You Should've Listened

Fugitives

Two more weeks passed and now she's really avoiding me. Maybe it's because she's afraid I'll question her, I mean the point of this project is to get personal, maybe she can't or maybe she's just afraid too.

"Hey, Doll." Dahlia glances at me then turns back to her locker, switching out her books but I don't miss the way she rolls her eyes at my nickname for her.

"Don't call me that." I feel a smirk grow on my face because I know I'm only going to call her that more now.

"I like your hoodie." She glances down at her sweater then shuts her locker.

"I wear this all the time." Her tone is bored and my smirk grows.

"And I like it." I notice she bites back a smile then rolls her eyes at me. When she walks off I follow behind and she shoots me a questioning look since I'm now following her  look but I ignore it.

"Here's the game plan." I feel her staring at me but I keep my eyes straight ahead as we make our way out of the school. "I'll pick you up and drop you off at school and on the drive we can talk, getting to know each other."

When I look down at her, she looks like I grew another head. "For the project?" I explain.

"Right." Clarity fills her expression and she avoids my eyes. "Sure whatever." We continue to the parking lot and quickly find my car.

"So," I start as I pull out of the school parking lot. "First off, where are we heading to?" She doesn't answer right away and when I steal a glance at her she's fidgeting with the seat belt.

"Doll?"

"Uh." I slow down as I wait for her to respond. "I stay near 7- Eleven." I chuckle softly.

"There's a 7-Eleven on every corner in this town, an address will help." She lets out a sigh then sits a bit straighter.

"I don't know the address. Just drive, I'll tell you how to get there." I feel my brows furrow and when I look over at her, her eyes are focused on the road ahead, clearly purposely avoiding my questioning look.

"How do you not know your address? I know you just moved here but it's been a month and a half already."

She shrugs. "No point in learning the address, I won't be living there long." She says it like she's so certain and I feel myself growing confused. "Make a left at the stop sign." With that, I start driving again.

"You plan on moving?" I keep looking between the road and her as I drive but she keeps her eyes out her window.

She takes a while to respond. I start to think she isn't going to but after a minute she does. "I don't know." I study her for a second then look straight ahead again.

"You know, if all of your answers are this vague we're going to fail this project." I hear her let out a soft sigh then I feel her eyes on me.

"I don't plan to move but they'll probably move me. I'd rather be anywhere else but you can't always get what you want right?" Her words are laced with bitterness.

"What do you mean they'll move you?"

"I'm a foster kid, they move us around like we're fugitives." Thrown off guard, my head snaps in her direction but once again, her gaze won't meet mine. "Take a right at the next light." I want to ask more about the topic at hand, it'll probably be helpful for this project but she seems like she doesn't want to talk about it so I don't.

"I think our human relations teacher gave us some starter questions, wanna pull them out?" She does and we answer the most standard and boring questions, favorite color, place, number.

"What's your favorite ice cream flavor?"

"Pistachio." I answer without having to think about it.

"That sounds disgusting." I throw my head back with a laugh at the sound of disgust in her voice.

"Don't knock it till you try it, Doll."

"I'm not trying anything that's green and I told you to stop calling me that." I laugh again. "I'm serious. Everything green tastes horrible." I look over at her in pure shock because she can't be serious right now.

"What about green apple jolly ranchers?"

"Blue is better." She says it so casually and it surprises me how easily she can just  lie, because blue of all flavors is far from the best jolly rancher.

"I'm going to assume you've never tried the green apple now or laters." When I steal a glance at her she shrugs.

"Now or laters are definitely bottom of the barrel candies." My jaw drops.

"What?!" She chuckles at my shock and I'm starting to think she's messing with me. I mean come on, bottom of the barrel?

"You missed the turn back there."

"I know, I'm taking you to try pistachio ice cream."

"What? No, I already told you I can't be late." I keep driving because it's only down the street. "Aries, please okay? I'm sure it tastes amazing, just take me to his place." My head snaps in her direction at the pleading in her voice. She almost sounds... scared.

"You won't be late, Dahlia." She lets out a breath and looks up to the ceiling of my car like she's about to burst into tears.

"Okay." I quickly do a U-turn and speed up a bit. She doesn't read off anymore of the question and whenever I look over at her she looks more eager to get home.

"Why are your foster parents so adamant about you being on time?" I watch her go still beside me and it takes her a while to respond.

"He's just controlling."

"Can't you tell your social worker?" She chuckles and shakes her head.

"You're a genius. Why didn't I think of that once in the fifteen years I've been in the system? I'll try it and update you on how it goes." She holds up her hand with a smile. "Fingers crossed." Her smile immediately drops after a second and she looks back out her window.

Fifteen years in the system?

"There has to be something you can do." She lets out a sigh like she's tired of the conversation but I go on. "How about your bruises?"

"Aries-"

"It's obvious someone is hurting you, Dahlia." My voice is pleading. I noticed bruises on her arm that seem to be fading but they don't look like accidents like she claims them to be.

"It doesn't matter. I'll age out the system this winter. I just need to hang on a bit longer." Hang on? She looks over at me and must read the concern on my face. "Let it go, Aries." I force my eyes off of her and continue driving. She says to leave her down the street so I do but before she's out of ear shot, I call out to her.

"What time should I pick you up tomorrow?" She looks like she regrets this idea but this is our best shot.

"Eight thirty." I shoot her a quick nod. "Do not be late." I nod again and send her a salute.

"Yes, ma'am." With a small smile she turns around.