Heart Key (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 27: Blown Away

Song: Blown Away

By: Carrie Underwood

I walk along the streets and to the park, my thoughts a jumbled mess as I fight internally with myself. Why can't I think clearly?! This is bothering me way too much. I think as I run a stressed hand through my hair. The anxiety is getting to me as I walk along the path by the river, watching the ducks wade along the gentle currents as they dip in and out in their search for food. 

I stop for a moment, letting the gentle breeze play with the ends of my hair and rustle the leaves softly as a few of them break free and fall to the ground, adding to the ever growing amount of dead foliage littering the ground. I let out a small sigh of relief as I stretch and walk over to one many benches lining the side of the path.

Why did Chloe even want this so bad? I ask myself as I lean against one of the armrests and watch as some of the ducks take flight, only to return in the spring. At least they get to leave. I think as I stretch my legs out against the rest of the bench and lay against it. 

The cool metal seeps through my jeans and a small shiver runs up my back as I close my eyes and wrap my arms around myself even tighter. Not only is my mind going haywire, but it's stinking cold too! I let out a sigh at that thought and nearly jump when I feel a hand clamp down on my shoulder. 

My eyes snap open and I whip around to see Chris, Chloe, and Emma standing staring at me. "What are you three doing here?!" I ask in surprise and Chloe rolls her eyes as she walks over, pushing my legs off the bench and sitting down beside me. 

"Well, we all thought it was a little weird that you skipped school after lunch." She says, raising an eyebrow at me and I let out a sigh, running a hand through my hair once more. "Well, I was promised lunch once I left, sadly I never got it." I tell her with a small sigh, attempting to relieve the tension but it doesn't work. 

Chloe crosses her arms before leaning back to stare at me, waiting for a better explanation than what I had just provided. I stare back for a moment before looking over to where Chris and Emma are still standing with their arms crossed, staring holes into my brain as well. 

"I was with Blake, okay?!" I finally admit and Chloe's face immediately perks up and she grabs my hand to pull me closer as she looks at my neck intently. I stare at the top of her head in confusion before asking, "What in the world are you doing?" She leans back at that before staring at me in disappointment. 

"Where's the new hickey?" I feel my face burn red in embarrassment as I pull away from her, catching the snickers from my cousin behind me. "Okay, well I'm already tired of this conversation." I tell them as I stand to leave but they all follow me as I make my way down the trail.

"So you two didn't kiss or anything?" Chris asks in a girlish voice as he grins at me and I quickly shake my head. "No, and you can stop with the whole dare thing now. I'm finished, I gave him a chance, and I'm through." I tell Chloe and she looks at me in confusion. "What do you mean? I thought you two were getting along so well. I was already naming my future nieces and nephews!" She tells me and I give her a blank look.

She looks off, as if mourning the loss of her nieces and nephews and I roll my eyes before quickening my pace and staring straight ahead. "But seriously, what happened, Marcy? If you were with Blake where's he now?" She asks as she runs to catch up. I shake my head quickly as we reach a split in the path before quickly taking the one that goes to the right, knowing it'll loop around and lead me out of the park eventually. 

"Come on, we're best friends, you can tell me anything." Chloe begs and I look at her for a moment before slowly shaking me head again. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just that I don't want to talk about it at all." I tell her and she laughs before looking back at where Chris and Emma had fallen behind. 

"It couldn't have been that bad." She murmurs, looking at me in concern as she reaches out to stop me by putting her hand on my shoulder. I stare at her, internally dying as I say the words that need to be said so that I can do what I need to do. "Stay away from me." She blinks when I say this, her hand still on my shoulder as confusion fills her eyes. 

"What?" She asks as Chris and Emma catch up to us. "All of you should just stay away from me. I'm tired of you guys trying to make me stay in a place I am tortured being in. If any of you were true friends you would leave me be." I tell them and they all stare at me in shock.

Their looks pain me so I look away as I move a few feet farther from them with my back turned. I hear Chloe's arm hit her side as her hand drops from my shoulder. I stare at my feet before forcing out the final blow. "I don't want to see any of you more than I have to, so just drop the whole, let's keep Marcy in the place that makes her miserable. All of your antics annoy me greatly so leave me alone." With that I walk away, not bothering to look back, not wanting to in case it changes my mind.

I walk quickly to escape their stares as I round a curve, finally letting a tear slip from my eye and down my cheek. That's the only tear I let fall as I reach the end of the path and start for home, my stomach growling from my missed meal. 

I rub it subconsciously, letting it distract my mind from what I'd just done as I start to run. I run all the way to my house, barely stopping to let cars pass by when I have to cross the street and almost being hit by bikers riding their bikes on the sidewalk.

I finally reach the house and stare at it for a moment before walking in and heading straight to the kitchen. I find some Ramen Noodles and quickly fix them before heading upstairs to my room. I lock my door and sit on my bed before flipping on my TV and staring at the moving pictures aimlessly, shoveling the food in my mouth without a thought.

This will most likely be my life until this summer when I finally get to leave and go somewhere that no one knows me, where I can finally be happy.