Only I Know

Chapter 2: Car Ride

"If you try to leave, I will kill you." He said, as he lowered the knife down. I could tell that he would be capable of taking my life, so I listened to him. "Who the hell are you?!" I said, raising my voice. He pulled down his hoodie, and took off his mask. "Aidan," He said, "Aidan Gallagher." I don't know why he gave me his last name, but I took it since he gave it. "You're the kid from the library, and who I saw running this morning." I told him. He backed away, and hopped up on the counter, and he hid his knife in his right shoe. "Can I hear your name?" he asked. I was still up against the wall scared to move. "Y/N." I responded. "What about your last name?" He asked, as he tilted his head a little to his left. "Why do you need my last name?" I asked, removing my back from the wall. "I gave you mine." He said. "I didn't ask you to." I snapped back.
Aidan hopped off the counter and pulled out a gun, from the waistband of his jeans, and pointed it at me. "Now do you wanna tell me?" I put my hands up. "All of this over a fucking last name?!" I shouted. This kid was really going to kill me for not giving him my last name. "Y/L/N," I said. Aidan lowered his gun, and put it back in his waistband. "Sit at the table." Aidan instructed. I didn't want this kid to kill me, so I listened to his orders and sat down. He then came over (after I sat down) with a backpack. "Where the hell did you get that from?" I asked, as he set his bag on the table. "I hid it somewhere in the kitchen." He said calmly, as if it's completely normal. I rolled my eyes, but watched his hands as he opened the bag.
Aidan pulled out a file and set it infront of me. "This is you, right?" He said, as he pointed to the name tag (which had my name on it) and opened it. I then saw a picture of me, but I wasn't smiling. "What the hell?" I whispered underneath my breath. "How do you have this photo?" I asked, as I looked down at the file and then up at him. "That's not important. The important thing is-" "No, it is important!" I said, interrupting him and getting up from my chair. "You broke into my house, pulled a gun out on me, and now you have a file!" I shouted. I don't know why this kid thinks that all of this is "fine" or "not important." The house was quiet. None of us moved, and we just stared at each other. "It's hard to explain, but I just need your help." Aidan told me. The look he painted on his face shows that he actually cares, and that he really needs my help. I took a deep breath, as I closed the file. "Fine," I managed to say, "what do you need help with?" "I need you to help me kill someone." Aidan said; he said it like it was nothing, too. My head was spinning in circles.
"I-I'm sorry, what?!" I said. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't losing my mind. "I know it's a weird request, but please." "Can I at least get a name?" I asked. I wasn't saying that if he does give me a name I will help, but I just wanna know who he wants to kill. "Andrew Gallagher." "Gallagher?" I said confused, but remembering that it's Aidan's last name too. "As in?" I wanted him to finish my sentence. Was it his dad, brother, sister, who? "My dad." He said, finally finishing my sentence, but answering my question at the same time. "Fine." I replied, as I looked at the floor. I know it's very stupid of me to help him, but I was afraid that if I didn't agree, then he would kill me. "May I have a reason?" Aidan questioned, as he was leaning on his left hand, that was on the table. "I think I should be asking you that question. You're the one who wants to kill their own dad." I said. At first, I was giving him a little smirk, but towards the end, it went away, and I finished my sentence with a straight face.
"He's a mafia boss." Aidan said, shifting his eyes from me to the floor. "He killed my mom and left me alone. Someone figured out, reported it, and then I got put into the foster system when I was fourteen. I kept leaving, because I didn't want another family, and I believed that I could raise myself." Aidan told me. I understood how he felt; minus the running away part. I guess I was just really good at hiding. "Is that why you were running in the school hallway after you left the gym, and why you're always running away from something in the mornings?" I asked. "Yeah, because almost everyone knows that I'm supposed to be in a foster home." "I'm so sorry." I said. I was going to hug him, but I felt like it would have been weird. "If you want, after this whole thing, you can live with me. I'm supposed to be in a foster home too, but I found a way to lay low, and I've been doing it since I was twelve." I informed him, as I sat back down in my chair.
"I accept your offer." He said, as he gave me a little smile. "So, where is your dad? That is if you even know where he is." I said. I was trying to make him forget that I have to tell him my reason. It seemed to have worked because then he said, "Yeah, I do." "Mind telling me?" I said. "Right, sorry. He's in New York." "New York?!" I said, looking up at him (we live in LA, California). "We are taking a plane, right?" "Yes, we are." Aidan said; he then continued, "Does that mean you're up for it?" He asked. I was hesitant. I had to leave Nessa and Spencer. What would I say to them? Then again, although I just met this kid (and I'm leaving with him to go commit a murder), he needs me. Aidan is in a really shitty position. "I guess, let me pack, and talk to-" The doorbell then rang. I wasn't near the door, but I looked over in the direction of where the door was located. I got up and walked over to it. I looked through the peephole and saw that it was Nessa and Spencer.
"Go upstairs." I told Aidan. I wasn't looking at him because I was looking at the door, but I said it loud enough so I knew that he could hear me. After I heard his footsteps walk up the stairs, I opened the door. "Hey, guys." I smiled. "Hi, are you feeling okay?" Nessa asked, as she moved her brown hair out of her face. "Yeah, I'm," I quickly tried to come up with an excuse on why I left, "on my period." I said. "Damn, that sucks." Spencer said. "You guys can come in, I have something to tell you." I said, as I opened the door more and they stepped in. I closed the door after they sat down on the couch. "So, I'm gonna go to New York." I straight up told them. Their jaws dropped down to the floor. "Wait, why?" Nessa asked. "I entered this giveaway and I won." I lied. If I told them the real reason, then all hell would be on earth. "Why didn't you tell us?" Spencer said. I hated the mask she had on. Her face looked more than upset, and I felt bad for lying, but I had to. "I just didn't want to jinx anything." I said, looking at Spencer and then at Nessa.
No one said a word for what felt like hours. "I only entered so I could take a break from this house. I love living here, and by myself, but I need a getaway trip. I need to forget everything that I've been through." I said. Spencer and Nessa looked at each other and then back at me. Nessa stood up and said, "Just promise to call." I knew that she was okay, because she was smiling. Nessa hugged me, and Spencer joined in on it. "I love you, guys." I said, as we pulled away, and as all three of us wiped away our tears. I walked them to the door, and opened it. As they walked out, they waved their hands. "Bye!" Spencer said, "You will be missed!" Nessa added. I smiled at them before I closed the door.
"Are you okay?" Aidan asked. I was startled, and unaware that he was even there. "Yeah, I'm fine." I said, as I turned my body so I could face him. "I'll let you pack." He said, as he walked away from what my eye could see. I walked down the hall and saw that he was looking through the fridge. I rolled my eyes, and then made my way upstairs. When I reached my room, I decided to use a duffle bag. The one I had, had enough room for a few outfits. I put some clothes together, folded them, and then put them in there. I went to the bathroom, and got all the things that I needed in there, and transported them into the bag. Once I did that, I grabbed my duffle bag and made my way downstairs.
I set the bag on the last step, near the wall, and walked into the kitchen. Aidan was sitting on the floor, with his phone in hand. "Why are you on the floor?" I asked. "I don't know. I sometimes find the floor a nice place to sit on." He said, as he got up. "Ready to go?" He added. "Yeah, let's go." I responded, as I walked over to the stairs and picked up my bag. Aidan grabbed his backpack from the table and we both walked to the door. When we stepped out of the house, I locked the door, and put it in my bag. "Follow me." Aidan said, as he made his way to another house. I followed behind him, confused. Aidan then stopped in front of a car, and opened the door. I opened the door to the passenger seat, and sat down in the vehicle. I set my bag on the floor (in front of my feet), and closed the door. Aidan sat in the car, and started it up. "I already bought tickets." he said, as he started to drive off. Did he know that I was going to say yes, or something? I thought. I didn't think of it too much though; I didn't really see it as being important.
For the car ride, it was silent; none of us said a word to each other. There were times where I could feel Aidan looking at me, while I was looking straight ahead, and times where he knew that my eyes were on him. "How old are you?" He asked, I could tell that he was trying to break the silence. The question caught me off guard, but I answered his question, "Sixteen." I said, as I took a quick look at him, and then looked right back out the window. "How about you?" I asked back. "Seventeen." Aidan responded. We both looked at each other, but then Aidan broke eye contact. "How much longer?" I asked. I wasn't trying to sound like a five-year-old asking their parents that, but I was just curious. Aidan looked at the map, on his phone, and said, "About twenty-five minutes." He said. "Have you been running away ever since you were fourteen?" I asked, I really know that it's personal, but we're both kind of going through the same thing. "Yeah, I have been." Aidan said. "But I wasn't always like this." He added. I looked at him, wanting him to continue. "I was actually a good student. Straight A's, involved with the school- seriously any school event you could think of, I was there, volunteering or participating." He said. Aidan was smiling at himself, but then it vanished. "Then my dad killed my mom, and then left me. Alone. Like I didn't matter, or maybe I never did."
Aidan stopped talking, but I didn't know what to say. No one, not even Spencer and Nessa, ever said something similar to this. I felt like shit for not saying anything. I looked at my shoes as I felt Aidan looking at me. "You don't have to say anything. I know that it's hard to say something." He said. The tone in his voice actually made it seem like it was okay for me not knowing what to say. Most people would have this tone, where they want you to say something, but don't want to sound selfish or anything. Aidan was different though. "Your turn, have you been living by yourself ever since your dad left?" He asked. I knew this question was coming, but I wasn't mad. It's only fair for me to answer. "Yeah. How I am now, is the same me that I have always been." I said. I was being honest. Even with all of the shit I've been through, I never really changed anything about myself, and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.