The Only Hope For Me Is You

Chapter 14

Frannie's POV

I kept running and running, not sure of where I was going. I pushed past crowds of people without apologizing. All I knew, all I felt within every fiber of my being was that I needed to get the heck out of here. My heart was thumping so strong I felt it would tear out of my chest. Fear was consuming my common sense. And yet I ran.

I'd managed to go outside, ending up behind the school's main building. I closed my eyes, slumped up against the wall, and breathed in deeply. This is exactly what I needed. Peace and quiet. I started to sing softly, calming my volcanic temper,"The world is ugly; I'll never forget...It reminds me that I am in debt...For the endless love that the Lord has blessed..." I continued, oblivious to the reality around me. If only life were this...tranquil.

"Frannie? What are you doing here?" asked a familiar voice, startling me. I had to blink a couple of times to remember where I was.

"Oh, Erika. I'm sorry. I-"

"What are you apologizing for? You didn't do anything wrong." she said gently. Something was off, I could tell right away. She had a serious look to her face, her manner was a little fidgety, and she kept glancing in the direction opposite the school, towards the dense forest area. As if I had caught her and spoiled her plan to commit murder. Right then and there, I completely forgot about my problems.

"Are you okay, Erika?...You seem...tense?" I asked, genuinely worried.

"No! Where would you get that impression?" She had answered just a little bit too quickly. I eyed her cautiously.

"Oh. Well then, come on. Let's go to class. We're going to be late."

"Oh." She looked back again towards the forest longingly. "I don't know..I'm not feeling too well." She coughed right on cue.

"Well then let me take you to the infirmary."

"Nah I can do it myself. You just go on off to class. I'm a big girl." She smiled warmly.

"Okay then. Are you sure?"

"Yup."

"Positive?"

"Like a pregnant lady taking a pregnancy test."

"Sure, sure?"

"Yes, woman!"

"Okay...see you later then."

"Bye!" She said enthusiastically. I opened the door I had been leaning against and entered the school. Immediately I stuck my face on the little window on the door to look out to where Erika was heading.

Just as I was expecting, she went towards the forest. I waited a couple of seconds before I went right after her. Something isn't right. And I'm about to find out.

I followed her through the trees, always hiding behind one before I made a move. There were roots and branches available to both hide and cause me to trip. For someone who didn't want to get caught in the act of something, she sure wasn't cautious. Only once did she look back. My pulse had been racing as I ducked behind a bush. For a while, I thought maybe she was just taking a walk until the place where she was heading came into view.

It was a large clearing in the middle of the dense forest of pine trees Sunlight streamed through an open canopy high up above us.There was mass of boulders strewn across the treeless space yet some of them were arranged into a circle, as if it had been there since the time of the Indians. Teenagers were sitting on most of them, which looked a lot like a campfire. There were about six people at the most. But what I witnessed was far from what a campfire should have been, far from it.

I recognized Sergio, Ray, and Frank sitting among the rocks with the rest of the group. Erika joined in and was greeted with questions and cheers. Little did they know there was an intruder among them. I crouched behind a cluster of branches.

"Come on, man, light me up." I heard her say.

They were smoking. Cigarettes and pot and who knows what else. And they didn't have a care in the world. I didn't know what to do. I was speechless. Never in a million year would I have imagined these nice people, my new friends to do such dangerous...unexpected...things!

"Erika?" I  ventured forth timidly. I was ashamed for following her, for revealing her reason for secrecy. But no way will I turn back now. It's too late for that.

"Frannie!" she shrieked. She dropped her hand holding the cigarette. "What are you doing here? No! Go back!" She stood up and she started pushing me away towards campus. Everyone else seemed confused.

"Hey Frannie! What up! Come on, join us!" yelled Frank. He was snorting something up his nose. I'm thinking it's a pixie stick.

"No, how could you ask her that, Frank? She doesn't do this stuff, she's a good kid." glared Erika. "Come on, let's get out of here. Don't listen to this crackhead..." She resumed her former stance but I shrugged off her push.

"Why should I? You're in no way to tell me not to do it. You're not any better." I said and crossed my arms. Suddenly, I loosened my tight stance and just gave up. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't talk to you like that...I'm just stressed out lately. I won't...do anything. I promise. But I won't-I can't go back there. So please? I won't try anything."

She stared fixated on me as if that would deduce if I were lying or not. I could tell she would let me stay without a fight when she lost that hard glint in her eyes revealing her fierceness. "Okay, but as long as you don't do it. Frannie, you're a good kid. Please don't change." she pleaded.

"I won't. I don't want to." I reassured her. I took a seat in a boulder in the circle and she took a seat next to me. Everybody just talked and chilled out. I realized this was actually fun and relaxing. I needed a break from all that tension and rush. Today was a hectic day. I leaned my back against Erika's and closed my eyes. And I just listened. I don't know how long I stayed lying there. I fell asleep.

I don't know what it was. Whether it was part of a dream, my imagination, or real life. But I was lying down in the clearing, I opened my eyes and I swear could see my family, my father, mother and little brother off in the distance, slowly shaking their heads at me, disappointed. I felt disappointed in myself too. I tried telling them it wasn't my fault but I couldn't move. Then all went black.