Everlasting Autumn | SHORT STORY

Chapter 2 | Running Away

            

Well, the show was over. Time to go home. Nevertheless, with so many people around me, I couldn't disperse and that's when a strong shove made me fall on my butt.

'This day couldn't get any better...' I thought, slightly wincing from the fall. If I stayed there, the cop would see me and ask questions. Calling my parents would only make things worse than what they already were. I had to go right away. But how? There were still many people around me. Feet stepped on my hand, not noticing that I was there on the ground. My panic attacks were coming back so I closed my eyes and tried to count to ten, but there was too much noise.

"Here." That's when a voice coming from behind me whispered in my ear. Before I could see who it was, that same person gently grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the dispersing crowd. Suddenly, before I knew it, we were running with the police on our tail. The hand that was holding mine belonged to the violin boy.

How did this happen? Why did he come back? Why did he help me? So many questions and no time to answer them as the cops were almost catching on us. Immediately, one of them firmly grabbed my shoulder, violently turning me around, and I let out a gasp. Before my mind could process what has happening, a yelp was heard, and my shoulder was free. On the ground lay the fallen cop, squirming as he tried to stop his bleeding nose. Beside me, the boy had one of his hands closed in a fist, a little blood noticeable on his knuckles.

Before I could say anything, the other cops appeared, so we were back to running. We crisscrossed streets, passed through narrow alleys, and bumped into people to who I would mumble small apologies while my 'raptor' just laughed. How could he laugh in a situation like this?!

I was already getting tired. I wasn't used to running that much, especially in gym class. My feet hurt, my legs felt weak, and I needed to catch my breath. On top of that, my hands ached from being bruised. How long have we been running? Reaching a limit, I tried to say something, but my lips felt dry. I really needed to drink water as soon as possible.

"Stop...stop...STOP!" That was possibly the first time I raised my voice at someone. The boy halted abruptly and let go of my hand as I slowly took deep breaths with my hands on my knees, steading me so I wouldn't fall right there on the floor. Not that it wasn't inviting. I wouldn't mind lying down for a moment. The problem was smudging the uniform. My hair was disheveled, my tie loose and my tucked shirt got out of place. I looked like a rack. Why was the world so determined to make this day a livid Hell for me?! Even so, complaining wouldn't make this thirst go away.

Where would I get water? I didn't even know where I was! That's when a refreshing coolness came into touch with my cheek. The strange boy was holding a water bottle and handing it to me, his head tilted to the side. I had almost forgotten he was there since he didn't speak anything until now. I was wondering if I should accept it. After all, we're strangers. What if he had put something in the water?

However, my thirst spoke louder, so I murmured a small 'Thank you' and took the bottle from his hand, drinking all of it in one gulp. The sweet refreshing liquid satiating my dry throat. When I was feeling better, I noticed that I had drunk all the water. I stared blankly at the empty bottle, my cheeks burning from embarrassment until I heard a snort. The boy in front of me was trying to hold his laugh which only made the humiliation worse, so I stared at my feet, gripping tightly my skirt.

"T-thank you very much... for helping me back then. I will go now. Good evening." I stated to him, bowing a little and robotically turning to leave when I remembered I didn't know where I was. Nothing on that street was familiar to me. The streets were narrower, the buildings shabbier and more old-fashioned with the colors peeling off the walls. You could hear dogs' barks along with people screaming on the higher floors. Also, there was a strong nauseating smell like the sewers that I had to cover my nose with my handkerchief. These weren't my streets. It was final. I was completely lost.

"Yeah, I forgot. 'Princesses' like you aren't used to places like these." I heard him saying that behind me, probably shrugging his shoulders with a cocky grin on his face. Well, too bad. Such comments didn't affect me anymore. Furthermore, it was his own fault I was in this situation in the first place! So, I turned around to give him a piece of my mind when a hand was outstretched in my direction, and he had the biggest smile I had ever seen in my life.

"I'm Noah! And you?' His question made me a bit skeptical about giving him my name or not, so I decided to keep silent and stand my ground. If he thought he could get anything from me, he was totally wrong.

"I see. The quiet type. That's alright! I like it!" His statement made me feel a bit flustered. "Come! My house is nearby." When he saw the wary look on my face, he explained. "I don't think your parents would be happy to see your hands and knees in that state." My hands! The bruises had already started to take on a purplish tone and my hands ached every time I tried to close them. "You have the right to be suspicious of me. After all, I'm to blame for bringing you here but I have a feeling from looking at your face that you have never been through these streets. You would probably get lost. This can turn quickly into a maze for those who don't live here." I tried to retaliate but it was like he was already expecting what I was going to say. "Besides, it's not even worth trying to talk to cops. They usually stay away from this place. Meaning I'm your only way out. So, you have no other choice but to trust me. So, how's it going to be, princess?"

Unfortunately, he was right. Since we got there, there were no police in sight, and asking the neighborhood for help wouldn't do any good. The uniform was like a repellent. So, I had no other choice, but to follow him. A deep breath came out of me. When was this day going to end? In the end, I agreed to go with him, on the condition that he stopped calling me 'princess'.

All the way, I followed him quietly behind, hugging myself and keeping a safe distance between us in case he tried to jump on me and I had to sprint. Groups of children would pass us laughing and playing soccer along with a mutt running behind them. Men who were relaxing with a nice cold beer on the terraces greeted Noah with great ceremony as if they all knew each other and women would appear while holding shopping bags and tell him that they were looking forward to his new violin performance. Everyone seemed to adore him. For some reason, I felt left out. Seeing them all cheerful and laughing while I was ignored made me recognize that I was all alone in the world. As I stared there watching, I questioned how he did it. How did he get all those people to like him so much?

Unlike me, who had no friends and parents to love me. The only thing I learned to do in life was studying and it wasn't even for my sake, but for my parents' recognition. My father worked as a lawyer and my mother ran her own branded clothing company. For them, everything had to be perfect. Including me. But why did I feel that my future wasn't going to be so bright as I thought it would? Did I really want to lead a perfect life? After all, what is it really like to live? So many questions I tried so hard to keep out of my head, otherwise, my whole life would be questioned. My very presence. My very purpose in this world.