"Not many people could stand Anna Brooks, I included, but I never said anything about it. I used to be reserved, quiet not involving myself with many people or letting them in; mostly because of my dad's death. I didn't want to lose someone and feel thatagony." My voice broke and I swallowed.
Be strong Cassie. You can do this.
"At the start of year seven Quinn and Corey approached me, tried to coax me out of my shell and they succeeded bringing me into their group and soon I realised I had friends. I felt comfortable with them but I never let myself become too attached, too close in case something happened and it upset me. I also didn't want to tell them about what happened to Dad.
Everything was fine, we went on as usual and then Corey came out of the closet at the end of year eight. Most people took it well and other than a few odd looks every now and again things were good. He felt good.
Then one day a few months later around this time of year in year nine - I'd only just turned fourteen - Anna decided she wanted to be even bitchier and meaner than usual and drag Corey round to a desolate area of the school. She wasn't alone, she'd got some beefy guys to beat the crap out of him because he was gay.
I'd been walking around, looking for him, and then I found them cornering him, Anna laughing on the side-lines. I was so enraged by her that I just snapped. Most people hated her but nobody said anything because they knew she'd say something twice as bad to you back or find a way to make you regret it.
But the fury controlled me and I couldn't hold the frustration in. I insulted her. I told her to go back to her crack house. I was just hoping to threaten her, knock down her composure but that was definitely the wrong thing to say.
She told me I'd regret saying that to her. And I do."
This is the hard part. This is where it all went downhill.
George pushed lightly against the dip of my back, offering reassurance and urging me to go on. He began to running his fingers through my hair - an act to soothe me - but I only felt distracted.
"Please." I begged, nudging my shoulders so he would release my hair. "I have to do this."
His electric eyes searched mine, I don't know what for. He nodded for me to continue, placing his palm gently on my back again.
"I didn't think much of it. I thought it was an empty threat but I was very, very wrong. She called me on the landline, I still don't know how she got our number, and asked me if I knew where Abi and Harry were. I said they were at afterschool clubs, Harry rugby and Abi at dance. She laughed and told me she'd last seen them half an hour ago being dragged down the street by two men wearing balaclavas.
I was immediately confused and worried. I should have realised it was a trick. I was so stupid. But I'd been so anxious about what happened to my brother and sister that I acted rashly, not thinking anything through. I should have just called them, then I would have known they were okay and that they were actually at their clubs."
Looking up at George I watched his brows come together like he was questioning what happened next. What his friend Anna did. But also an ounce of anger was circling his irises, as if he knew what was going to happen next.
"She told me where she thought they were, it was in the side of town I knew she lived in. That only increased my worries because I knew what kind of bad people she lived around.
I took the bus and went to the address to find my siblings. It was a huge house, really glitzy in the middle of nowhere and I wondered whether I'd got the address wrong because it looked too nice to be where Anna lived.
YOU ARE READING
Hiding Anna
Romance"Cassie stop. You're going to collapse..."George called softly in the wind. My mind was already elsewhere, detached from my body. I don't know what kept my feet moving, but something did. Keep running. But I can't. I didn't understand what was happ...
