I remember running.
Running away as fast as I could yet my sneakers were cemented to the ground.
My feet forced me to face this sight while all I wanted to do was run.
My eyes glued to him kissing her. Her, everything I'm not.
What was I hoping for?
For him to ask her out and not move on?
He moved on.
Yeah I know that brain thanks a lot.
I thought I could too.
You're gonna.
Lies.
He just moved on faster than you did.
Figures.
It hurts.
That's what happen when you don't listen to me. You listen to that stupid heart of your's.
It's not like I have a choice.
That's the beauty of it.
--
That night, my mind was blank yet swarming all at once. The though of him being with her. What was I expecting, she was everything I wasn't. If he could get someone like her to be attracted to him why would he even want me?
I needed a distraction, to indulge in a form of escapism somehow but everything I thought of was probably illegal and unhealthy.
"Hey Tay..." Lynn answered.
One of my shoulders was propping the phone against my ear while my hands were changing the batteries to the TV remote.
"You haven't told me!" I shouted accusingly with joy, trying my best to hide the strain in my voice.
She giggled loudly on the other end. She was happy. Obviously.
"Come over?" I persuaded hoping to get my mind off things.
"What are you talking about I'm already on my way."
And with that she hung up leaving me shaking my head with a smile on my face.
I let out a huge sigh and threw myself back on the couch.
--
We were both sitting on my bed, while Twenty One Pilot's Ride boomed through the speaker connected to my laptop.
Both of us were on our third pack of chips and she had the liberty to make a Starbucks run and brought back my fav.
"You weren't there.." she paused pointing it out before sipping on her Chocolate Cream Chip frappacino.
"Ah shoot sorry, had a thing." I waved off remembering the time I went home early.
"Ray wasn't there too." She added thoughtfully.
"Keep going.." I urged while my hand was having frostbite from holding on to the cup filled with Iced Latte Extra Ice.
"We were bored after a while since there wasn't anybody else and the homework load wasn't as bad....
Ashlynn's POV (past)
A peaceful silence fell over the study room, only interrupted by the scraping of pencil lead on paper.
"You going home soon?" he asked breaking the silence.
"Yeah.."
"L-let me walk you home." he said shyly, his eyes staring at me intently behind those glasses.
My heart skipped a beat.
Though my car standing in the parking lot caught my mind, I couldn't just say no, I mean this was Jake for crying out loud. Plus, he might get the wrong idea if I say no.
We walked side by side beside the pavement. The quietness of the empty road falling over us and the sound of our footsteps echoing.
The walk was mostly silent and peaceful, the pattern of our slow footsteps consistent.
When the white roof of my house came to view, a small sudden tinge of sadness overwhelmed me.
We stood at my doorstep for what seemed like half an hour just talking.
"See you tomorrow Lynn." he smiled shyly.
"See ya." I said shyly.
That Saturday, I went to the park with my folks for a picnic.
The weather was absolutely perfect, the shining sun peeked through the leaves of the overgrown trees.
Bare soles on the soft green grass.
Around my neck hung a camera. I do love photography.
Perfect. I thought as I saw a singular apple on the high branch of a tree. My feet found its way to climb atop an empty nearby bench and I pointed my camera towards it letting some sunlight stream through to the lens.
The satisfying sound of the click button emitted.
I sat down, removing the camera from my neck to examine the image.
My face grew into a smile when I saw a photo I captured of my folks. They were looking so intently towards each other, it was so beautiful.
Suddenly, a bright light of flash was in my face.
I looked up seeing Justin. Dark hair. Denim Shirt. Camera around his neck and he was wearing those jeans and those sneakers those glasses.
"No one ever takes a photo of the photographer." he smirked.
Taylor's POV
She finished smiling to herself, her mind lost in the pleasant thought.
"Wow he sure is something." I pointed out breaking the silence.
She let out a small chuckle, her eyes still somewhere else.
"Why didn't you tell me though?" I muttered quietly.
She let out an exasperated sigh looking a little guilty.
"I know about you and Brad so it's like I'm rubbing it in your face if I told you." she admitted.
"Lynn..." I started pulling her into a hug. "You're not rubbing it in my face trust me."
She gave me a sympathetic smile.
"So what's up with you?" she asked changing the mood in the air.
"Ugh I don't know, wanna watch Grey's Anatomy instead?"
--
Hypocrite.
It's not that I don't want to tell her.
Yes you do.
I don't want to keep complaining.
Sure you don't.
I want to forget it myself okay? It's no use recalling something that kills me over and over again.
My heart slumped in memory of it again.
Good luck with that.
Did I mention my brain is my BEST FRIEND.
--
"Bye Dad, Bye Mom!" I yelled before closing the door behind me.
7:20 a.m.
Great day to oversleep. My sneakers slapped the pavement as I ran as fast as my feet could take me.
My lungs were on fire -wow I am SO fit - . Out of the corner of my eye, a black van was driving down the street. It must've just been my tiredness but the tires were slowing down in front of me. I squinted to see the through the heavily tinted windows.
In one swift motion, the door slid open and a pair of black gloved arms wrapped around my waist and slapped a white cloth over my mouth causing my palms to fly to my face.
I watched enough movies to know what to do. I held my breath.
Don't breathe in. Don't breath in. Don't breathe in.
My legs kicked and my arms were trying to wiggle out of the man's grip. I pierced my nails into the man's arm with all my might hoping those sharp nails would finally come to good use but the leather gloves were good armour enough.
My kidnapper grunted as his palm press the cloth into my face even further.
Don't breathe in. Don't breath in.
My lungs tightened, pleading for any form of air.
Don't do it.
Breath.
The cold metal of a blade slid into my waist.
I was drowning. My head went lighter like my skull was pulled out in the least painful way. The nerves through my limbs went numb in a pleasant release before I collapsed.
The engine revving up was the last thing I heard.
--
--
Blake's POV
"I don't want the same thing to happen!" I yelled, my arms were spread wide open to prove the point.
"IT'S NOT! THAT'S WHY I'M DOING THIS!" he stubbornly says.
"IT'S NOT GOING TO FUCKING HELP, DUMB ASS!" I yelled in his face. "YOU'RE HER BEST CHANCE, NOT ISOLATION."
He ran his fingers through his hair -a trait he got from me- before sighing in exasperation. The old bedroom fell in silence.
"Being away from me IS her best chance Blake." he added quietly, his face hard, but his eyes told a different story.
-
Shadows in a dark alley. A group of hooded boys standing in the middle. A group of boys of which if you pull away the hoods, matching tattoos were present. Tattoos of a butterfly and maybe some bullets. A group of boys which, if you dug your hands in the pockets, there was a gun. A group of boys of which, if looked closely, were nothing more than 18 year olds. But if you were to do that, this group of boys might just kill you.
"Are they in the territory?"
"No." a voice answered unsurely. "Not this one." he continued.
"What do you mean "not this one"?" I asked fiercely.
"They targeted this town first." another voice piped up.
"Then the fight happened." said another.
"Then after two more attacks, they've been quiet since. It's been two months." a younger one offered.
The alley fell in relieving silence.
Two months. Silence. No way.
I help up a palm gesturing for them to wait. My fingers anxiously dialled a number. Pick up dammit. A "hello" greeted me after two rings.
"Gary, are they safe?" I hissed into the phone.
"He is." my gang member replied.
"What about the girl?"
"What girl?"
"THE GIRL HE HANGS OUT WITH, STUPID." My heart went out for Taylor. There's no way something would happen to her that Brad wouldn't tell me about.
"Which one? The main ones or the occasionals?" he grunted sarcastically.
Main ones? What the fuck?
My finger punched the touchscreen.
"I'm returning." I announced more determined earning a simultaneous nod from them.
--
"Do you know how much you've hurt her?" I murmured.
He gulped before sitting on his bed with a sigh. His elbows balanced on his knees while he rests his face in his palms.
"I avoid her." he said muffled.
"What for? To rub salt in the wound?" I asked bewilderedly.
His fingers-again-ran through his fucked up hair. Why the fuck would he dye it.
"It hurts to see her Blake." he whispered pressing his lips into a straight line.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Does she stab you everytime you see her?" I asked bewilderedly.
"She ignored me too!" He cried like a child.
"SO? You ditched her in the worst way possible. She deserves to ignore you."
"I can't talk to her." he said firmly.
"You're making complete sense right now Brad."
"Look, it's a game we play." he started. I looked at him like he grew a second head.
"I avoid her, she avoids me. And most of time, the avoiding is pretty obvious."
"Okay, I'll go along, so in this game, how do you win?"
"Whoever gives in first."
"Is she aware of this game?!"
"I can't explain it, we both know the game exists, we just don't label it and hope the other person knows about it too." he said quietly slowing and frowning as he realised how fucking stupid he sounded.
"Then why can't one of you give in."
"She probably has someone else by now. She doesn't need me."
"Then if you're trying to forget her, why not just stop playing the game entirely and pretend nothing happened?" I asked dripping with sarcasm.
"Cuz its the only interaction we ever have." he added quietly.
--
drapetomania (n.) an overwhelming urge to run away.
--
Hey guys! How are you all? I hope you all like this chapter. It's a short book, I've decided haha. Just a start off. I hope you all like this. Do comment and vote. I really want to know what you guys think about everything. Have a great day and Thank you all for reading! <333