The cool March day stung my nose as I went outside to the carpool line. I made my way to my section but stood alone, afraid of the curious questions from classmates as to what was wrong. I stared at my feet, swaying back and forth. My fingers fiddled with the others, and I slightly lifted my sleeve, revealing the red cuts on my left wrist. I hate this, I thought. My eyes wandered upward, seeing the gorgeous boy standing in front of me. Braedon. His tall, gorgeous frame towered over my small, fragile one. His green eyes glistened in the warm sun as they looked down at me.
"What's up buttercup?" he asked me, chuckling slightly. I couldn't help but smile at his childishness. I looked down at the concrete, avoiding eye contact. His curled index finger made contact with my chin, pulling my face up to meet his. He flashed the biggest smile he could muster, squinting his eyes tightly. "Smiiiiillllleeeee," he said, pinching my cheek. I giggled, swatting his hand away. He laughed loudly, pulling me into a hug. Let me stay like this forever, I thought, resting my head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. My eyes remained closed, imagining what could have happened had he not lied to me like he did. I felt him pull away, and my eyes flickered open.
Fear spread throughout my body as I saw what I had hoped I never would have seen. I recognized that truck anywhere. And now, as it pulled into the long drive of my school, I was stricken with fear. I tried to move, but was unable. I was frozen, shaking. Braedon noticed my discomfort, as he placed his hand on my back.
"Caley what's wrong?" he asked, bringing his face down so that we were at eye level. My mouth hung open, my heart beating faster than ever before. "Caley," Braedon repeated.
"He- he's here," I said, swallowing hard .
"Who's here?" he said, studying my eyes.
My voice trembled, as I spoke quietly. "My dad." Braedon's head looked up quickly, scanning the parking lot.
"What can I do?" he asked. I could hear the panic in his voice, as he looked back and forth from me to the parking lot.
"Get me out of here. Tell Mrs. Smith. Call my mom and brothers. He can't find me."
"Come on," he said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me back toward the building. He burst through the office door, running to the headmaster's office. I collapsed on the ground, crying. They cleared out the office of all other students and parents, but Braedon stayed with me. He carried me to the back office and locked the door. I sat in his lap on the floor, crying into his chest. I fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeat, only to be awakened by the nightmares. His arms were still wrapped around my fragile body when I awoke. His fingers rubbed circles on the small of my back, and I was comforted by the "shh's" that escaped his lips. I looked up at him, and he met my gaze.
"It's okay," he told me. Mrs. Smith sat at her husband's desk behind us, on the phone. She hung up once she noticed I was awake.
"We have a plan," she said.
