Idiot {m.c. fanfic}

Chapter 20

I drove straight towards the bus station. I was getting out of here. There was no way I could stay here and deal with Ashton and my parents without Michael and my friends. I don't think I could survive another day like this.

It took about an hour to get to the nearest bus station but I made it. I parked my car and slammed the door. I still didn't really know where I was going but I had almost $500 saved up from babysitting. The harsh wind pushed against me as I walked towards the building.

When I got through the doors, the lobby of the station was almost empty. Which was understandable, it pretty late at night. The clerk sitting at the ticket window looked up at me and then looked back down. Apparently it didn't surprise her to see a 17 year old girl at the bus station at night.

I walked up to her and paused. I just realized that I was actually doing this, running away.

"Can I help you?" She mutters, obviously bored. I look at her nervously, unsure of what to say. I never thought I would get this far.

"Um, I want a, uh, ticket to...somewhere?" I say quietly. The lady rolls her eyes.

"Well we sell tickets to a bunch of somewheres so you're going to have to pick one." She points above her head where a sign lists all the places buses are leaving for tonight. I skim through the list, searching for nothing in particular. Until I see one I actually like.

"New York City." I decide.

She gives me a weird look. "New York? You realize thats, like, a 3 day bus ride."

"Yeah I know. But thats where I want to go. So one ticket to New York City, please." I hand her a hundred dollar bill. She stares at me before she sighs and takes my money. In exchange she gives me my bus ticket. I take it and walk to the waiting area.

I sit next to a window and watch people come and go on the buses. Mine doesn't leave for a couple hours so I have a little while to wait.

I guess I fell asleep because later I open my eyes and see that someone sat next to me. Out of all the open seats in this place, they chose the one next to me? Of course. Because thats my life. Everything goes wrong. 

I instantly do a double take when I recognize who it is.

"Michael? What the hell are you doing here? How 'd you know I was here?" Yes, Michael was sitting right next to me in the bus station.

"I don't know. Your parents called me asking if I had seen you. I told them no and they said you were gone. I think they were worried." He explains.

I laugh and shake my head, "Trust me, they are not worried."

"But after I hung up with them, I thought about it. You weren't at my house, or your house, or Adley's house and I could pretty much guarantee you weren't at Ashton's house. You have always talked about running off one day to get away from your life here. So I figured you would come here to the bus station." Michael tells me. I just stare at him, confused out of my mind.

"Ok....but that doesn't explain why you're here. You hate me. You said that we were over." Just thinking about it makes me want to cry again.

"I don't hate you, Jaelyn. I love you and thats the problem. You don't feel the same way. But I still care about you which is why I'm here. I'm also a little offended you would run away and not tell me or invite me." 

"Michael. I do love you. I do want to be with you. There's just...a little problem with Ashton. I don't want to be with him. In fact, I would give anything to get away from him. But I can't." I finally say. I look down, not wanting to look him in the eyes.

"What do you mean 'you can't'?"

"Nothing. Nevermind." 

"No, tell me, J. Whats going on?" He pushes.

I give in. I guess I need to tell Michael the truth. It would be better that way. I take a deep breath before starting my story. "Ashton and my relationship is...terrible. It just doesn't work anymore." I pause, trying to gain the courage to tell him the truth. "He...hits me." I finally breathe out.

Michael doesn't say anything but I could see anger building in his eyes. 

"It just happens whenever he's angry or I did something to make him angry. Its not a big deal."

"It's not a big deal? How can you say that? He hits you Jaelyn! He abuses you and its not a big deal?" He yells.

"Shh! Please, I don't really want everyone to know." I look around the empty lobby.

"Yeah I don't think we have to worry about that. Jaelyn, how can you stay with him?"

"Easy. He hurts me everytime I try to leave. A couple of weeks ago after you and I first got together when I tried to break up with him, he smashed my head against against the window." I brush my hair out of the way and show him my scar from that night. He brings his fingers up and and lightly brushes them across the scar.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea, Jaelyn." He presses his forehead against mine. "I love you." He whispers against my lips.

"I love you and only you, Michael." I whisper back. I can feel him smile at my words.

Michael breaks away. "So you still want to go to New York City? Because I bought a ticket." He asks and holds up the ticket.

"You're not going to talk me out of it?" I ask, surprised. I thought the only reason he came here to was to drag me right back home.

"Nope. I've always wanted to go to New York." He smiles at me and once again, everything seems a little bit better.