To Those Who Know Me | Grant Gustin • #Wattys2016

(4). Tomorrow's a New Day

I grab my bag before locking the house and heading in my truck. I start it, and drive to the set.

"Kris, are you ok?" My uncle says, as I get into my office.

"Yea, I'm fine." I force a smile, and enter my office.

I play my music and start doing my paperwork. The usual paychecks, business calls, and other boring office stuff.

"Kris?" I look up to see Carlos.

"Hey... What's up?" I smile.

"Grant and your uncle were kinda wondering if you were OK. We all are actually. After the call from your dad-" I sigh.

"If I tell anybody the truth, it would at least be you guys. I am fine. Nothing wrong... I promise." I nod, and hear the ping of my email notification. I look, and somebody named Clarisse has sent me something concerning my father.

"Hello, my name is Clarisse. I have been going in dates with your father for quite some time now and, I think its fair if I get to meet his only living daughter. Maybe you would know where he is? It worries me that he hasn't said a thing to me since the horrible deaths of his son and nephew. Ohh and the girl too. Please. He means a lot to me. Thank you." I delete the email, and look at Carlos.

"OK, you're definitely not fine. Your face went pale when you read whatever email you read. Let me see it. Please." I sigh.

"You're going to anyway." I get up out of my chair, and lean on the wall behind me, as Carlos sits down and reads it from my trash folder.

"Wow." He says.

"You can't speak a word to anybody about this." He nods.

"Ok." I smile and he leaves, so its just me and the silence around me.

I pull out my laptop and start working on a story that I've been writing for two days now. A normal person with uld write an autobiography, but I write a novel explaining my life. Let the other people live it.

"Kristina Allen Marks!" I groan. Damn Carlos.

"Yes, Uncle?" I open my door to see every member of that dinner party, even with a very guilty Carlos in the back. "Promise he says." I walk into my office, frustrated.

"He did the right thing." Candice says. I laugh.

"Right thing my ass! I can handle this. This isn't any different from all the taunting I had in school. I'm absolutely freaking fine." I growl.

"This isn't school!" Grant yells at me.

"This sure as hell feels like it!" I yell back.

"Grant." Danielle says.

"No. Let him speak. I wanna hear this rant." I sit on my hanging chair, and he scowls.

"This is the real world. This is your dad, who is probably armed, and more than willing to put a bullet through your head." I laugh.

"You don't think I know this? He's my father. I know all his rants. Only this time, its now a man hunt. He's a drunken fool! He always got this mad when he drank. Which was every. Single. Night." Candice gasps.

"Why didnt this come up sooner?" Rick asks.

"Because. Finally I'm on my own. For once I get to feel free, and if I make a mistake, I go to jail. I don't get bruises."

"Yes, but couldn't you have said something about this two nights ago?" Tom asks.

"No. Because then people would feel sorry for me, and I don't need the pity."

"We weren't going to give you pity." Jesse says, looking at my uncle.

"Fine, then it would be sympathy. It would be something!" I grab my laptop, my bag, my keys, and leave. I get in my truck, and Grant runs after me.

"Don't go out there alone. Please." I shake my head.

"I already have." I roll my window up and drive.

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Two Weeks Later

I wake up in my motel room, to knocking. I get up, grab my steel softball bat, and cautiously head to the door.

"Who's there?" I ask.

"We need to speak." A somewhat familiar voice says. I unlock my door, and open it.

"Rick! Ohh flippers you scared me."

"What's with the bat-" His laughter threading his words.

"I thought you were my dad. I'm sorry. I've been paranoid these past few days." I say, putting the bat back in its place by my bedside.

"Well. We do have a break, and I came to visit. Why is it that you only told me and Tom where you were?"

"Because. Danielle, Carlos, and Candice would all tell Danny and Grant where I'm at, Grant would follow me, and both would talk me out of it. Rick, I'm protecting them. That's why I left." He nods.

"Well, I haven't said a word to anybody but Tom... You're good."

"Thank you." I genially smile, and flop on my bed.

"Nobody has tried looking for me right?" He laughs.

"Nope." I sigh.

"Good." He laughs more.

"Tom's outside. I'll let him in." Rick says, opening the door.

"When did you get here?" Tom asks.

"About a couple minutes before you did." I nod.

"Scared the shit out of me." We all laugh and I grab them a beer. We go outside to watch the sunset, and start a bonfire.

"So nobody else knows you're out here?" Tom asks, taking a drink.

"Nope. It'd attract attention."

"So how exactly are you paying for this?" Rick asks.

"Allowances and paychecks." I say, smiling.

"That explains everything." We all laugh, and we pass out.

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Next Day

I give Rick and Tom a hug and they get in their cars and leave. I close the door and grab a bottle of water. I flop on my bed and turn on the TV.

"Today, the man hunt for Alex Marks is still going strong, and his daughter has disappeared. Here is her uncle, David Nutter."

"Kris, come hone. Please, we'll protect you. If you can tell two of your friends but not us, it must really bad. Please. Thank you."

"There you go people, if you seen this girl, call the number below." I choke on my water.

"Did I really do this?"