Promises

A Travel Companion

Chelsea and Angelo had dropped me off at the school and driven away before anyone could see me with them. I ran to my car and hopped in the driver's seat. Drake knocked at my passenger side window. I rolled it down and yelled, "Hey, I gotta go, I can't talk now."

"Wait, I'm coming with you!"

"No Drake, you don't understand. You don't know what's happening here. You can't come with me! I've got to get home."

He climbed in the passenger seat and locked the door behind him. "Drive and I'll explain," his eyes were pleading. I sighed and pulled out of the parking lot. "Okay, I was in the office and overheard the phone call from your aunt. I asked to talk to her, and told her I used to live there. I could help you find him. I know what you want to do. It happened to me long ago, of course with another person, but before I could find her..." he drifted off, gazing out of the window reminiscing of a time when I didn't know him. Before we knew each other.

He cleared his throat and looked at me. "Enough of my past. What was your family like?" He sounded sincere, but also as though he was trying to avoid the subject. Maybe he was hiding something. I really wanted to know what happened, but I didn't bother to ask, seeing his reaction to the mere thought of it earlier.

"Well, I lived in Indiana, but when we were moving, my step dad got lost. We turned back to look for him, but crashed into the moving truck he was driving. They all died except my brother Aaron. Shiloh, Mom, and Jeff... they're gone now. The only family I have left Is Aaron, Allyson, my Uncle Andrew, and his son Kyle. I don't like my father after the emotional abuse I went through so long ago. Mom kicked him out because of it. She didn't know about this one time..." I stopped.

Tears streamed down my face. I thought of only a half hour earlier how I was naked and tied to a bed, being raped by one of the most popular football stars in high school. Then he was going to leave me to die. I had always disliked him, but I never knew he would go that far.

"He- he...." I drifted off, crying.

"Pull over. Please, you need a break. I can drive. I do live in the same neighborhood, remember?" I pulled over and got out of the car. My migraine came back as soon as I felt the heat of the sun on my back. Of course, it was fall, so it wasn't too hot out, but it felt as though 1,000 needles were digging into my back. I could feel myself falling, but I didn't hit the ground. Instead, Drake was there to catch me.

"What's wrong? What happened today?" His voice was rising with panic. "Let's get you into the shade." He placed me in the passenger side of the car and climbed into the driver's seat. "Hey, what happened today, why weren't you at school. People said you didn't feel well, but I saw you get out of the car with Chelsea-"

"It's fine. I just have been getting these migraines. It started out the other day, so Jayde has been giving me these pills-"

"Wait," Drake said. Panic overtook his facial features. "Jayde? The girl with blonde hair and blue eyes? And what kind of pills?"

"Yeah, her, but anyways, she gave me these red gel capsules. They work wonders!" The migraines have become more often though, so I don't know whether I said take them anymore or not."

"Don't take any more of the pills. It's what caused the migraines." He started up the car and pulled onto the street.

"What do you mean? The headaches started before I took a pill. Anyways, how do you know Jayde?"

"We once lived in the same neighborhood. Are you positive you didn't take one before? Just forget it. Just promise me you won't take any more of them. Okay?"

"Fine, I promise." I looked out the window and watched streets pass by. "Do you want to really know what happened? I was tied down and rap-"

"No, they did not. Don't tell me it's true, is it?"

"They left me there to die, even after all of that! I'm tired of them thinking they can always control me!"

"I'm so sorry... if only I could've been there to protect you. I promise from here on out, nothing like that will ever happen again. I'll always be here to protect you."

I gazed at him longingly, wishing I could reach out and hold him and bring his face to mine to kiss him. I needed his protection. I needed to know someone would be around, even when Allyson passed on. "Thank you..."

We pulled into my driveway and jumped out of the car, rushing inside of the house. Allyson was pacing across the floor with one hand on her head and the other holding her cell phone. "Okay, I'll tell her when she gets here. Are you sure there's nothing else we can do?" She paused a few moments. "Okay, bye."

"Have you heard anything from Andrew?" I asked, clearly startling her. She ran over and hugged me.

"Thank gosh you're home. There's still no sign of him, but they're still looking. It could take a while, but they'll find him." She tried to fake a smile, but I could see through the disguise.

"No, I'm not waiting that long. I'm going out to look for him."

"But Delilah, you have to understand it takes time. It's all the way in Canada. You aren't really going all the way there are you? I thought you didn't like the cold. That's at least what your mom told me."

"I may not like it, but I'm not going to sit around while my only immediate family left is lost and could possibly die. I'm not going to let him die on me, too."

She sighed and looked at me solemnly. "Fine. You'll need some money to make it there. And make sure you have your tires checked. I don't want you to slip on black ice."

"Okay. I ran upstairs to pack a bag. I packed everything I would need for a sleepover, except I packed extra deoderant and snacks.

"I'm going with you. I can help you find him easier. Trust me. I promised not to let anything happen to you."

"Fine, we'll stop at your place on the way to the airport. I won't have enough money for us both, though. Do you have enough?"

"Trust me, I'll be fine. Let's go so we can catch the night plane."