24

"Get down." Chef PeePee mumbled, still staring at the vehicle in horror. He visibly trembled, and his breathing started to quicken.

"What?" Junior said, not hearing him completely.

"Get down and be quiet!" The chef hushed, immediately crouching down behind a bush. Junior and Joseph followed his lead, hiding behind a tree and another bush respectively. Junior could feel himself starting to shake as well, and his breathing started to get more rapid. Joseph looked nervous too, staring at Junior with concern.

Junior didn't know what the plan was. Leave? Whoever was in the van would see them and be suspicious. Sneak away? Where?! The only thing he could think to do is stay put and follow Chef PeePee's lead.

A million thoughts ran through Chef PeePee's mind. we're screwed, we're screwed, they found us, they found us, what do we do, where do we run? He clutched his chest to steady his breathing. His heart felt like It was beating so fast it would pop out of his chest. He looked over at Junior and Joseph who were looking back at him with concern. They're counting on you, PeePee, you can't crumble now.

Chef PeePee slowly brought his head above the bush to look at the van. The people getting out of it looked like teenagers or young adults. There were around eight of them, most being boys with the exception of 2 girls who stayed near the van. The boys on the other hand had a football and we're starting a game of tackle football in the field. The chef's breathing steadied a little. He was very relieved that they weren't cops, but also nervous that they'd spot him and the boys hiding.

"Stay hidden until they leave. It's just some high schoolers." Chef PeePee whispered. Junior and Joseph nodded in response, peaking a little bit to see for themselves. The three stayed quiet, hoping that the people wouldn't come their way.

The footballers were only there for about 20 minutes, but it felt like hours to the runaways. All they could do was sit there, listen to the cheers of the girls watching the mediocre football game, and pray that they left soon. Once they heard the van leave, they all let out a breath they didn't know they held in.

"That was scary." Junior said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"For real, dude. What are we gonna do if more people come around here? Who knows if people use this for soccer or something!" Joseph questioned.

"I think we have to move now. This is the only opportunity we have, and we'll have to spend more time finding a better spot. Pack your stuff, quickly." Chef PeePee said, grabbing his stuff and quickly shoving it in his bag. Junior and Joseph did the same, even taking the target off of the tree to not leave a single trace.

The chef crept around the entrance to the road, making sure no cars were coming. They were still in the poor part of town, but things were going to be more funded and more camera-covered the more they went on. Once the coast was clear, they started walking.

They didn't have a clue where they were going, and that scared them. But they knew no matter what, no matter how scared they got, no matter how terrifying the thought of seeing Bowser was, they were going to do this.

Right?