Loving the Cursed

Run

For the next few days I was quiet and avoided John as much as I could. I had been here 4 months and I loved it. People who I could call family.
Snow piled on the ground and everyone was usually inside. I would occasionally walk Poncho for fresh air and to get away from them. I loved people but being away from people for so long made the house seem crowded.

When night came I said goodnight and headed to bed and quickly slept. Most nights now John would say his strange goodnights but thankfully he didn't tonight. I fell asleep quickly.
Someone had there hand over my mouth firmly and something was blocking my vision. I started panicking and tried to fight but the person had there arms around me tight and held me. I tried screaming and tried to get free but this person was stronger than me by a long shot. I immidiatly thought it was John and fear flowed through me. Where was he taking me? What was happening?
I heard Poncho follow behind quietly. He should be attacking this person. Why wasn't he attacking?
I felt the cold air hit my skin and I shivered. The person held me closer. After a little while I gave up and decided as soon as I could I would make a run for it. The person walked for quite awhile and held me like I was nothing. After what felt like hours but what was probably minutes the person came to a stop and set me down gently and took off a bandana from my face.
I cleared my eyes but John wasn't in front of me. The man who avoided me all this time stood infront of me and I was angry. He looked at me, "Are you alright?" I searched for what to say but before I realized it my fist smashed into the left side of his face, "What the hell is wrong with you?! I am not ok!"
He held his face in pain and looked at me suprised and scared, "Shhh shhhh. They will hear you. You need to trust me. Zoe. Please."
I looked at his face and he looked so framiliar. I gently and slowly brought my hand up to his, "Leo?" Tears formed in my eyes when he started nodding.
It was him. My Leo.
I started bawling and I hugged him. He was here. I held onto him like he would disappear. How did I not realize it before?
He hugged me tight and shook a little like he was crying too.
"I will explain but first we need to get out of here. Fast."
I nodded and slowly let go then looked around and saw my car. I quickly ran to it and got Poncho into it and I got into the passenger seat. Leo climbed into the drivers side and quickly started driving away.
I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. Leo. Then after the happiness started to get replaced with the anger I looked at him, "Why?"
He looks at me confused, "Why what?"
"Why didn't you come back?! Why didn't you tell me before?" I looked at him confused about everything and he looked back at the road, "Why did you stay in the town?"
I sighed and looked down, "I-I thought if I stayed long enough you would come back. That I would wake up from the nightmare."
He nodded, "Well I didn't tell you at first because... I didn't know how to. Zoe, you're different. Very different. Not only are you just not like how you used to act but Zoe, you're hot. Like, you dont look like a boy anymore."
For some reason my face started to burn up and I quickly looked down. Woah. Everything inside me felt strange.
"Well you're so different I didn't even recognize you. I mean, what happened to us Leo? Why did we change?"
He laughs thinking I was joking but then he looked at me and realized I wasn't and he clears his throat, "Right. You have been alone this whole time. Well we hit puberty. Its when certain things change. I have a book if you want to read it. The group helped and taught me all about it."
I looked at him and nodded, "So why did you kidnap me from the house?"
He gets tense and looks straight ahead, "It's um... A long story. How about I get you a book. You read it. Then I will explain."
I shook my head, "What? No. Just tell me now."
"No. Do you know what kissing or sex is?"
I took a deep breath, "Kind of."
"So not really. You will understand more when you learn about it."
I sighed and for the next day we drove in silence. Just driving until the car ran out of gas.