Behind The Hoodie

(Part 2) Chapter 13: Running

I look to him and he quickly grabs the sides of my mouth, his nails cutting into my lips as he does and he brings his face close to mine, breathing the smoke slowly into my face. I hold my breath not wanting to breathe it in.

"Come on. It could be fun."

You're high.

"Get your hands off of me!" I say quickly pushing him away from me.

I unlock the door and quickly go to get out but I am suddenly pulled back to the car by my wrist. I turn back to him and I see him holding a gun beside him.

"Get back in the car."

I quickly go to yank away but he pulls me halfway back in the car as I do making me lose my balance as he swiftly sends a punch to my jaw, I pull away at the same time, he was going for knocking me out though. I send a punch of my own and twist my wrist and pull away.

I fall backward from the sudden force and him letting go. I fall on my butt and scramble to turn to my hands and feet and quickly take off. I kick up gravel and dirt as I sprint. 

I choke back tears and continue my sprint, not getting tired or out of breath while I do. I continue to run till making it to that gravel road that ends only when reaching my house.

I breathe heavily. Nothing happened just like last time. I got out of it before anything could happen. That (bleeping) son of a (bleep) (bleep)

I take a breath. (bleep) you, you (bleeping) piece of (bleep).

Does everyone just see me like a piece of trash they can use only to later throw out?

I begin my walk back to the house and notice the guys' cars are all there. They must have left after we did.

I fix my hair and clothes as I calm my racing heart and adrenaline. After all I have been through I would be insane to let this actually have any effect on me.

I walk up to the front door after walking down the long gravel road. Why do people even attempt to mess with me? He knows a lot of what I went through. Why even try?

I open the door to them all in the living room, they all stop mid-conversation to smile at me.

"Have some fun afterward Beth?" Willow asks.

I raise my eyebrow at her, confused. 

Gray smiles at me with a weird sort of fake face on and points to his bottom lip.

I quickly touch my bottom lip and realize how swollen part of it is as I look at my finger and see blood on my finger.

"No, actually. I ran into a car door. And he has a girlfriend," I say as I walk to the kitchen and they follow.

I roll my eyes at them as I reach the kitchen and grab a paper towel. I quickly get it wet as I ring it out and bring it to my bottom lip.

"You are a really awful liar," Gray says.

"How did you walk into a car door exactly?"

"He had got in the driver's seat first and went to reach across and open the door when I was standing right there and he swung it open, hitting me in the lip," I say as I turn to them as I hold the paper towel to my lip. 

Could I have come up with any worse of a lie?

I walk to the stairs and they follow.

"Stop following me, I gotta go change."

They stop and I go up to my room.

I quickly grab a pair of p.j. pants and a loose t-shirt. I change quickly and head back out, putting my laundry into my now overflowing laundry basket.