Desire

Chapter 3

Dad stared at me coldly as I drummed my fingers on the dinning room table. He had confiscated my phone and looked at its history. Four hundred and ninety two calsl and one thousand and eighty nine texts to Tanner Howl. Dad is furious, I can see it in his eyes and in his tense body. He didn't read the messages, I was smart enough to delete them, but he knows I have been texting him, and it is not a casual friendship. 

"Who is he?" He finally asks, speaking in a cruel, unfriendly tone. 

"A friend." I lied, once again, but this time he didn't buy it. 

"The truth, Peyton Gabriel." I almost slapped him as he spoke. He knows I hat my middle name, just as much as he hates my mother when she criticizes him for chewing.(And he really hates that) 

"Don't call me by that." I growled, turning my head to look out the window at the gray clouds and pouring rain. 

"Tell me who he is to you. I only want what is best for you, Peyton, you know that."  

"If you wanted what was best for me, you would stay out of my private buisness!" I screamed, drawing mom into the room from the kitchen. Dad had told her, of course, and she was frowning sadly. 

"Peyton, we want to protect you, boys only want one thing from you. As soon as they get it, they will break your heart. You have no buisness being with this 'Tanner'." Mom said sympathetically. 

"Mom, he isn't like the others! You have never met him! And you have no right to tell me who I can and can't be with." I slammed my fist into the table and bolted out the backdoor. Once outside, I ran, hoped three fences, ran some more, then finally stopped when I reached a large oak tree. 

Slumping against the tree I buried my face into my knees and covered my head with my arms as I let the tears flow. They come and come for what seems like hours until I finally have no more to rid of.Standing on wobbly legs, I walk slowly back towards my house, though I have no desire to return there. 

Stopping at the first fence I hopped, I run my fingers over the rough, chipped wood and lean against the white fence, focusing on the world around me. Flowers were blooming, bees buzzing, everything was quite and relaxing as I sat on the fence, hanging my head as thoughts crowded my brain.  

One thought in particular kept taking my attention. I want to kill myself. I am not sure how serious it was, only it was there and I kept finding myself focused on it. When I finally wandered home, I snatched my phone defiantly from the table and locked myself into my room. Immediately I called Tanner. I had no secrets anymore, of I didn't care what my parents thought or said. 

"Hello?" Tanner's gentle,caring voice sounds at the end of the line. 

"They know, Tanner. My parents know about you, about us. They know and they don't like it." I whisper urgently, biting the nails of my free hand. 

"How did they find out?" I notice the same anxious sound filled his voice as well. 

"My dad took my phone, he lookd at the history, and priced it together. I don't care what he says though, him knowing just means you can be around more often and we don't have to hide everything. So actually, if you think about it, this is better for us."  

"Yeah, I guess it is. I wondered why you hung up so suddenly, you worried me. I have to go, I don't want to, but I do. I love you so much and I will see you soon. Bye, Peyton!" Tanner called softly into his end of the line, then the steady beeping sound that proved he had left took it' place.

Sadly, I end the call and throw my phone onto my bed and look out the window at the ran, the unending rain. A small tear runs down my cheek before I shut the blinds and slip under the covers of my bed, closing my eyes to escape reality.