Splintered Illusion

» sixteen «

In a panicked state of shock, I stumbled blindly through the alleyways, hoping - praying that I'd find Puck before evening. I have no idea what the pictures mean, and I'm not even sure if I want to find out. But all I know is that I need to find Puck. He'll help me...right? He'll have some sort of explanation for this. He'll need to. For the sake of my sanity.

I wasn't thinking when I rushed out of my house still in my pajamas, the only thing covering me a small cardigan. But I couldn't stay there any longer knowing that some creep knew I lived there and was taking photos of me while I didn't know. The mere thought of it made me shudder and a sick feeling stirred in the pit of my stomach.

God.

Breathing heavily, I turned a corner to find the same gas station I had come to that night I was starving, where those guys had cornered me before I fainted. And sure enough, there, leaning against the brick of the gas station, a few men are huddled. I didn't recognize them as any of the ones that I saw that day, but for now, I had no choice.

Approaching them like wary prey, I cleared my throat to get their attention. My cheeks flushed when they all look down at me, irritated gazes turning to confused - and some even eyeing me up and down.

One stepped forward, his scruffy, blonde hair glinting beneath the now disappearing sun. "Can we help you?" he asked politely.

"Umm." I cleared my throat. "Yes. I - uhh, I'm looking for someone... Do you know where I can find Puck? Puck Daniels?"

The man's eyes widened and he gave me an appraising look, eyeing me in my pajamas as his friends burst into snickers behind him. Usually, I would've ignored them, but today, I was a mess, so instead of flushing and looking away, I threw a mean glare their way - which shut them up immediately.

"I don't think you want to find him, Sweetheart," the man told me, his voice skeptical.

I turned my glare on him. "Yes, I do," I insisted. "It's urgent. If you know where he is, just tell him Polly is looking for him."

The man raised an eyebrow and stepped away from me, almost as if he was getting ready to retreat back to his friends. "Puck is not in the mood for a chick today. So if you don't mind..." He makes a gesture with his hand, indicating that I should leave.

My cheeks turn a deep read, not only in in humiliation, but also anger. "Look, here, buddy," I snapped, stepping towards him in an effort to be threatening. "I'm not looking for sex, neither am I one of his chicks!" I spat the word out in derision, my hands balling up at my sides as I felt my face turning a shade darker with each word that left my mouth. "I need to talk to him, right now. So if you don't go get him, I'll find him myself and tell him that I took long to find him because his dodo of a friend wasn't willing to direct me to him!"

By the end of my speech, I was breathing heavily and everyone had gone silent, eyes wide as they leaned away from me.

"Where is he?" I said, teeth gritted as my patience thinned with each second they stayed quiet.

Finally, the man with the blonde hair sighed, his expression impressed. "I'll go get him." And then he disappeared behind an alleyway, leaving me with his friends that continued to stare at me. One dared to step forward, almost as if he was going to approach me.

"Take one more step in my direction and I'll kick your balls so hard, all chances of having a kid will be gone."

He smirked but backed away nevertheless. The longer I waited with them, the more I felt my previous courage dwindling, gaze raising to eye the men warily, who were all leaned against the wall, smoking cigarettes.