Claire's Diary ( On Hold )

Chapter 11

"Sometimes in our lives we all have pain. We all have sorrow. But if we are wise. We know that there's always tomorrow." -Bill Withers -Lean On Me

Chapter Eleven

Following Chloe around the block felt like a good year had passed. My feet were trying to catch up with my mind, which was running through all the possibilities of what it was Chloe wished to show me.

The streets were filled with pedestrians and the air stood brisk. It felt as if the sky should have been darker, but it still stood light above me.

Chloe suddenly came to a stop by an ally. "You know what happened to Claire now, correct?"

I wondered how she guessed that. "Yes," I gulped.

Chloe slowly nodded and looked to the ally we stood before. What was so special about an ally?

"This is where it happened."

I stared at Chloe in disbelief. This was were Claire had been raped! I couldn't believe it. I slowly moved my eyes to the ally surrounded by brick buildings.

"How do you know?" I slowly asked.

"I forced Natalie to show me." Chloe then turned to face me. "She feels terrible, Alex."

I curled my fingers into fists. I stood right where Claire had been raped. There was no way I was buying that Natalie felt guilty for what she had done.

"She should feel bad!"

Chloe frowned at me. "Seriously, Alex."

I felt my eyes be attacked with water. This was all too much. I stared at the ally with legs shaking helplessly. I imagined Claire pressed against the brick, unable to escape the rough man on top of her.

This wasn't about Natalie. Me and Chloe could argue about that later.

"What was Claire doing alone downtown?" I asked.

"There was a pair of shoes she wanted to buy at that store," Chloe told me as she pointed a finger to the left.

"And she went alone?"

Chloe looked back at me with a cold and tense face. "Yes," she practically growled.

I felt my eyes widen. What the hell was Chloe looking all angry for?

I suddenly didn't care as my eyes darted back to the thin ally. I felt so bad for Claire. I wished so bad that I would have known. I could have helped her!

"I need to go," I mumbled before backing away.

"Already?"

"What else is there to do?" I couldn't stand to look at that ally any longer. This was all too painful; all too realistic.

My body twitched as Chloe slid her hand into mine. I didn't return the clutch but I didn't move either. What the hell was she doing?

"It's going to be okay, Alex."

My eyes flooded with tears and a few streamed down my pale cheeks with no permission granted.

I wanted to scream at her that she was wrong. It was too late! Claire was dead. Nothing was going to be okay again. I couldn't stand to hear that statement.

I slowly shook my head but was too weak to actually deny her statement out loud.

"Trust me." Chloe gave my hand a squeeze.

I instantly turned on my heel and began to run. My hand ripped out of hers as I bolted off as fast as my feet would carry me.

"Alexandra!" Chloe screamed from behind me.

I knew she was chasing after me. I had to get away. Running away from all my problems seemed to be the only solution left.

I ignored her ringing voice as I shoved my way through the crowd. Tears streamed down my face. I needed to be alone.

My girlfriend...my love! She was gone. What was I going to do? Had I still not accepted the fact? Would I ever?

I let out a cry as my ankle suddenly twisted from under me.

Down I went, landing on the cold pavement and being trampled over by rude strangers.

I curled up in a ball in attempt to protect myself. There seemed to be more people flooding the sidewalk than I had thought.

"Alex!"

I mumbled angrily to myself and wrapped my arms around my legs. I wished Chloe would leave me the hell alone. I couldn't take it anymore. All the depressing aspects of Claire's death. All that she didn't tell me. I was loosing it.

I felt myself being unwrapped and I was too tired to attempt to stop it.

I looked up to find Chloe helping me to my feet. Slowly I rose but didn't last long.

Once I set pressure on my right ankle, a sharp pain dashed through my leg.

"Shit. Come here," talked Chloe over the rush of people.

Chloe wrapped an arm around my shoulder and I used her as a support system. Not only did I have to deal with all the pain from Claire, but now I had at least sprained my ankle.

Chloe half carried me away from the crowd and to the side of a small shop.

I rested on her and breathed heavily.

"Calm down, Alex."

I grew the strength to look into her eyes which bore back towards mine. She looked at me with such concern and sorrow that it only made me want to cry harder and run even faster.

"Why did you run?" She whispered as she ran a hand through my hair.

"I freaked out," I breathed. "I'm sorry."

Chloe's eyes scanned over me. "It's understandable."

I didn't know what Chloe was doing. Was she just trying to help me or was she feeling something more?

"Is it your ankle that hurts?"

I chewed on my lower lip and nodded.

"Can I look at it?" Chloe slowly asked.

I trusted her and nodded my head.

Chloe slowly bent down and kneeled by my foot.

I stated at her while she lifted her hand and wrapped it around my ankle.

At the touch, I instantly tensed. It only slightly hurt. My stiffness was mainly due to fear of how much damage I had done to the ankle.

Chloe gently yanked up my leggings and took a peek at my foot.

"How's it look?"

She frowned and continued to closely inspect it. "I'm no doctor, but it's real swollen."

I sighed. "Wonderful."

Chloe rolled back down the bottoms and stood up again. "Will you let me drive you home?"

I had been so foolish to run off. Had I expected to walk back to my house?

"Yes please."

.....

Thank God it was the weekend. I needed a long ass break from everyone. A break from everything.

After Chloe had drove me home, I had stashed the diary in the back of my sock drawer. I didn't plan on taking it out again until I was ready.

Seeing the exact location where Claire had been raped was a real eye opener. It had became so real.

Chloe had been right about my ankle. It looked like shit. The skin was purple and green and putting pressure on the foot killed me.

I planned on telling my mother about it later. She someone hadn't yet noticed my limping, which was a real shocker.

I shut my laptop with a sigh after finishing my English paper. I needed to focus on pulling my grades back up. Especially after I had promised my mother I would.

Don't get me wrong...not reading the diary was very difficult. I saw it for the best, though. My head and heart could take no more.