Run (A Shawn Mendes Fan-fic)

Prologue: The Beginning

Dear Diary,

I could just imagine what mother would say about my messy hair. 'Skylar, fix your hair right now! It's unlady-like to have strands sticking out, also what were you thinking with a side braid?! Fix that immediately! Ladies, wear their braids down their back,' her and her judgemental comments never cease to put me down. As if I'll ever be a lady, I've already messed up my chances up with that. With dropping out of highschool at the age of sixteen and basically living my life in New York City in the shadow of my perfect sister and controlling mother, I could possibly be the worst daughter imaginable. I mean, I don't go to school and I don't work, in reality I don't need to worry. My family is loaded and even if they cut me off, I still have my grandfathers money that I inherited after he died. It's a pretty shallow life even if I don't have to worry about financial problems or homework because I have nothing to live for. I can just imagine all of you reading this right now, wondering why I would even complain, I have more money than I need and I never have to worry about being homeless and such, but what's the point of living when you aren't happy? I'm locked under my mothers strict rules until the day I die, because apparently women like me can't take care of themselves. Maybe, I can't take care of myself, maybe, there are humans who just weren't born with any type of purpose in life. Maybe, I'm one of those humans and everytime my mother insults me or corrects my posture, she's truly trying to guide me, as I am just a worthless sixteen year old. Well, you learn something new every day.

Love,

the worthless girl without a purpose,

Skylar

I slam my journal closed letting a couple tears fall as I let my mother's daily insults float around my head. 'Why can't you be perfect? Like Penelope? She's prettier, more responsible, and has her life together! Unlike you, you selfish brat, living off the family name and using up our money like a blackhole. I knew I should of stopped at Penelope and Cassandra, who knew I'd get another mistake.'

Her sharp words don't usually hurt at the time, until I'm alone with thoughts. Why must I be compared to Penelope everyday? 'Penelope this, Penelope that, be like your sister, it'd be good for you,' I'm just Skylar! That's all I'll ever be. I can't be anything else, or anyone else-

"Excuse me? Are you okay?"

I snap my watering eyes up to immediatly have them connect with soft brown ones. I quickly clear my throat as I stare at the man standing infront of me and wipe at my eyes.

"O-of course! I am okay, thank you for asking but I must be getting home, how rude of me to take up a table when I am finished with my coffee," I mutter a small but polite apology and grab my coat off of my chair as I stand.

"Wait, please, I wasn't asking you to move, I already have a table! I just was honestly wondering if those were tears of saddness or joy," the mystery man frowned, taking in my blotchy eyes and obviously careless hair style.

"How kind of you, but I must be going, really," I start to panic a bit, talking to strangers is against my mothers policy, especially men. I wish I could be rebellious and defy my mothers rules, but at the same time I'm scared to do so, I've always lived a sheltered life and what if my mother is actually trying to save me from the bad in the world?

I start to turn around but he grabs my wrist, I flinch but turn back towards him, scared he might tighten his grip on me.

"P-please, I really can't talk right now," I whimper, letting fear seap into my voice.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I promise," he whispers, rubbing circles with his thumb over my hand. It comforts me in a strange way even though it shouldn't, he's much older than me but the small gesture still gives me enough confidence to lift my head up and meet his soft gaze.

"Why are you so scared?" He whispers, softly dropping my hand to my side. I can tell he's a gentle person, he really is trying not to scare me but how could I not be scared. I never talk to men, every man I've ever talked to are men around his age or older who are trying to drag me into a wedding agreement where I'll be their personal slave and call to all of their desires.

I mean that is what my mother wants. She wants a greedy, evil man to control my life. She wants to marry me off to some stranger because I'm not trustworthy enough, even if I am her own daughter. You'd think she'd learn her lesson with Cassandra and Mr. Curtingham but I guess not.

The thought of Mr. Curtingham sends me into flashes of Cassandra's lifeless body, collapsed on the floor. The memories flood my mind and I can't help the next images that start to take over. I shake in remeberance as the tears start to blur my vision.

"Hey, are you okay?" I shake back to life, realizing that this mystery guy has both his hands on my shoulders, slightly shaking me. I quickly jerk away, leaving him surprised.

"I-I'm, uh, I have to go," I stutter, with that I run out the door before he can grab me again. I twist my coat on and move quickly through the crowd, getting lost in the hats and coats so he can't find me.

Flashes of Mr. Curtingham's cold stare swirl around in my head until I can see him in my mind standing above me, continuesly bringing his fists to my sides, over and over again. I can feel the pain like it was yesterday and the hits are just starting to bruise over, even if it was months ago.

I dash through streets, letting the tears blur my vision without a care in the world. When I finally reach our huge apartment, I buzz myself in and wait impationately while the maid takes her time to unlock the gates. Unfortunately, the maid doesn't answer.

"Hello? Who's there?" Hearing her voice run through the small speakers outside makes my blood boil. Of course, the sister who possibly ruined my life in the first place would be the one home early with her perfect husband from their vacation in some exotic place that I didn't care enough to pay attention to the name of.

"Hello? Is this some kind of prank?" She stupidly asks, totally oblivious that I'm here. I could have answered her but instead I turned on my heel, wiped my tears and ran. If she's home, I don't want to be there. I quickly called a taxi over.

"Where to miss?"

"Anywhere but here," he seemed to recognize me right away as the girl with the most known family tragedgy and understand because he just turned back to the road and didn't say a word as he drove out of New York City, past cities and cities, because he understood right away, that I'm Skylar Woods and the only thing I ever do is run.