Run

Chapter 4

On the drive home, nobody said a word. Mrs. Brooke asked me if my eye hurt and I said no and then I said "Thank you so much for taking me to the emergency room, Mrs. Brooke." And she said "Please. Call me Kate." Once we got back home, it was time for School. Kate went next door to get Anthony and Jessa and I went up to her room. Jessa used to have the whole basement apartment to herself. Once her dad moved out after the divorce, there was a decrease in income. Kate is a esthetician and Jessa's dad is a surgeon. They couldn't pay the mortgage on their house, so they got a tenant and rented out the basement apartment. Jessa's dad cheated on Kate and she divorced him. But she still kept his last name. "Ugh. I'm so tired." Jessa whines. "I'm sorry." I say quietly. "For?" Jessa replies. "For coming over." I say. "What?" Jessa looks dumbfounded. "I shouldn't have come and disrupted everything." I whisper. "Oh, honey. You didn't. You came to me for help. I'm so proud that you did. Don't ever be sorry. This is not your fault." Jessa says as she hugs me and rocks me back and forth as I silently cry in my hands and drift into a deep sleep.

***

When I wake up a few hours later, I find a note on the kitchen table. It reads:

Chelsea,

Good morning! I'm sorry, I tried to get the day off and so did Jessa, but I had to do hair and make up for a wedding and Jessa had a big English test. There's food in the fridge and some of your clothes in the drawers in the guest room. I went to your house before work. Esperanza wasn't there and the door was unlocked. Your pain medication is on the counter in the kitchen. You have to eat a meal before you take them and you can't take more than two a day. My friend Charlotte will be dropping Anthony off at the corner at 2:30. You wouldn't mind walking to get him, right? Thanks! I left a pair of sunglasses on the counter next to your medication. Your curling iron is to the right of the sink in the guest bathroom. I know you can't leave the house without your hair being in "Beachy waves" or whatever your kids call it. You can just borrow a pair of Jessa's boots for now. I'll take you shopping when I get home. I should be home around 7 or 8. Jessa will take care of dinner. By the way, make sure you keep all the doors and windows locked. We both know your mom isn't in the best mental state. Thanks! Love ya!

Kate

It's 2:00 now, so I have enough time to eat something and get dressed before I have to pick up Anthony. I go into the guest room and pick out an outfit and turn the curling iron on. I think about how lucky Jessa Is to have Kate as a mom. She's so sweet and so loving. I wish Esperanza was like that again. she used to be really nice. And then she met her friend. Santos's friend. When im all ready to go get Anthony, I grab my sunglasses on the counter and look out the window above it. The blue sky looks so beautiful. How can the sky be beautiful when my life is a mess?

"Hey Chelsea! You're still here!" Anthony says as he runs toward me. "Yes baby I am!" I reply, pulling him in for a hug. "Um, im sorry, who are you?" asks Kate's friend. "Oh, hi, im sorry. I'm Chelsea Manarico. A close family friend. Kate asked me to pick Anthony up today since she's at work and im home." I reply. "Shouldn't you be in school too?" she asks quizzically. "Um, things have been really... crazy for me right now. I just... need some time to sort through some things." I say. "I'm just going to bring Anthony home. it was nice meeting you." And with that, Anthony and I are gone.

***

"Chelsea? Are you home?" Kate asks as she walks in the door. "Yea, I'm back here, Kate" I reply from the dining room. Jessa came home at around 3 and we ordered take out around 7. "Hey, Chelsea. How's your eye?" she asks, putting her bag down. "Okay, I guess. I still cant see." I reply. "That's alright it'll take some time. Are you up for some shopping?" she says. "Oh, no, that's okay I don't need anything." I reply, chuckling nervously. "Are you sure?" Kate asks. Although some new clothes would be nice, I'm not about to let Kate, who's already struggling, buy me clothes. "Yes. I'm positive. thank you for going to my house, by the way. It was a big help. I was going to go after you got home." I reply. "Oh, nonsense, you cant go back to that house with Esperanza." Kate says as she walks into the kitchen. "How was your day?" I ask Jessa. "Good. Mr. Howard and Mrs. Santamaria asked how you were doing." Jessa replies. "Oh, that's ni- wait. why would they ask how I was doing?" I Ask Jessa, my heart being to beat faster. "I told them why you were absent. I told them you had an argument with your mom and what she did to your eye." Jessa said as if it was nothing. "You did WHAT?!" I scream. "What? It isn't a big deal." Jessa replies, shoving another spoonful of Lo Mein in her mouth. "OH MY GOSH, YES IT IS, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'VE JUST DONE, YOU IDIOT!" I scream while holding back some tears. "What did you just call me?" Jessa asks, rising from her chair. "An IDIOT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE." I scream at her. "WELL, YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DISRUPTED MY NIGHT AND MY LIFE FOR THE PAST 8 YEARS!" Jessa screams back. Kate stands in the doorway and doesn't say a word. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MY BEST FRIEND, BUT YOU'RE JUST A SELFISH, STUPID BRAT WHO DOESN'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT YOURSELF." I scream back as I run out the door and into the cool night. I know those words weren't true, but I continue running, as far away from my life as I can get.

***

I put my hood up and walk through the streets in the rain. Its about 2 a.m. and im tired. there are a whole bunch of weird people on the street. I really with I could just go back to Jessa and apologize, but no. I'm made at her for telling the teachers about what happened. Does she not know that they're going to going to call Child Services on me and take me away? Suddenly, a car pulls up close to me and I begin to walk faster not looking in that direction. The person in the car rolls down my window and says "hey you stupid Brat, Get over Here." I recognize the voice immediately. its Esperanza. I stop for a minute but realize I have to keep going. So I begin to pick up the pace and jog in the opposite direction of which the car is facing. It kind of stinks that the only people on the street right now are either homeless or drug addicts. I hear the tires squeal as Esperanza makes a U-turn and speeds up. Now I'm running really fast because I don't want her to catch up. At the pace she's going, she might. I turn down Walker street and see the sign. "Dead end" Esperanza turns right behind me. this is the end for me, and soon I'll be dead. Realizing there's nowhere left to run, I stop and turn. Esperanza gets out of her car. This is the end.

***

Not being able to see in one eye is not helping at all. Esperanza stops and faces me. "hey, baby, how are you?" She asks innocently. I just stare at her and breathe heavily. "Please come home with me. I swear I'll be good." Esperanza says. "Never. Never, Esperanza. You hurt me. Do you not understand that? For years, you've hurt me so much and there's no way you can ever make that okay." I say, my fists clenched and ready to throw a punch. "Oh baby. You're going to be sorry you said that." Esperanza replies, pulling her fist back to punch me. I immediately duck under her arm and begin to run down the alley. "Darn!" She screams and begins to chase me. I run so fast down the darkened Atlanta street. Esperanza is catching up to me and I can't run any faster. Just as I'm about to give up hope and stop, I see a light shining bright about a mile down the road. I run incredibly fast down the street to the light. Esperanza is still behind me. I run to the light and the sign becomes visible. It says "24 hour Gas Station". Yes! Yes! 24 hours, oh my gosh I'm saved!" I run to lead Esperanza into the gas station. When I open the door I hear the bell ring and I see a young man behind a counter. He's probably in his early thirties. He has a beard that reminds me of a hunter. He looks like a hunter. Almost every man in the south is a hunter. "Help please help! I'm being chased by someone!" And I turn to point to the door, but the bell does not ring again. I slowly walk to the door and look down the road. Esperanza is nowhere to be found.