A Town Called Mallory

04.

Oct. 15 Thursday(later that nite)

Mallory looked up to see a grinning Ted.

Mallory took a deep breath, trying to reduce the crying "Did you follow me here? Or are you just out for a night stroll in the middle of the woods cause either way it's creepy."

Ted took a seat next to mallory on the hard cold dirt "I actully never left your house so-"

"So you did follow me."

"It's not like though." Mallory shifted uncomfortably.

"I was in my car and I heard yelling" Ted looked to Mallory "When you ran outside I followed you because I thought it would be a pefect time to speak to you but seeing you cry I realise that right you just need a friend."

Mallory wiped her tears while giving Ted a small smlile "I'm fine." she said trying to convince ted to leave.

"No you're not. Mallory you're in the middle of the woods crying....that dosent seem fine to me."

"Well I am okay!" Mallory snapped at Ted "Sometimes people need...want to be alone to reflect on a certin situation and get better and right now I'm one of them. So Ted would please leave me anlone!" Ted was speechlees for words, no one had ever yelled or spoke to him like that. Not even his parents when he would do something bad, they would calmly tell him to not do it againg or stop it but never yell. It wasn't their parenting style.

"Shit ted I'm sorry I didn't mean to yell at you I'm just stressted you know." Mallory gave ted an apolgic but sad smile. "Yeah I get it."

Ted stood up to leave but was stopped by Mallory's grabbing the back of his leg.

"Wait don't go." she said looking up at him with pleading eyes. Ted sat back down.

"It's that I'm not use to this." Mallory said pointing between Ted and her.

"What? 'This'..as in what?" Ted asked giving Mallory a confused look.

"I mean I'm not use to people caring and actually being there for me...this is all new to me I just need some time to get used to it....I guess." Mallory ended her confession with a weak smile.

"Oh I just...that can't be true?" Ted was both bothered and shocked by what he just heard.

"Yeah it is." she stated "No one really showed me any affection and actually cared for what I thought or felt."

"Not even your mom?"

"Nope especially not my mom."

"Oh. Well had to have been somebody.. at least once."

"Ted my parents wanted to the perfect life and family which included having a son and as you can see I'm not." Mallory spoke gesturing towards herself. "When I was born it really disappointed them, my dad more than my mom. So when I turned three my dad up and left." Ted listened to Mallory, interested and continued for her to go on.

"After he left my mom saw me as burden. And it sucked at first, it still does but as time went on I got use to it."

By now Mallory was crying, she used the sleeve of her sweater to wipe the falling tears. Mallory smiled at Ted to reassure him that she was alright it didn't work. Ted pulled Mallory into a hug. Rubbing her back and whispering words of wisdom and courage to her as she cried.