Chapter 12: Again, And Again, And Again!

Lily slammed the door to their dorm shut. “Fourteen? Fourteen? If once is happenstance, twice is coincidence and three is enemy action. Then fourteen is...” she pulled sharply at her own hair in frustration as she tried to massage her temple. “I don’t even know what that is.”

It had been a week since Eve’s first run in with a truck. Despite the initial hope that the trucks had been random, unconnected incidents, the ongoing encounters across the week confirmed Lily’s suspicions. Her friend was indeed being targeted deliberately.

Eve casually laid down on the sofa with her arms supporting the back of her head. She rested one leg on top of the other as Lily paced back and forth. “Actually, I’m pretty sure it’s fifteen.” Eve declared glibly.

Pulling out her phone from her tracksuit pocket, Eve opened app she’d been using to keep score. “Yep, Eve: fifteen, Trucks: zero.”

“Is this a game to you?” Lily erupted.

Not even looking in her friends direction, Eve raised her arm, proudly showing the score on her phone screen. “If it is a game, then I’m winning.”

Lily, exasperated, pulled out her own phone. “Fine, if you won’t take this seriously, I’ll phone someone who will.”

Eve rolled onto her stomach to face Lily. “Wait, who are you calling?” she asked.

“The Police of course!” Lily began dialling in the number. “Nine...”

"WAIT!” in that moment, Eve pounced on Lily from her position on the sofa, tackling her friend to the floor.

The pair began grappling on the ground over Lily’s phone.

“You can’t phone the cops over one or two...” Eve began.

“FIFTEEN” Lily spat.

Eve corrected herself. “Fifteen minor, itty bitty close calls.”

Lily was desperately trying to keep Eve from taking her phone before she could finish dialling the number. “Fifteen attempted hit and runs.”

“None of which hit.” Eve argued. As she did, Eve finally managed to pry Lily’s phone out of her hand. “HA!” She stood up, deleted the partially dialled number, then she put Lily’s phone in her pocket.

Lily slowly rose to her feet, her hands were clasped to her chest and her head was down, seemingly sulking.

Eve’s face clouded with concern, “Lily, are you... did I hurt you?”

Lily immediately ran to her room and locked her door, without saying a single word to Eve.

Eve pulled Lily’s phone from her pocket and looked at it. Her friend didn’t understand. These truck attacks, they were the best training tool Eve had ever had. She couldn’t admit it, but she didn’t want them to stop. They were the ultimate test of her dodging skills. Lily believed they were dangerous, but surely things are only dangerous if they manage to score a hit? Eve naturally, had no intention of allowing anything to actually hit her.

Chasing the thoughts from her mind, Eve checked for her own phone only to find it gone. She knew at once where it had to have gone.

“OH YOU SNEAKY BITCH!” Eve yelled, immediately charging towards Lily’s room and banging on the door. “Lily give me back my phone.”

“No” Lily responded defiantly from the other side. “I’m phoning the police and reporting these truck attacks, whether you like it or not.”

“How do you intend to do that when you don’t know my phone’s unlock code?” Eve called back.

“You can call emergency line without unlocking a phone you know.” She quickly began to dial in the number for the emergency services.

“No no no, please Lily, you can’t call the cops.”

Lily’s finger hovered over the dial button. This was for Eve’s own good, Lily just wanted to protect her friend. Yet the tone of desperation in Eve’s voice made her hesitate.

Both Lily’s hand and voice began shaking, “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t.”

“Because... because...” Eve racked her brains trying to think of a reason that would satisfy Lily and from making the call.

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“You can’t, can you?” Lily sighed, moving her finger back towards the call button.

“No wait, you can’t because... because... it’s not an emergency.” Eve finally spat out.

Lily didn’t buy Eve’s excuse in the slightest. “Eve, your life is in danger, of course it’s an emergency.” she insisted.

“Not right now it isn’t, I’m safely indoors.” Eve pointed out. “It’s not like a truck is going to come bursting in thorough the wall.”

There was a beat of silence as Lily glanced anxiously at her bedroom wall. With the way these trucks had been seemingly materialising out of nowhere, the odds of one crashing into the dorm seemed surprisingly high.

However at the same time, Lily had to concede Eve had a point. Those numbers were for immediate emergencies. Lily didn’t want to get in trouble for potentially misusing them.

With a sigh, Lily unlocked her door and flung it open. She held out Eve’s phone, offering it to her friend. “Here take it.”

Eve removed Lily’s own phone from her back pocket, presenting it to Lily, before pulling back slightly. “If I give you your phone back, you won’t use it to call the non-emergency police number right?”

Lily a weak, yet reassuring smile, “I promise I won’t make any calls you don’t want me to.”

With that promise, the two young women exchanged phones.

With her own phone back in her possession, Eve tucked it into her back pocket, then spread her arms wide. “So what do ya say bestie, hug it out?”

Lily, as usual unable to resist an excuse to be close to Eve, cuddled up to her.

Eve embraced her tightly, “Thanks, for not making that call bestie.”

Lily looked up at Eve, “You’re welcome... but you know these truck attacks, we can’t keep ignoring them.”

Eve let go of Lily, “Why not?”

Lily gave a frustrated groan, “Why not? Because they could kill you!”

“Not as long as I keep dodging them.” Argued Eve.

“What if whoever is targeting you decide to get to you by targeting me?” Lily pointed out. “I don’t have your reflexes, I can’t dodge shit.”

Eve’s face darkened, “They wouldn’t dare...” her voice trailed off, uncertain.

“What makes you so sure?” Lily demanded.

Eve had no answer for her. Her bravado shrunk away as she was finally lost for words.

“See, that’s is why we need to get the police involved, if not to protect yourself, then do it for me.” Begged Lily.

“I... I...” Eve’s head was spinning. She found herself once more logically outmanoeuvred. “I was thinking we could try something else.” She blurted out.

Lily raised an eyebrow “What exactly did you have in mind?”

Eve panicked, she'd not thought this far ahead. “Well we’re pretty sure it’s always the same truck right?”

“I haven’t been able to record the licence plate, but it certainly appears to be the same truck every time”. Lily confirmed.

Eve’s eyes darted around as she searched for some sort of plan. “What if we... we... we... ask them politely to stop?” she suggested.

“That’s it? That’s your plan?” exclaimed a thoroughly unimpressed Lily. “Dear Truck maniac, pretty please stop trying to murder me?”

Eve mounted a somewhat weak defence of her idea. “It’s worth a shot, after all we don’t know for certain it’s intentional, maybe they are just a bad driver.”

“Who almost ‘accidently’ ran over the same girl fifteen times?” Lily’s retort oozed with a thick layer of sarcasm.

“A REALLY bad driver” Eve reasoned with a shrug, trying to play the situation off.

“How do you propose we send this letter?” Lily questioned.

Eve explained her plan. “I thought of that, next time it shows up, I’ll slap it onto the truck’s windscreen. I’m sure I can do that and dodge at the same time.”

Lily made up her mind. “Fine, I’ll go along with this... on ONE condition.”

A look of nervousness flashed in Eve’s eyes “Which is?”

“If there is even ONE more truck attack after that letter goes out, we go to the police. Deal?” Lily extended her arm, prompting Eve into reluctantly shaking her hand.

“Deal” Eve agreed.

Lily brought Eve over to the desk in Lily’s room and tore a sheet of paper from one of her notebooks. “Ready?” Lily asked.

Eve baulked in shock, “Wait we’re writing the letter now?”

“Why not?” Lily pulled up a second chair and sat shoulder to shoulder with Eve. “No time like the present.”

The two friends worked for the next hour writing and perfecting to the mysterious truck driver. By the end it read, in Lily’s flowing handwriting:

“Dear Truck Driver,

I am unsure who you are, or why you appear to be trying to run me over in your truck. It would be greatly appreciated if you would stop please. If you persist, I will be forced to get the relevant authorities involved. However, as long as you do not bother me again, I promise to forget these incidents ever happened.

Sincerely, Eve Adenson.”

“I think that’s pretty good if I do say so myself.” Beamed Lily.

"Yeah” Eve grimaced though gritted teeth. While they had intended to write it together, by the end Lily had taken over the letter writing completely. The same thing tended to happen whenever Lily helped Eve with her homework as well.

Lily reached for her stationary. “All we need to do now is get this in an envelope”

“Let me take care of that, I mean you’ve done pretty much everything else.” Eve insisted. She then folded her arms and shivered. “Brrrrr, it’s pretty cold in here. Could you grab my tracksuit jacket from the lounge please?”

“Fine, I’ll be right back.” Lily got up and made the trip to the lounge to retrieve Eve’s jacket. After about two minutes, she returned to see Eve sealing the envelope.

Lily raised her eyebrow in suspicion, “It took you two minutes to put a letter into and seal an envelope?” she questioned.

Eve shifted awkwardly. “I... ummm... was having difficulty working up enough saliva.”

“Eww, TMI” Lily cringed, her face contorting in disgust.

Eve abruptly shifted gears, “Anyway, time to hit the hay!” She stuffed the envelope into her tracksuit pocket, before giving an exaggerated yawn and beating a hasty retreat from Lily’s room. “Goodnight bestie.”

“Goodnight Eve.” Lily smiled, closing the door behind Lily after the girl left her room. She yawned, then tried to cast the days events from her mind as she collapsed into bed. “Hopefully, once this letter plan fails, she’ll finally go to the police” Lily thought to herself.

Meanwhile in her room, Eve took the letter out of her tracksuit pocket. “I’m sorry Lily” Eve whispered to herself, as she glanced down at the envelope.

Looking out the window while feeling the weight of the letter in her hand, Eve wondered to herself if what she had just done was the right thing.