Meet Me in the Hallway (HS AU)

fifty eight.

I have spent most of my life running. You could say it's all I know, somehow I always knew I'd end up running again.

But I never thought it would be away from Harry.

In such a short amount of time, as much as I tried to fight it, I had pictured different futures for myself. Most of which included Harry, all bar one, this one.

Clem had texted me a few times throughout the day, mostly apologising for not coming home with us because 'it would have looked very suspicious if she did'. I wasn't mad at her, I was actually glad that she put herself and her safety first. She would probably think I was mad at her because I had decided I wasn't going to answer her messages. If she asked me where I was or where I was going, I wouldn't be able to lie to her.

The night air was cold, freezing even. The wind cut through me like a hot blade and with every step I took into the weather, the regret grew inside me. I knew I had to do this, I had to leave him so he and Clem were safe. This was beyond just my safety.

The further I got from Harry's front door, the darker and foggier it became. It wasn't raining which I was thankful for, but it was fucking cold. Woolen gloves did very little to keep my hands warm, my fingers felt numb about five minutes into my walk.

I had everything planned out. I would walk through the night, find a hotel and stay there for a few days while I got the rest sorted. Tomorrow morning I would text Lee in administration and say I was taking the final three days of term three as annual leave so I didn't have to see him at school. Then I would catch the train or a bus to Melbourne Airport and fly to Sydney, stay with Nan and Pa for a while while I try to find a job up there.

Everyone would be safe from me and the destruction I bring along, everyone except for Ella. As much as I hated that cruel bitch, I found myself constantly trying to figure out ways to ensure her safety as well. She was the only person I couldn't protect by leaving, if anything, it put her more at risk.

I don't really like the dark. I'm not particularly scared of it and what lurks in its shadows, but I am a person who likes knowing what is going on. So when it's dark, I have no idea what is going on around me and I feel as though I am on the outside. I also wasn't fond of my brain's reaction to the dark; since my sight was compromised, my mind liked to turn noises and shadows into things they were not. A bird rustling in the trees was someone coming to grab me, the shadow of a hedge was a person watching me and the wind wrapping around me was the hands of someone else.

For example, about 15 minutes into my walk, I started hearing footsteps pounding against the cement. I knew I was just imagining it so I ignored my body's nervous reaction to it. That was until the footsteps that weren't there became accompanied with a familiar voice.

"Josephine Cook! Stop walking right now or I swear to fucking god!"

He wasn't supposed to follow me, he was supposed to get a good night's sleep and find the key in the morning where I would send him a text message saying I was safe and that he needed to leave me alone and move on. But as per usual, he didn't follow the script.

"For fuck sake Jo, turn around!"

I couldn't stop, I had to keep walking. If I looked at him, I knew I would cave and go home with him. He needed to be safe from the disaster that was me.

"Go home, Harry. I'm sorry but I need to leave. I will text you when I'm at my destination so you know I'm safe, ok? Please go home." Tears stung the back of my eyes as I continued forward.

Harry's footsteps were getting louder and more determined with every second that passed. He would catch up to me in no time and I needed to plan what I was going to say before he could stop me.