Everyone Deserves The Flame (Adopted By Patrick Stump)

I'm Not Bent, I'm Not Cracked, I'm Just Broken.

Misery By Blink 182

Iris

I woke up to the sound of my alarm, and my head pounding. I groaned and pulled myself out of bed. I turned on the T.V. And flipped to a news channel.

Iris Grace Stump was reported missing yesterday, at six pm. Iris has green, brown, blue-y eyes, long brown hair, and a small build. Iris is 5'3" and was last seen at Los Angles Mall around two o'clock yesterday. She was seen wearing black skinny jeans, and a white shirt. If you have any information on Iris's whereabouts please contact the number at the bottom of the screen.

They were really looking for me. They shouldn't be looking for me. Them looking for me was a mistake. They were only making it hard on both sides. They needed to forget about me.

"Oh, look you remembered. Just go away. Maybe you'll forget longer next time."

My words whipped back into my mind. I grabbed my phone. Seventeen more missed calls. My third mistake was listening to the messages.

On second thought. I think I'll find you early. Six to be exact. Don't bother trying to run again, baby doll. I already have you. -My Father.

Iris, please come back. Your Dad is worried sick about you. Pete is beating himself up it all. Please come back. -Joe.

Pick up your phone, answer a text. Something. Anything. Please sweetheart. You don't have to tell us where you are, just let us know you're okay. -Patrick.

Iris, for whatever I did, I am so sorry. I take it all back, whatever I said. Whatever I did. Just come back. We all miss you. Your Dad needs you. Your brother needs you. Just come back home. -Pete.

Your Dad always said you were full of surprises. Well, you surprised us all. Just be safe okay? If you can't come back home, just let me know your okay. Please. -Andy.

Please, pick up. -Patrick.

Just don't do anything stupid. Please don't do anything stupid. -Pete.

Call us? -Andy.

End of messages.

Before I could stop myself. I made my final mistake. I made my fourth, final, and biggest mistake. I hit call back.

"Have you found me?" I asked into the phone. My voice breaking. Whatever was coming my way, I deserved it. I never should've came into Patrick's life. I should've told him I wasn't ready for home yet, even if that meant I never got home. I shouldn't have caused them this much pain.

"Of course, baby doll. Just open the door." He answered. But if I opened the door, that wouldn't be a kidnapping. That would be me voluntarily giving up. If I unlocked the door, and he came into the room, that would still be a kidnapping. If I needed to blame it on a kidnapping, I still could. So instead of opening the door. I unlocked it. I jammed my phone into my pocket, and sat on the bed. The handle turned. "You coming baby doll?"

"Your going to have to drag me out of here if you want me that bad." I hissed. My father slowly approached me, and sent his fist to collide with my face. My head snapped back, and my father delivered several punches to my stomach. I felt my ribs crack. They weren't fully healed. They were easy to snap. Too easy.

You were always easy.

Patrick

"Excuse me, have you seen this girl?" I asked the woman behind the counter at our last stop. This was it. We had searched everywhere. Bus stops, restaurants, gas stations, stores, hotels, motels, anywhere, and everywhere. Nobody had seen Iris. Either she was really good at disappearing, or she had gotten herself into a load of trouble. But this was it. If she wasn't at this Super 8, she was out of city limits. We were told if we couldn't find her in city limits, we would have to leave it to the cops, because then it wasn't a run away, it was a kidnapping.