Faulty Trust || Katie McCabe

29

Moping and ignoring the world had become my new favorite hobbies, but neither Wally nor Leah liked it very much. I'd given them minimal responses and hadn't told them about the night Beth called me to get Katie.

It had upset me to see Katie that visibly upset because she was rarely ever that worked up. For her to get to the point where she physically stopped caring took a lot. The only time I'd ever see her that far gone was after she'd gotten her first red card. My heart hurt for her even if the pain she was really in right now was her own doing.

I couldn't stop myself from caring for her; nothing was ever that easy. Plus, I didn't want to stop caring for her; no matter what my head said, there would always be a place for Katie in my heart.

The dim walls of my flat suddenly felt stuffy, like the air had grown heavier. My breaths drew closer together, and the sudden need for fresh air became apparent. So I grabbed a light jacket that wasn't at all warm enough for the weather outside and swiftly left my flat before I suffocated to death.

The chilling wind hit my face immediately, causing me to frown. I'd neglected to grab a windbreaker the one time it's actually windy outside. With a huff, I aimlessly walked down the street with no set place in mind. I simply walked because I could, and despite the chill seeping into my bones, the cold air was refreshing.

It sent a wave of calmness through me that I didn't realize I needed. For once my brain had shut off, and it felt like I could breathe easily without something clouding my head.

There was a darker tint in the sky today, overcast skies bringing a chance of rain in the evening. When I slipped back into reality, I spotted a park I hadn't seen before. So I entered and found a bench facing a grass opening, the edge of the forest some fifty meters away. It was disarming and peaceful. The quietness of the afternoon filled the meadow, providing a beautiful scene.

Though that peace didn't last long enough for my liking, a loud bark sliced the delicate silence like a shrill sound nobody expected. I jumped slightly, turning to my left to see an oddly familiar dog barreling towards me.

Almost instantly a voice I knew all too well shouted after the dog, "Myle! I swear—get back here!"

Beth's shouts were no use when Myle spotted me, and I grinned, reaching down to pet the bundle of fur now at my feet. "You're a terrible listener, aren't you?" I spoke quietly to the dog, laughing to myself.

"Myle—oh hey, Emely, fancy seeing you here. What are you doing all the way over here?" Beth stood with her hands on her hips, giving me a questioning stare, though not a demanding one. My furrowed brows might've gave away my situation because the longer I didn't speak the bigger Beth's smile grew.

Before Beth could respond, though, Viv appeared with a leash in hand. "Oh hey Emely, are you doing alright? Bit far from home, no?"

"Uh," I paused, removing my hand from Myles's head and sitting back against the bench. "I don't actually know where I am. I went for a walk and ended up here; dunno how long I've been out for."

A knowing look flashed across Viv's face, and she subtly nodded her head.

"Well, you've basically walked to our place; we're just around the corner." Beth's voice cut through the brief silence, drawing my widening eyes to her.

"Really? Don't you all live five or six miles away?" Beth nodded but didn't respond. Instead she waited for it to click in my head, and when it did, I spoke again, "I walked six miles without knowing it?" My surprise brought an amused look to Viv and Beth's face.

I'd been so caught up in my head that I'd walked six miles unknowingly. It wasn't exactly surprising the more I thought about it; when I go for a walk or a run, my thoughts tend to consume me. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but either way it would allow me to forget about the run or walk I was on. Sure, this also came with the danger of being completely unaware of my surroundings, but I hadn't had any issues. Knock on wood.