Run To You

Chapter 17 - Gone

The next morning I decided to go to school, so I could explain my absence and make sure they weren't going to send my mum a letter, I walked out the front door to see Danny walking past my house, he glanced over at me, then looked away and continued walking, I took a deep breathe and waited a bit so that I wouldn't be walking right behind him.
I arrived at school as soon as the bell rang, and made my way to my first class, I walked in and saw Danny sitting in our usual seat, except Ally was sitting next to him, in my seat, she squinted her eyes and me, and I made my way to an empty seat up the back.
I couldn't concentrate on the lesson, Danny would look back at me every now and then, I couldn't help but wonder when he was going to break up with me, I just couldn't bring myself to break up with him.

The lunch bell rang and I left the classroom with my head down, I sat beneath a tree by myself, I read a book because there was nothing else I could do besides watch people give me judgemental looks as they walked past with their friends, I suddenly felt something splatter on my head, I looked up and realised it was Ally who threw it, her friends stood there laughing as I realised they'd thrown an entire can of cat food on me, I looked at Danny and he just looked down, not saying a word, I got up and walked over to him, I pushed him back against the fence, "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? HOW CAN YOU JUST STAND THERE WHILE THEY DO THIS TO ME?" I yelled, people stopped and stared but I didn't care anymore, "that was horrible, and I promise I didn't know they were going to do that, I will talk to them, okay? And you can sit with us! I love you... But I can't ditch my best friends anymore" He replied, "WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE AND THEY DITCHED ME, YOU SAID IT WOULD BE JUST ME AND YOU, WHAT CHANGED?" I yelled, "I had a talk to Ally, she made me realise I was being distant and ditching them, my best friends, I can't lose them, Katie." He said, "fine." I said and walked out of the school gates, covered in cat food.

I arrived home and my parents were out, I had a shower and washed the cat food out of my hair, as I cried my eyes out, I then put on warm clothes, packed a bag and left.
I didn't know where I was going to go, but I got on the next bus and got off a couple of hours later, at the last stop. I had no idea where I was, where I was going to stay or what I was going to do but I couldn't stay in that town any longer.

I got off the bus in a small town, i had no idea what time it was, I hadn't brung my phone. I walked into the nearest shop, "we're closing soon" the lady said as I walked in, "oh, what time is it please?" I asked, she looked at her watch, "almost 5" she told me, I thanked her and left the shop, I didn't have any time to find shelter before dark so the bus shelter would have to do for tonight.

I got nervous as it became dark, I didn't know how the people around here were, I didn't sleep, I just lay on the cold bench and watched the stars, until I heard a mans voice "hey" he said, I immediately sat up and saw a man sitting next to me, it was too dark to see properly but he couldn't of been younger than 40, "hi" I replied, "come back to my house" he said, "uh, no, I'm fine... Thanks" I told him with a shaky voice, "I said, come to my house" he demanded, I jumped off the seat and ran as fast as I could, I couldn't see where I was going but I didn't stop, not even go check if he was following me, I reached the end of the street and continued running into the woods, I kept going until I slipped down a steep hill and hit my head on a tree, then everything went black.

I woke up in a bed, I sat up quickly and remembered the man from last night, 'oh god, he found me' I thought to myself, I snuck out of the room, and tip-toed through the house, I was almost at the front door when I heard a women's voice, "you're awake!" She said, I turned around and saw a lady making tea in the kitchen, "who are you?" I asked, "I'm Anna, I found you passed out in the woods, you're lucky you were next to a walking track, otherwise you might've been lost" she said, "yeah, I slipped and fell, how long was I out for?" I asked, she looked at her phone, "well it's 1pm, I found you early this-morning on my walk" she told me, I nodded, "well, thankyou, I guess I'll get going" I said, "no no no, take a seat, I'll make you some tea, you've obviously had a rough night" she insisted, I smiled and sat down.
She soon placed a cup of tea on the table and sat down next to me, "so, what were you doing in the middle of the woods?" She asked, "long story short, I ran away from home, I spent the night at a bus stop but this creepy old man tried to get me to go home with him, so I ran" I told her, "oh my god, how old are you?" She asked, sounding concerned, "16" I told her, "do you want a lift home?" She asked, "no, it's alright, I don't want to go back" I said, "well you can stay here until you figure out what you're going to do" she said, I hugged her and thanked her.