forum oxo with @emilyevewrites

Started January 18, 2023 by @menace-to-society

tune

Adalyn frowned and crossed her legs. After a moment, she looked out the window and mumbled reluctantly, "Okay." She watched the woods fade and the city came into view as the man driving the truck continued on. The sights outside her window distracted her from the intense urge of needing to pee. She hoped that whoever this girl with her was understood that going to the bathroom was a necessary part of human nature and–

Suddenly a rush of emotions struck Adalyn, and she sat upright in surprise, stifling a gasp at the intensity of the feelings. Damn, the girl beside her was incredibly anxious. She was so nervous that Addy started to become mildly panicked. And the driver… he was both confused and worried. Addy began to notice the little glances he was giving them in the rearview mirror. She looked over at the girl beside her and opened her mouth to ask something else, but she stopped herself. She didn't need the emotions to get worse, specifically this girl's anxiety. It would make Adalyn have a panic attack, and in front of two strangers, no less. So she didn't speak.

The car ride seemed to take an eternity, but at least Adalyn had realized had stopped talking. Phoebe really did feel bad, but she knew that Adalyn could pee soon enough anyway. She could probably pick up the wallet while the other girl relieved herself. It was the smart thing to do, especially if Adalyn was one of the extremely moral sort of girls. She wasn't raised in the Lab, so she very well might be. Phoebe knew that anyone who didn't buy into the lies that they were fed there didn't care much about how they got out, just escaping, and Phoebe was no exception. The woman the wallet belonged to probably had a stable job anyway; Phoebe had no other way to get the money.

As Phoebe glanced over at her companion, she noticed a change of expression on the girl's face. Weird. What had caused her to look so nervous all of a sudden? Was it the drugs? Or was it that they were wearing off? Maybe this girl's powers had to do with the look. Either way, it didn't matter much to Phoebe at the moment. They just needed to escape.

Eventually, they made it a small shopping square in the city, and Brett parked, turning to face the girls. "Is here okay? I know they have a payphone in this area still, if you need it," he responded. "The cell service is also pretty good here, so you should be able to call your friends if you have your phones on you." His brow scrunched a bit as he talked, and Phoebe was touched that he seemed to be worried about them. But she had bigger fish to fry now.

"Thank you," she responded. "Here is great." She opened the door, waiting for Adalyn to get out. Now she could finally set the final steps of the escape plan in motion, and they could work on getting ready to break out the others. Phoebe hadn't gotten a vision about that yet, just a vague glimpse, but she hoped she could soon. She was starting to gain some semblance of control over the visions, so if she could trigger one, that would be great. That would have to wait until the girls were safe, though.

Adalyn could feel that the other girl's mind was going a mile a minute. Whatever they were doing, her companion was completely focused on it. Her nerves were still there, but not as bad as they just were. It helped Addy to calm down, especially since she was on the verge of a panic attack.

She lifted her head when the truck stopped and the man who had been driving it turned to speak to them. A frown crossed her face. "My phone?" she mumbled. She didn't have her phone. Her phone was… wait, where was her phone? She didn't have it with her. It was… Where? She had no idea where her phone was. Panicked, she began to look around for it, but then the other girl started speaking.

Adalyn again wanted to say something, but she thought better of it and instead clumsily made her way out of the truck. Once her feet hit the ground, she stumbled out of the way so the other girl could get out. She blinked and had to shield her eyes from the light. It was so bright out now that there weren't many trees to block the sun. "Hey," she muttered to no one. "I still have to pee."

Phoebe barely understood what Adalyn had said, but she got it. She was sure there was a bathroom around here somewhere–it was a shopping area, and there was always one somewhere in the mess. She looked around for a bathroom sign, seeing one further down the shop-lined sidewalk. It pointed in the direction of a candy store, a shoe store, and a couple clothing stores. Conveniently, one of the clothing stores was the one that had the dropped wallet inside. Well, unless there was more than one Gap in this small maze.

It was a nice day, sunny, so there were several people out and about, shopping. She looked around, not seeing anyone who looked like they wanted to hurt the girls, so that was a win. Phoebe brushed a hand through her hair before turning back to her companion triumphantly.

"Okay, there's a bathroom over here," she said, gesturing in the direction that the sign indicated. "After you pee, I'll explain everything to you since it seems like you're getting more coherent. I'll be waiting outside the bathroom when you come out. So, yeah. Let's go." She walked in that direction, glancing behind her to make sure that Adalyn was following. They were getting close.

Adalyn nodded slowly and began to follow the girl toward the bathroom. All the while, she kept glancing around nervously. The feelings of all the other people around them began to settle in her mind. She noted one man's worry to find the perfect gift for his wife's birthday. A woman was stressed beyond belief trying to keep her two young sons in line. Another woman was smiling with shopping bags hanging from her arms, but for some reason, Addy knew that she was in turmoil on the inside from breaking up with her boyfriend and using retail therapy as an excuse.

She began to hyperventilate and steered away from anyone who got close to her, except for her companion whose name she still didn't even know. Pushing open the bathroom door, Addy swallowed heavily and went into a stall. Thankfully, there was no one else there.

Once she was finished, she went over to the sink to wash her hands. She flinched away from her reflection. The girl in the mirror looked like a disheveled mess. Her brown hair was frizzy and unruly around her face. Her eyes were still very dilated and had dark circles underneath. This girl looked hollow.

Addy stared in the mirror and blinked. The girl stared back at her and blinked too. Addy took a step, the girl took a step. Eventually, Addy wouldn't look at the girl, and she washed her hands rapidly. But when she looked up, she saw the girl was still staring at her. She recoiled as if she'd been burned and hurried out of the bathroom. Her gaze swung around desperately as she searched the people around her for her companion.

Phoebe herself had taken off the second Adalyn had walked through the bathroom door, walking into the Gap where the money was supposed to be found. She hadn't seen the exact spot she found it, but she knew she was supposed to be standing in front of a particularly boring blouse, so she searched the store as quickly as she could. Thankfully, she found the wallet without too much trouble, pulling a couple of bills out and setting it back on the ground. Sure, she felt guilty about it, but she and Adalyn needed that money to escape, so she was sure the woman would be fine.

What if someone else took the wallet after her, though? There were credit cards inside and a driver's license. Maybe leaving it there wasn't the best option. After a brief moment of indecision, she turned the wallet into the store, money still in her pocket. Well, good enough. At least she would only be missing the money that Phoebe had took now, and nothing more.

She hurried back out to the bathrooms, noticing her companion looking around frantically. Jeez, Adalyn really was in a state, wasn't she? Phoebe supposed she would have to explain herself during their little shopping trip, now that Adalyn was likely to actually understand. Keeping her in the dark probably wouldn't help with anything here. She walked towards the girl, outwardly fairly calm but buzzing with nervous energy. Before Adalyn could work herself up into a tizzy, Phoebe put a hand on her shoulder gently, just enough pressure for the girl to notice.

"Hi," she said, forcing herself to be a bit more cheerful. "You okay there?"

Adalyn began to hyperventilate again. The girl had left her. She said she'd be waiting outside, and she wasn't there. Panic set in. She covered her ears and shook her head. No. Not here. Not in public. She was about to turn and go back into the bathroom when she jumped at the hand on her shoulder.

She turned around rapidly but relaxed a bit seeing the familiar face. "Yeah," she replied quietly, taking a deep breath to calm herself. But then she noticed something weird. The girl looked calm and sounded happy, but Adalyn was picking up nothing but nervous energy from her.

"Are you?" she suddenly added before she could stop herself and realize what she was saying.

"I'm fine," Phoebe responded, though it was the sort of 'I'm fine' people say when they are definitely not fine. She did not want to talk about it, though. This stress would be over after they were safe. Then she could rest, recuperate, and plan. She was just holding it together until then.

"Hey, let's go shopping for new clothes," she suggested brightly, changing the subject. "I've got enough to get us both new outfits, as long as it's not something super fancy. These white tracksuits are really ugly." She laughed, though it was a bit forced. Her hatred of the tracksuits was not, though. They really were pretty gross, despite the comfortable material. Without waiting for a reply, she took Adalyn's hand and guided her towards a nearby clothing store (a different one than where she'd gotten the money). "So, what stores do you like, huh?" This whole place was kind of a novelty for her. Phoebe hadn't been clothes shopping, well, ever, so she was a little excited, even though her stomach was a boiling pit of anxiety.

She didn't really know any of the stores, so they were all interesting to her and she didn't much care where the two of them went. She only recognized the Gap from the vision that she'd had earlier about getting the cash. Now, she was in completely unfamiliar territory. If she weren't terrified about being found soon, she would be excited. And a bit overwhelmed. There were a lot of people here. She wasn't used to that. But no, she had to focus. If they couldn't shed their old clothes, they would be found easily. They had to get new clothes, and get the hell away from here afterward. They at least had to make it to a motel for the night. Phoebe knew there was a cheap one nearby, and had kept just enough money separate from the rest to afford it (thank you, visions). She was also glad this woman kept so much money on her. Wow. Phoebe wondered what her life must be like. Right, focus.

Adalyn frowned, clearly not believing the girl's "I'm fine." Between the falseness of her tone and her true emotions being poured into Adalyn like a sink faucet on full blast, the young empath knew she was being lied to.

"Clothes?" she asked curiously. She glanced down as if just realizing what she was wearing and frowned. "Yeah," she agreed as the other girl took her hand. The tracksuits were really ugly, and the white nearly hurt Addy's eyes to look at. However, when her companion grabbed her hand and began to lead her, Addy didn't trip up as much anymore. Partially it was because they were walking on actual solid ground, and the other part was because the drugs continued to wear off.

"Um, I don't know," she murmured. Her tone was naturally quiet, but the screaming and yelling she'd done at the Lab had made it even more so.

Suddenly, her eyes widened. Memories began to come back to her. Memories that had been suppressed by the drugs… Her life, her school, her friends, her parents… Coming home to a deathly quiet house… Entering the kitchen… Four strangers… Two held her mom… The other two held her mother… Both women were gagged and bound… Guns pressed to their temples… Tears in her parents' eyes… Adalyn could feel their fear and their pain… A fifth stranger… A man dressed in a white coat telling her it was time to go…

Adalyn jerked back into reality and tried to control her breathing. "My parents," she whispered, stopping dead in her tracks as she spoke. "Where are my parents?" Her wide brown eyes turned to the girl beside her. "And who are you? I don't even know your name. Where am I?"

Phoebe was not amused by this turn of events. She felt bad for Adalyn, of course she did, but her anxiety was already dialed up to an eleven without having to do anything that was not specifically in her vision. She didn't want to also have to explain the Lab to the girl or try to help her figure out her family situation right now. The truth was that Phoebe had no fucking clue about anything in Adalyn's life besides the very recent past of the Lab and being here now. She supposed she could just answer her questions as best she could for now, maybe try to see if she could pick up any visions of Adalyn's parents for later? She hadn't been able to control the visions at all until more recently, when if she concentrated on a specific occurrence, date, or person she might be able to get something. Still, that was foggy at best, and only worked some of the time.

At any rate, she needed to answer as quickly and concisely as possible so they could get a move on. "So it seems like the drugs are wearing off," she noted, partially to herself. "Cool cool cool." Yeah, she was definitely beginning to panic a little. Stay calm, Phoebe. Just follow the plan. You have time to explain a little, she reassured herself. Before saying anything else, Phoebe took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She turned to face her companion, not letting go of the girl's hand lest she get some idea and try to run off. Phoebe was not about to have that bullshit, not when they were so close to getting away for good. "I don't know where your parents are, I'm sorry. I don't really know much about you at all, just what my visions showed me. Okay, that sounds insane. Let me explain."

Here we go, she sighed internally. She'd hoped to delay this conversation a bit more, but Phoebe didn't want to be cruel. This was the easiest way. "You must have some sort of supernatural ability or power, which is why you were kidnapped by the people from the Lab," she began, trying to be quick with this while actually explaining the situation. "Basically, they take any kids who show supernatural abilities to experiment on them. You were taken pretty recently, but I've been there since I was really little. I hardly remember my parents. I have foresight, so I can see glimpses of the future and stuff. That's how we escaped. Oh, and the name's Phoebe. I already know yours, no need to introduce yourself. Now, if we want to escape the Lab for good, we need to buy new clothes, get changed, and get a room at a nearby motel to wait out their searching. Then we can find your parents." She hoped that was good enough for now, because she really did not want to get into her life at the Lab or the sort of things they did there. Plus, time was ticking, and that made Phoebe more anxious every minute they wasted standing around.

(I don't think this is how fast drugs actually wear off, but for the sake of the rp… 😂)

Adalyn looked horrified. "Drugs?" she squeaked. "I was drugged?" It… actually made sense. Ever since she was taken, her memories were hazy. Though she did remember the words doctors had exchanged over her. Their twisted emotions – excitement and curiosity – made her sick. And the terror. The panic. The fright. She couldn't tell if it was hers or theirs, but the memories were so saturated with fear.

The girl licked her lips to wet them as she just realized how dry they were. She was beginning to come back into herself, and it was both relieving and terrifying. How long had she succumbed to the drugs? How long since she was taken? Were her parents okay? She had to know. She had to find them. She missed her mom's smile and the way she would take Adalyn into her arms when the girl was overwhelmed and help her to calm down. She missed her mother's cooking, practicality, and perfectly organized house.

She desperately tried to focus on the girl in front of her and the words she was saying. "Visions?" she asked incredulously, taking a step back. Adalyn had no intentions of running, the motion was just out of shock. But she felt the girl's grip tighten ever so slightly.

"I know I do," Addy mumbled quietly, dipping her head and not meeting the girl's eyes. But she continued to listen, taking in as much information as possible. The girl had been kidnapped when she was little? She didn't even have a memory of her life prior to the Lab? Adalyn's heart ached for her. So her visions were her power, like Addy's empathy and telekinesis. That made sense. The pieces began to put themselves together in her mind. She knew the truck would be there. She knew the driver wouldn't hurt them. She knew they couldn't stop. It made sense.

"I'm Ad-" she began, but she stopped when Phoebe said she knew her. "Oh… okay." Her mind was still trying to process all the new information in addition to reeling over the memories of her capture. But she gave a dull nod. "Um… so, new clothes? We should hurry, then, right?" Her voice was naturally quiet, and it was more softened with understanding now"

(i mean idk lmfao,, the closest i've been to drugged was getting my wisdom teeth out so i just didn't think about it tbh)

Okay, good. It seemed like Adalyn understood what she had been saying. Honestly, Phoebe was a bit worried that the other girl would think she was crazy and run off, absolutely ruining Phoebe's plan. But not only did she seem to get it, she got the urgency of the situation. Good. Now they just had to go through the remaining steps before they had time where they could think of their next steps and figure things out…together. It was an odd idea to Phoebe, since she was used to planning everything on her own and keeping it to herself in case someone spilled to the doctors at the Lab. She'd lived almost her entire life in fear that one of them would catch her plotting escape again and do something to her. She had tried to escape several years ago, telling a few of those she considered to be her friends there, but someone had ratted her out, and she had never found out who it was. In those days, her visions were less frequent and less clear than they were now, so she hadn't seen much about escaping. But the psychological and physical repercussions of her scheming had never left her.

No, she had to stop dwelling on that. If she wanted to escape, for real this time, she had to keep pressing forward. She nodded at Adalyn, giving her a bit of a relieved smile. Though considering that she now knew Adalyn was an empath–she hadn't known the girl's exact powers until now, since Adalyn hadn't used them in the vision–the girl probably knew that Phoebe's stomach was still a mess of nerves.

"Yeah, let's go find a clothing store," she said, pulling her companion along to the nearest one. "Sorry to dump everything on you like that. If you want to know more, I can explain once we're safe. Or at least safe for now. I don't know anything past that we'll be at least temporarily safe at that motel if we can avoid suspicion when we arrive there. That's what the clothes are for. Once we get to the motel, we can work out what to do next."

(Yeah, no, I've never been drugged. I'm going to go with Adalyn's powers helped to influence the speed of the drugs leaving her system ;))

Adalyn felt genuine relief wash over Phoebe as she realized Adalyn wasn't going to mess up their escape. In fact, now that she was self-aware again, the telepath was more than eager to aid in running away from the people who had kidnapped her and getting back to her parents. But she could also feel her companion's nervousness, and it was eating up Adalyn on the inside too.

"It's okay," Addy assured her. As an empath, she'd learned relatively quickly how to be comforting and ease other people's negative emotions. If only for the selfish reason that Adalyn wouldn't feel their pain or anxiety or anger anymore. "You don't have to be so worried. We can do this together." She wasn't sure if Phoebe was still worried about her running away, but for safe measure, Addy added, "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

As Phoebe pulled her toward the nearest clothing store, Adalyn began to recognize logos and process their surroundings more coherently. "Not that one," she instructed, tugging Phoebe away. "There's a Community Aid over there. It's a thrift store and will probably be cheaper." Adalyn paused. "Unless you saw a specific store? In your vision? And do we have money?"

Phoebe was a bit relieved by Adalyn's attempts at helping, and she glanced towards her companion as she spoke, pausing. A thrift store…What was that? It was a cheaper sort of store apparently, so that was probably what it meant. Phoebe decided that she wouldn't ask, if only to avoid looking stupid. She knew very little about the outside world, and Adalyn had lived in it for most of her life, so Phoebe would just have to follow along. Cheaper sounded good. She didn't know the actual cost of clothes, she only knew how much money she had and that she saw them wearing new clothes in the vision.

"Cheaper is good," she agreed with a nod. "I didn't see a specific store, just us looking at clothes and then wearing new clothes. It seemed less important than…other things. I have money, don't worry. But the cheaper the clothes are the better, probably. That way we will have enough for at least a night's stay at the school, probably two or three. The vision cut off after we got there safely, so I don't know how we'll be staying. I did get the feeling that it wouldn't be too long, though. Visions are a bit hard to sort out concrete details. It's like the second you think more about something and try to figure out specifics, the fuzzier it gets. It's really picky about when I get more detailed information."

Addy nodded and continued in the direction of the Community Aid. "Yeah, thrift stores have used clothes, and they're much cheaper than the brand name stores. My friend, Mary, and I used to go thrifting all the time." Her voice broke a bit at the memories. "We, uh… we always would dare each other to find a complete outfit inspired by a twentieth-century decade. She would always pick the 70s." A small smile spread on Adalyn's lips before she was struck by an aching feeling. No doubt her friends were wondering about her sudden disappearance. Again she was left wondering how long it had been since she was taken.

"Okay," she murmured, processing all that Phoebe had just told her. "Well, we should probably figure out where exactly we are and go from there. Maybe I can find a phone and call my parents. They could help." If they're still alive. The tears streaming down her mom's face as a gun pressed against her temple haunted Addy's every step. Her mother had been more stoic, but Addy had felt her panic. She'd been able to see it in her mother's eyes.

Phoebe nodded, noting her companion's distress at the mention of her friend and parents. She felt a sting of empathy for the girl; it couldn't be easy being ripped from everything you knew when you were old enough to really remember it. She didn't know what it was like to have anyone that she cared about that much.

"That sounds like a good idea," she said gently, making more of an effort to be sympathetic now that Adalyn was lucid. She walked in the direction of the store labeled "Community Aid," tugging her companion along. "Well then, let's go thrifting." She gave Adalyn a small smile, trying her best to get them both out of here in time. She wanted everything to go as planned, and she wanted Adalyn to be able to be reunited with the people she cared about. They just had to follow Phoebe's lead, and they would be fine. After that, they could figure things out and go from there. After that, they had their whole lives ahead of them.

Honestly, being able to choose her life and being completely on her own sounded equal parts exciting and terrifying for Phoebe. She wanted to be able to do things unrestrained by the Lab but she was also scared of being out in the world with no safety net. At least she had a self-assigned mission to complete before then: save the others from the Lab. Then she could worry about existing as a member of society. Maybe she and the others could help each other. Maybe they could be real friends, like Adalyn was with Mary.

Adalyn blinked the tears from her eyes and smiled back at Phoebe. She appreciated the girl's efforts to be kinder, but she knew it would all be in vain if whoever had taken her – the people from the Lab – had murdered her parents after stealing away their daughter. The thought nagged incessantly at her, and she pushed it away. As far as she knew, her parents were still alive. If they weren't… Addy would cross that bridge once she got to it. She couldn't afford to think of that right now. There were more pressing things – like figuring out where she and Phoebe were first.

She could feel the girl's thought process and gently squeezed her hand to reassure her. "Hey, everything's going to be alright," she said quietly. "We can do this, right? I mean, you already got us both out." Gratitude shone behind Adalyn's words as she spoke. "I'm basically in your debt right now. I'd still be drugged out of my conscious mind if it wasn't for you. I promise we'll be okay."

Phoebe nodded, trying to breathe her way through this. They would be fine. They had to be. She walked into the store, Adalyn in tow, and observed the clothes. There were so many in one place; it was kind of crazy. They were organized by article of clothing and also, apparently, gender? Seemed a bit pointless to Phoebe, but maybe because all of the clothes that the kids at the Lab wore were basically identical. Either way, Phoebe would have been excited had they not been running from a bunch of psychopaths.

She headed over to the shirts first, trying to find something that was somewhat cute. Though it wasn't as if she had a time, so she would have to be quick. She might have to settle on something that was more okay than cute, but that wasn't the biggest deal right now. She glanced at Adalyn; she had more experience with this stuff.

"So I guess we can just both pick out an outfit and a pair of shoes," she said, glancing around the shop again. "And then we get the hell out of here."

Adalyn took a deep breath and relaxed as the familiarity of the store washed over her. It wasn't the same as the one she'd always gone to with Mary, but it was close enough that the ache of homesickness returned in full force. Though her companion didn't know much about the outside world having grown up in the Lab, Adalyn followed her lead through the aisles.

She began perusing through the racks for something about her style. After a moment, she glanced over to see how Phoebe was doing and noticed the other girl looking over at her. Addy offered a quick, shy smile and directed her gaze back down to the clothes.

"That sounds good," she replied quietly. Her fingers selected a hot pink t-shirt from the hanger. The textual design across the front read I Survived the Sooper Dooper Looper. The arcing line beneath read Hersheypark with the words Hershey, PA under that. "A little tourist-y, don't you think?" she giggled, showing the shirt to Phoebe.

Phoebe was glad that Adalyn seemed to be calming down a little. She couldn't imagine the fear that her companion must have felt being so torn from everything she knew only to slowly recover from the drugs to see unfamiliar surroundings and herself. Phoebe had no clue how she looked today, since with all of their escapades, she hadn't had time to look in a mirror. There were mirrors in the Lab but gazing at oneself longer than necessary was discouraged, possibly because the Lab didn't like the kids having a healthy (or really any) sense of self or individuality. Everything done there was for the group. The only time the scientists liked them to think as individuals was when they were forcing them to compete with each other.

Phoebe kept her gaze on Adalyn as she spoke, smiling slightly at the t-shirt the girl was holding. She felt a little dumb, unsure exactly what a Sooper Dooper Looper even was. Was it another normal thing that kids her age knew about? And what was Hersheypark? Phoebe had never been anywhere like that. Or anywhere at all, for that matter. At least not that she remembered.

"Yeah," she agreed, trying to look as if she knew why it was touristy. She went back to searching for a passable shirt. She had to tamp down her enthusiasm as choosing her own clothes. It turned out Phoebe was kind of picky. She ended up settling on a plain lavender tank top, all the while hoping that she could shop for real soon, when there wasn't a ticking clock behind the activity.

Adalyn's smile instantly dropped from her face. She felt Phoebe's confusion and faked understanding plainly. There was so much that she tried to hide… it was shocking to Addy. She didn't know many people who consistently repressed their emotions in exchange for such an agreeable outward expression. Well, there were always the popular girls she knew from school, but Adalyn had always tried to avoid them anyway.

"Sorry," she apologized, hanging the shirt back up. "It sounds stupid and ignorant, but I keep forgetting that you only ever grew up there. In the Lab." Addy glanced over to see the tank top that the other girl was holding, and she offered a smile. "That's cute," she encouraged. "Maybe pair it with a jean jacket, if we can find one in your size. Or an oversized one would look good too… and leggings. With boots. Really cute boots."

Then, as if slapped in the face, Adalyn's expression twisted with realization and shock. She jerked her attention back to the Hersheypark t-shirt and looked at it again. "Oh my God," she breathed. "We might still be in Pennsylvania." The girl turned around in a circle quickly, looking for anything else that might help her figure out where exactly she and Phoebe were. If they hadn't left Pennsylvania… it would be much easier to get back to her parents.

Phoebe blinked, following the other girl's gaze. She knew about the different states, which were thankfully part of the weird education curriculum the Lab had them follow, but she had no idea which one they were in currently or she would be of a bit more help. The idea behind the education at the Lab was that the kids would one day go into the real world, but as tools of destruction or even possibly espionage for the individuals who controlled everything, so they were told what they needed to know and no more. So Phoebe could point out the states on a map but not say where they were currently or what any of the states were actually like at all beyond vague guesswork on the climate due to how close each one was to the equator.

She was glad that Adalyn approved her shirt choice, since the other girl knew what normal people wore. Phoebe had no idea. She had imagined different outfits, but this was her first time really seeing other clothes besides the same sort of style she had donned her life and what the scientists and executives at the Lab wore. As it was, she wished that she could be more help to her companion. She wished she were a normal kid, but then again, she always wished that. Today was no different in that regard.

"How do you know if we're in Pennsylvania?" she asked, confused. Was there some sort of sign? What did people look for in order to know that? She figured the borders would be marked so people knew when they entered or exited the state, but most people within the state had to know that they were there, right? So what indication could she be looking for? At any rate, her heart was still beating fairly fast as she was unable to put the ticking clock out of her mind. She glanced over towards the pants aisle nervously, thinking about every second they wasting. She could worry about being a killjoy when they were both safe.

Addy stopped looking around for a wild moment and yanked the Hersheypark shirt back off the rank and held it up so Phoebe could see. "The 'PA' here," she said, pointing to the initials. "It's the state's initials. Hershey is a town in Pennsylvania. I'm not sure if we're still in Pennsylvania, but we can't be too far if there are touristy Hersheypark shirts here…"

She trailed off as a bored-looking boy in a Community Aid t-shirt walked by the aisle. "Excuse me," Addy called out, summoning the courage to talk to a stranger. Pure hope was propelling her forward now. If they were still in Pennsylvania, and depending on where they were in the state, her parents might only be a few hours away. If the girls were somehow able to secure a car, that is.

The boy stopped and turned to Addy. "Yeah?"

"Um, which Community Aid branch is this?" Adalyn asked, hoping that she sounded way less crazy than she looked. "Which location?"

For a moment, the boy just stared at her. Then, right when she didn't think he'd say anything, he sighed and answered with a dull, "Pittsburgh."

Addy's eyes widened immediately. "Thank you!" she replied before bolting back over to Phoebe. "We're in Pennsylvania!" she declared quietly.

Phoebe nodded, glad that her companion seemed happy with the news. It would likely mean good things for both of them if Adalyn was more or less familiar with the area, though the different states meant little to Phoebe herself. At least Adalyn was looking much cheerier about their situation now. Phoebe wasn't even sure what state she was originally from. She didn't remember enough to know, just vague flashes of memories from her life before she taken, memories that might not even be accurate after so long of trying to remember them.

"That's good," Phoebe agreed, Adalyn's enthusiasm being somewhat contagious. The other girl's upbeat mood would help them get this done faster then. "Let's hurry and finish up then. We can form a plan at the hotel." She went quickly over the pants area, hoping to find some pants before grabbing a jacket and shoes. She would make do with what they had here, which honestly wasn't a bad selection. Some of the clothes had weird stains, or weird designs (at least to Phoebe, but maybe they were actually totally normal designs), but some weren't bad. She thought she might enjoy putting together outfits in the future. The selection was actually almost overwhelming, and she knew she would have taken much longer if she weren't currently on a mission, her brain whirring at a million miles per hour. Maybe she would have to do this again when she didn't have a time crunch like this. Well, that would require more money, but that was a problem she could solve later. Only getting changed and getting out of here mattered now. They were so close!

Addy nodded quickly. "Okay," she agreed. It was a relief knowing that she was in the same state that she'd been kidnapped in. If they were in Pittsburgh, like the employee said, then her parents couldn't be more than a three-hour trip away. By car, Addy reminded herself. We need to get a car. Or, at the very least, a phone.

She perused through the clothes and selected a black t-shirt with a faded album cover for the band Green Day, dark-washed jeans, and a white belt. Once she had her outfit gathered in her arms, she began to head over to the shoes. Normally, she didn't like to thrift shoes, but right now, she didn't really have a choice. But before she completely abandoned Phoebe, she glanced over at the other girl.

"Want to come over to the shoes with me?" she asked, smiling hopefully. "It's probably best if we really stick together right now."

Phoebe nodded, grateful for the offer. She had added a pair of ripped jeans to the clothes in her arms as well. She just needed some shoes and a jacket. The socks she already had on were probably fine, since it wasn't as if they would actually check their clothes. The all-white tracksuit ensemble just stood out a bit too much to not draw attention. Besides, it was boring as hell.

"Sounds good," Phoebe added along with nod, following the other girl over to where the shoes were. Phoebe had no clue what her sizing was in all honesty; the only reason she had known that her current clothes would fit was because they were what she was wearing in her vision. She would have to remember their sizing for later. She wasn't exactly sure what shoes she had been wearing, but she was fairly certain they were some sort of black sneakers. And she had been wearing a gray jacket. Yes, that's right. So she had to find those things. Sure, the cuteness factor was definitely important to her, but escaping was more important. She could do this.

Adalyn offered another smile, still trying to do what she could to help calm the girl down. Phoebe was still unspeakably anxious, and with Addy's empathetic abilities, it maybe wasn't the best thing to be getting energy from anxious people around her.

She glanced at the boxes, looking for shoes that were her size. Luckily, a pair of Vans stood out, and she slipped them off of the shelf to check that they weren't totally gross. After a minute of making sure she was good, Adalyn looked back over at her companion.

"Um, I think I have everything I need if you're ready to go," she said quietly. If only Phoebe would calm down a bit more, maybe then Adalyn could relax too. But that was a joke in itself. Addy wouldn't be truly relaxed until she was reunited with her parents again. And maybe not even then… but it would be a start.

As Adalyn found the Vans, Phoebe looked at the shoes one by one until she found a pair of black Converse that were a bit worn but still usable. Yep, they looked right. She checked the tag on the inside–7 1/2. She would have to remember that for later. She had everything now, they just needed to check out and find the hotel. Then they were home free–for now. That gave her another bout of nerves. She didn't like not knowing what came next. At any rate, as Adalyn spoke, Phoebe nodded along.

"Almost," she said, glancing at a nearby rack of jackets before finding a gray one just a little too big for her. It was exactly the one from the vision. Okay, perfect. She turned back to Adalyn, hoping that things would work out now. "Okay, let's go check out." She led Adalyn in the direction of the register, realizing only as they got in line that she had no experience with talking to strangers. She swallowed. No, she had to do this, and then they could go. It was simple, right? She didn't even really have to say anything, just wait for the total and then pay and take the clothes with them. She would be fine.

Adalyn smiled at the pair of shoes Phoebe had found. "I know we're not going for style right now, but those are actually pretty cool," she complimented. She followed her companion to the jackets and picked out a hoodie for herself. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have some kind of jacket in case the night got cold.

"Okay," Addy agreed, following Phoebe's lead. But once they were in line, she could immediately feel Phoebe's rising panic. She realized quickly that if Phoebe had grown up in the lab, her contact with people other than the doctors and other kids there was little to none. Most likely none. No, definitely none.

Gently, she rested a hand on Phoebe's arm. "Hey," she murmured. "I can do the talking if you want." Normally, Addy didn't like to be the one speaking, but it would hopefully help Phoebe's anxiety – and Adalyn's, by default – if she took the lead this time.