Runaway Princess

Chapter Nine: The Promise

Chapter Nine: The Promise

[Tracy's P.O.V.]

I sat there, alone and crying to myself with my back against the cool metal door of my locker and my head between my knees. Why did this happen to me? What did I do to deserve this? I should've listened to Sean. How could I be so stupid?

A million thoughts swarmed through my brain. I couldn't think straight. Images of my past flickered through my mind like a tragic movie being played over and over again. I couldn't help but remember every single moment of that dreadful summer.

My life was different back then. I had a lot of friends. Everyone treated me differently. I wasn't a nerd. I wasn't a loner. My family wasn't broken and I had a different perspective on life. As a whole, I, myself, was different.

I used to be happy, quirky and definitely carefree. I wasn't afraid of anything. I had the courage to speak up and voice out my opinions. I wasn't bullied nor was I ignored. I was friends with everyone.

I used to have a perfect family. Mom was still alive and she took good care of us. Dad used to support me in every step of the way. He was never too strict, unlike now. We were happy. I thought everything was perfect because I had my family and Shane.

Yes, I had Shane. He used to be my best friend and his parents were like my second parents. We used to do everything together, from going to school to doing homework and even hanging out with our parents. We had so much fun together until the day of the accident.

It was a wonderful afternoon. I could feel the warm summer breeze blowing through my hair. Shane and I decided to play at the park today.

"Tracy!" he called out. I turned around and saw him running towards my direction. A smile crept up my face.

"Man, you're early," he panted when he finally reached me. He bent his body and placed his hands on his knees while catching his breath. He was wet with perspiration and his jet-black hair was unruly. His bright blue eyes were sparkling with excitement.

"And you're late," I scoffed and we both laughed. "Come on, I'll race you to our usual spot. Last to arrive is a rotten egg!"

We took off from there. I could feel my body getting exhilerated as adrenaline coursed throughout my veins. I quickly dodged the people who were flocking in my path. I looked back to make sure that I was ahead of Shane. I stopped when I didn't see him there. I looked around and glanced towards the playground. Nothing. No signs of Shane, whatsoever.

"Shane?" I called. Silence. I was beginning to worry. What if he was kidnapped or something? "Shane?"

Still no response. Where could he possibly be? Then, out of the blue, I felt a slight tap on my shoulder that made me jump. I gasped and turned around. His cheeky smile greeted me brightly. "Did you miss me already?"

"No! Never, you big dummy!" I exclaimed as relief washed over me. I shoved Shane playfully and made him stumble.

"Aw, don't be mad at me, Trace," he pouted.

"You made me worry, dimwit!"

"What? Why?" he snorted. He extended his arms to the sides. "Nothing happened to me. Come on, let's walk together. I'm calling it a truce. Is that okay with you?"

I nodded in response. Shane took my hand in his and we made our way to the swing. We walked hand in hand with a goofy grin on our faces. Shane joked around and I laughed when he almost stumbled on his feet.

When we arrived, we settled ourselves comfortably and took out our snacks. My mom packed me a set of cookies and some milk. Shane had a bagel sandwich and a box of orange juice.