Run [Stereo Kicks/ James Graham]

Chapter 12

"Amelia?" Reece shook me awake the next morning. "Wake up."
"What's wrong?" Sleepily, I peered up at him, still burrowed in a cocoon of warmth and comfort that I wasn't particularly willing to leave.
"We've got something to show you." With a bright smile, Reece scooped me up, my light weight meaning he could carry with ease. He padded into the lounge, where all the boys were talking quietly.
"What's going on?" I murmured, starting to wake up, wriggling from his grasp and landing on the floor, straightening up.
"Come on!" Charlie grinned excitedly, and they all pulled me out of the door, going down the stairs to the next apartment, where James, Jake and Chris lived. Unlocking the door, they led me inside.
"What are you doing?"
"You'll see." Once we were standing in their apartment, Reece took both of my hands in his, leading me forwards. Confusion filled me, even more so once someone slipped their hand over my eyes.
"I seriously mean it, if you don't-"
The hand fell away, and I blinked my eyes open. They'd led me to a door, which Reece then pushed open, stepping back to let me in, and I gasped, a hand flying to my mouth. It was beautiful. And it was my bedroom. "Oh. My. Gosh..." I breathed, walking inside in a trance.
It was light and airy, with white walls, a double bed, which had light green trimming, and matching pillowcases. The floor was carpeted with a pale, tan colour. There was a window in the right wall, and a wardrobe and draws against the left wall. A TV hung against the wall opposite the bed, two bedside cabinets having some photo frames on. My name was spelt out, as part of a photo collage of the boys and I above the bed, framed in black wood.
"It's..." I looked back at them with wide eyes. "You didn't have to do this for me."
"If only to get my room back." Reece smiled.
"B-but..."
"Take it, it's not like we can take it all back." Chris was also smiling, in true Smiley Kick form.
"Wow." Everyone laughed then, and I could feel tears on my cheeks. This was home now, and I loved it.
"Anything wrong?"
"I need to go put up my other red flag." I whispered, but only Reece understood.
"As long as we get to go."
"Deal, if you're prepared to run."
"What?" Casey voiced their collective question.
"Leo. I- I need to tell him I'm not coming back." A single tear fell down my face, but I wiped it away.
"Get dressed, then. All your clothes are in there." The boys left me in privacy, shutting the door behind them, so I went over to my wardrobe. Since they'd moved the clothes, I suspected a few had been added, probably courtesy of my parents, most likely my mother, as there were a couple of dresses, denim shorts, and more heels, sandals and other things like that.
Hurriedly, I changed into some skinny jeans, a black t-shirt and a flannel top, throwing a pair of black converse on and bounding out to the lounge, throwing my hair up into a ponytail as I did. "That was quick." James commented, and I offered him a slight smile, praying desperately that I wouldn't blush.
"Come on, then." Casey threw me a smirk over his shoulder as he left the apartment, casually nudging me into James. I glared at him, stalking out of the building, leaving them to follow me.
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Some time later, I knew we were just minutes away from arriving where I used to live, and warned them appropriately. "It's okay." Reece murmured in my ear as I stalled, not wanting to have to literally say goodbye to Leo, whether he was there or not.
Taking a deep breath, I briskly walked towards the alley. "Fancy seeing you here. I had a feeling you'd come back around about now." Leo turned to face me, and tears welled up in my eyes. "This is goodbye, isn't it?"
"I don't want it to be." My voice cracked, as I flew into his arms, starting to sob into his shoulder.
"It's okay, baby girl, I'll always be here." Leo whispered to me, wrapping his arms more securely around me.
"I d-don't want t-to go." Tears streamed down my face, as I clung onto him, refusing to accept that I'd have to let him go. There had to be a way...
"I belong here, on the streets, Amelia. I'm going to be okay."
"No one belongs on the streets! I thought I did, too!" I cried, looking desperately into his dark brown eyes. "Please..."
"No, Amelia. You have to go and live your life. You have family, I don't." Leo told me firmly. "You're lucky."
"You have family..."
"Not that I have any way of reaching, Amelia." Leo's eyes misted over. "They've probably forgotten about me."
"No, I could, like, lend you money for a train ticket or something, or, or-" He soon cut me off, gently placing a hand over my mouth to silence me.
"I'm best off here, Amelia. Go, really. I'll always remember you, baby girl." Leo smiled at me, and I forced a watery smile onto my face.
"I don't want to..."
"May I be so rude as to interrupt?" Jake walked forwards.
"You are...?"
"Jake, you must be Leo." They shook hands. "Where do you, er, live?"
"On the streets, mate." A wry smile took over Leo's face, and I felt a wave of guilt take over me.
"I meant before that." Jake said quietly, and my eyes widened. There was a moment of silence in which Leo studied Jake, taking in everything about him, something we'd had to learn to survive, to have a quick judgement of character.
"Yorkshire." Leo sighed eventually.
"Do you know where abouts?"
"Of course. Airmyn. Tiny village, but, still, home." He sighed heavily, looking down to the floor. "But that was years and years ago. Heaven knows if my family are still there, and if they even remember me."
"How many years?" Reece asked quietly, coming forwards and carefully wrapping an arm around me.
"I've lost count. About eight. You wouldn't happen to be the infamous Reece?" Leo's humour was back, his eyes sparkling as he scanned Reece.
"I would." Reece smiled back. "Thanks for... You know. Taking care of her."
"I had to." Leo gently squeezed me, before releasing me, stepping back. "Take good care of her."
"Not until we get you home, mate." Jake chuckled. "It's the least we can do."
"No way." Leo declined. "It's too far, and pointless."
"Please? For me?" I begged Leo, clasping onto his wrist with both hands so he couldn't try and get away. His eyes met mine, as he hesitated, so I made my eyes go wider, looking pleadingly at him. "Please?"
"It's too far." He said gently, pulling his arm from my hold and stepping back. "You go home, Amelia."
"We're not taking no for an answer!" Chris was still smiling, and the boys pulled Leo out of the alley.
"The sooner we get you up to Yorkshire, the sooner we can find a Domino's." James offered, and I glanced over at him, before returning my eyes to the floor, smacking Tom when he discreetly nudged me.
"It's 200 miles, you're not driving that, and I'm not taking money. Just go." Managing to wriggle away, Leo faced me. "Amelia, don't come looking for me. I'd be better off further north, where the bigger shops are. You won't be able to find me, and don't try to. Please, go home."
"No!" I stomped over to him. "I owe you my life! You kept me alive! You honestly think I'd turn around and just walk away because you're stropping over some legitimate help like a two year old? You wouldn't stand for it if it was the other way around! Now shut up, and come with us already."
"Damn." Someone muttered, and I glared them all into submission.
"I'll go. But, you promise you won't try and help me anymore?" Leo's lips twitched amusedly, as the boys meekly trailed behind us.
"I'm not going to make a promise I can't keep." Flashing him a bright smile, we took off running down the street, the boys groaning before hastening to try and catch us up.
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Some time later, we were sitting against the door to the apartment, chatting, as eight, out-of breath boys appeared, clutching their sides and panting desperately. "How do you run so fast?" Barclay gasped, crouching over.
"Practice." Leo smirked, as we stood up, letting Jake shakily open the door, watching them all fall inside. "That's just a normal day."
"Nor-mal d-ay, sure." Casey wheezed.
"Bloody - hell." Tom flopped down on the sofa.
"When - Yorkshire?" Chris promptly collapsed onto the floor, looking exhausted.
"Tomorrow?" James offered, sitting down next to Tom, Charlie quickly following, Reece also sitting down and panting. Leo and I watched amusedly as they all caught their breath, and I went to make some drinks while they did.
"Want some help with that?" Leo asked me, as I contemplated how to take ten drinks through. He picked up five of them carefully, and left the room, so I followed cautiously. Once I'd managed to get the drinks on the coffee table, I gave the right cup to everyone.
"Thanks." When James took his cup off me (I noted that the others had carefully not moved his, leaving it to me to give it to him), his hand brushed against mine, and sparks shot up my wrist, but I just smiled at him instead, moving off and getting my own tea, sitting down next to Reece.
"James and Amelia, sitt-" Reece didn't get to taunt me further when I hit him on the shoulder. "Hey, that hurt!"
"What did?" Casey looked up, as did the others, a slight smirk on his face as he glanced between James and I.
"Nothing." I smiled sweetly, and they all laughed, even James, bringing a blush to my cheeks. I was so screwed.
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"Hey, you can crash in our apartment, it's bigger." Tom offered Leo, who accepted once he caught my eye, flicking his gaze over to James and back again, sending me a wink then standing up. Rolling my eyes at him, I bid them goodnight, as they all headed up to their own apartment, leaving me with James, Jake, and Chris.
"Well, I need a shower." Chris excused himself, and that's when I suddenly realised their plan. I snapped my gaze over to Jake, desperately pleading him with my eyes not to leave me alone. His mouth slowly formed into a smirk, and he balanced his cup by his face, before dropping it. The liquid splashed all over his shirt, and he cursed lightly, placing the cup that had fallen into his lap on the coffee table.
"I'll have to change and throw this in the wash." Jake flashed me a mischievous look, before leaving the room. Forcing myself not to sigh, I swirled my tea around, taking a casual sip.
"Then there was two." James joked dryly, and I smiled at him, my heart doing that flippy-over thing again. "You good?"
"I'm fine, thanks." I glanced over at him. "You?"
"Good as ever." He murmured, taking his phone out. "I might follow some fans on twitter."
"They'd like that." After pulling my own phone out, I opened twitter, before my mouth fell open.
"What's wrong?"
"I've got over 10,000 followers already!" I cried out in shock, putting my cup down and double checking my phone. "That's crazy!"
"You'll get used to it." James laughed, the sound making me want to shiver. "Follow some of them and stuff, they'll appreciate it."
"Okay." My notifications were also through the roof, so I looked through them, before going onto the long list of my followers. "Should I tweet?"
"Tell them you're following. That'll get people to follow you." James advised, glancing up from his own phone.
"@ABibbyTwin: Following some of you lot back! RT for a follow <3"
Soon, retweets were pouring in, along with favourites and replies, and I saw James had also retweeted me, so I looked up at him, receiving a bright smile. I grinned back, but dropped my eyes back to my phone before I blushed too much to make him to notice.
I scrolled through twitter for what felt like ages, following more people than my thumb could handle. "It's getting late." James mumbled some time later. "Jake never came back, the ba- um."
"I wonder why." I said dryly, standing up and stretching, as James also got up. We walked over to our bedrooms. "Night."
"Night, Amelia." James smiled at me, before disappearing into his bedroom. Sighing heavily, I felt a grin form on my face.
"So whipped." Someone whispered in my ear.
Nearly screaming, I spun around, coming face-to-face with Jake. "You scared me!"
"Sorry, princess." He smirked, waltzing over to his bedroom. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Jake." I rolled my eyes, going into my bedroom and shutting the door behind me. It felt strange to know that I could live here, in a proper bedroom, that was mine, instead of with Reece, or on the streets. Because it had been so long, I had forgotten what it felt like to have that sense of security.
A bright smile didn't fall from my face as I got dressed, brushed my hair out, and went to brush my teeth, until I finally climbed into bed. The next morning, I would have to say goodbye to Leo, but, it didn't matter. As long as he was safe... Just like I was.