a man before." He shrugged. "Looks like she chose you instead."

Ezra shook his head. "I still don't understand." Confusion spinning in his mind. Every word Scott said sounded like a joke—he still didn't understand.

Scott folded his arms, smirking. "She knew exactly what she was doing. Needed money—and you were the perfect rich boy. She slept with you... then robbed you."

Ezra's face hardened. "I never told her I was rich."

"You don't need to. Girls like that... they can spot rich guys from a mile away. It's what they do."

He bit his jaw, trying not to believe he had been scammed. He added firmly. "Well, it wasn't just sex... it was mutual. We... made love."

Scott laughed, a sharp edge in his voice. "Love? Ezra... girls like her don't make love. They survive. She saw a chance—and she took it. She was going to lose her virginity to me... all for money and favors. Speaking from experience, I've met girls like this countless times—they don't know love."

Ezra said nothing. He didn't know what to say or how to react. His mind raced, refusing to catch up with Scott's words.

Scott clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on. Get your shirt. I'll take you home. Your father's been trying to reach you."

Ezra followed him out slowly, drowning in disbelief. They slid into Scott's car. The drive was silent.

When they arrived at the Queen's mansion, Scott parked and turned to him.

"You can't tell your dad about this yet."

Ezra unbuckled his belt. "He'll find out anyway." 

He was already drained from everything that had happened that morning and Scott could hear it from his voice. He wanted to help his friend. Ezra couldn't remember much from last night, only the way this girl made him feel. 

"Wait." Scott halted him before he got out. Then he leaned closer. "If you want your car back...and to find that girl, I have an idea."

Ezra looked at him. Right! If anyone could help, it was Scott. "What idea?"

Scott smirked. "We call the police."

Ezra froze, heart hammering, cold sweat running down his back. Panic surged through him, but a stubborn part of him refused to believe it. 

Could she really do this—steal from him, vanish, and leave nothing behind but confusion?