She Just Ran

Chapter 3

To RoseThornXXoo, for commenting and just being encouraging :)

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My dad got home around 3:30. For him, that was normal. I heard him walk through the back door. His footsteps sounded agitated as he climbed the stairs. I just figured it had something to do with work. I mentally shrugged and returned to my book.

When he was walking down the hall, I heard his footsteps stop outside my door. Crap. Crap. Crap. I thought frantically. I started to panic, but forced myself to keep my composure. He opened my door—there was no lock, of course—and walked up to where I was sitting in the window seat.

Looking down at me he asked, rather irritated, “Where were you this morning?” I hadn’t done anything wrong, but sometimes he had a rather warped view of things.

I truthfully answered “Shopping for school stuff.” I was trying to stay calm, but for some reason (maybe irrationally) he scared me when he was like this. My heart was racing, and I was afraid he could hear it.

Then, he did something I never would have expected. He brought up his hand, and slapped me hard across the face.

Startled, confused, and hurt I let out a gasp of pain and held my throbbing cheek.

“Don’t lie to me.” He spat, and then walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

I just sat there for a while, completely shocked. The whole situation confused me, for one I had not been lying to him. Why would I lie about something so small? And for two, he had never hit me before. He didn’t even spank me as a child. I didn’t know what to think.

Immediately, my mind started to rationalize. Maybe he had had a particularly bad day at work. Maybe he was angry that wife number six had walked out like all the rest, and left him alone again. Or maybe…maybe it was me.

In that moment I felt so alone. Horribly, painfully alone. Not my comfortable, lone wolf style. It was the kind of loneliness that left you feeling like you were the last person on earth. So fragile.

That night I laid in agony. My heart hurt, I don’t know how else to explain it. I was also physically ill. I had regurgitated what little I had eaten that day. Somehow I mustered what little strength I had left, washed myself, and collapsed into bed. I laid there for hours before exhaustion finally dragged me into a fitful sleep.

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            I slept in late the next day, and only got out of bed to feed Ary, get water, and use the bathroom when I threw up said water. My whole being just felt sick, if that makes any sense.

            As it got closer and closer to the time I knew I would have to try and make myself sleep, I mentally readied myself for the next day. I knew the act would have to be very convincing, and that it would take quite a lot of work to go completely unnoticed. The key was not to be extremely quiet, but to say just enough. To be that girl people were pretty sure they had a class with at some point, but couldn’t really remember her name.

            I would play the role perfectly. I had to.

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            For the first time in months, I awoke to the sound of my alarm. I got dressed, did my hair quickly, and quietly got Ary fed. I looked in the fridge, knowing that I really should eat something. As I peered at the food however, the all too familiar nausea hit.

            I grabbed my things and left for school without eating.

            I had to walk, because my poor little car finally died a few weeks ago, and I was certainly not going to ask my dad for a ride. At the thought of him, my hand automatically lifted itself to touch my bruised cheek. The swelling had gone down, and I carefully covered it with make-up so no one would suspect anything. It was hard to get a bruise like that from tripping and falling.

            I sighed audibly. I felt so trapped here, so restless. I comforted myself with the knowledge that once I finished school, I could get away from here and never look back. I could return to my beautiful San Francisco.

            I reached the school after about fifteen minutes. I went to the library to scope out the selection and pass the time. I decided to start at the back and work my way forward. I was about to turn down the next of the few aisles, when I saw him. The boy from the park.

            I assessed the situation. I couldn’t exit the other end of the aisle, seeing as it was a wall. In order to get out, I would either have to walk past his aisle, or wait in the very back one and hope that he left. I chose the latter.

            Quickly slipping into the back row, I was both relieved and frustrated that there were no people in it. I wouldn’t have to keep up the act in front of them, but I also didn’t have them for cover if he decided to come back here.

            I watched him carefully through the shelves praying that just this once, luck would be on my side. Unfortunately, the person doling out luck didn’t seem to be very fond of me. He started toward my aisle.

            I quickly turned myself around so he wouldn’t see my face right away and hopefully wouldn’t recognize me. He entered the aisle, and I held my breath, but kept my motions steady. When he continued browsing and didn’t even look my way, I was so relieved I felt like jumping for joy.

            I was making my way to the end of the row when, suddenly, he was standing in front of me with a false polite smile and a taunting look in his eye.

            “Hi Anna,” he said, all cheery. Outward appearances aside, his eyes seemed to say:

            “Thought you could get away so easy?”

            And just like that, I was out of options.

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Sorry I haven't uploaded in so long! Life just gets in the way. Anyways to all of my lovely readers (yes, I'm talking to the silent ones as well) thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I have big plans for this story. I will try and get the next chapter out ASAP. Love you guys!

~Taylor