Learning To Love (Taylor's Version)

Apprehensive & Annoyed

⚠️ This chapter does contain abusive content ⚠️

(Taylor's Version):

I couldn't sleep all night, I didn't know what to do. It's currently 5 am and I am outside, going on a jog, trying to clear my head. But going out doesn't seem to help at all. As I was walking home, I saw someone laying on the park bench.

As I go closer, I recognize those clothes, the white button up and jeans. No it can't be... Why is she sleeping on a park bench? Her clothes were soaking wet due to the rain last night. I quickly jog to the bench and wake her up.

"What're you doing out here?" I ask, really concerned.

She stared at me for a minute before her eyes went wide. "Fuck" she mutters under her breath.

"What are you doing out here?" I ask again.

"I uh fell asleep when walking home," she told me.

"And why were you walking home?" I ask.

"The weather was good so uh.."

"It was 34 degrees and it was raining... Why were you outside?" I ask again.

"No reason," she said, trying to walk away.

I quickly run after her, everything going on was really suspicious. This was really too much, like sleeping on a park bench?! Something is really not right and I want to know what's going on.

(River's Version):

Five hours before:

"I promise I'll get it to you next week," I pleaded.

"I gave you 2 months, my boss is questioning me," she fires back.

"You know what I'm going through?!"

"That's why I gave you 2 extra months!"

"Just give me another week, please, Martha please...?"

"Get out, River"

I walk out the building and it darts to rain. Just my fucking luck. I walk over to a bench under a tree and sit down. I have nowhere to go and I don't know what to do.

I can't believe he lied to me. He told me he'd give it to me, and that night after he saw Taylor follow me with worried eyes... he lashed out on me.

I know he didn't mean to hit me, he was just angry that she was onto him. He told me he won't give me the money cause I apparently caused a scene and that's why Taylor noticed. He didn't care that I needed it to stay under a roof, he told me I should've tried harder.

Current time

Taylor kept trying to follow me, I really needed to lose her. I can hear her trying to talk to me, but I just try to walk into a crowd. I feel someone grab onto my arm, and I turn around and see Taylor grabbing my arm.

I pull my arm away and run as fast as I can. I can hear her apologizing and trying to run after me, but I run right into the woods, but she runs forward. After I see her disappear, I walk out and my leg starts to hurt. I look down and see hundreds of ants on my leg. I look back and notice I was standing on an ant hill.

Tears start piling up in my eyes and I run over to a small lake a couple feet away. Just as I was about to run there, I saw Taylor sitting down and there was a man in a suit standing a couple feet away. As I was thinking about whether I should or shouldn't go there, the pain got worse. Not able to think cause of the pain, I run over, not caring that Taylor was there.

Probably hearing my footsteps, she turns back and her jaw drops as her eyes fell to my legs. SHe quickly got up and ran over to me.She helped me walk over to the water, and I put my foot in. After a minute I pulled it out and it was painted red and sprinkled with blisters.

I knew it would only get worse, and not having a place to live would only make it worse. I could feel Taylor's eyes on me.

"I could drop you home" I hear Taylor say softly.

"No thank you, but thank you for suggesting it," I say, getting up.

"Come on, you can't walk like that, your parents would be worried."

I get up and try to walk away and I could feel Taylor behind me.

"Please, leave me alone," I say.

"I can't, I'm worried about you. And I bet your parents are too," she says.

"I don't have any so I doubt it," I angrily say, and storm off, leaving Taylor speechless.

(Taylor's Version):

Oh....