Paths Cross

{8}

A few days later I paced the sidewalks in a faraway town, my stomach growling for food. There were restaurants all around me, calling my name.

Every morning, I would wake up, feel a wave of nausea, and throw up. It was probably just because of all the empty acid in my stomach. Or... was it? I hadn't a clue; I didn't know that much about health except for the common sense elements of it.

I disguised myself in a baseball cap and sunglasses someone had left on a park bench yesterday, and some old black and white Converse I'd found sitting outside a thrift store. My dress was dry now, but dirty and ratty. I looked just like... a fugitive.

Well, what could I say? It was the best disguise I'd come up with so far.

Through the display window I was walking past, a big screen mounted up on the wall caught my attention. I looked through the glass and saw the news channel on, the bottom caption reading: YOUNG MAN FOUND HELPING WORLD'S MOST WANTED FUGITIVE.

Uh... what?

I pressed myself against the glass, so I could see the screen clearer. The cameras flicked to a guy kneeling on the ground, the police jabbing his back in demand for an answer to their question: where's the girl? It was...

Jesse.

Just as I expected.

My heart started to pump so hard it was all I could hear. The last thing I wanted was for him to brought down with me for my crimes.

"Why'd you have to get yourself arrested, Jess?" I whispered to myself, fighting back tears as I watched the police handcuff him on the screen. "No..."

I lifted the compass pendant off my chest that Jesse gave me and stared at it, tears threatening to spill over again. "I love you, Jesse..."

Then I thought of Henry. What would he tell me if he were here?

Wait... what would he tell me? If he really were here?

"I won't let you be brought down by this, child," he would say, "Fight for what's right. I believe in you, child..."

I looked back up at the screen, where they shoved Jesse in the back of a police car and slammed the door on him. The tears threatened, but they didn't spill over. They didn't come.

I squared my shoulders and took a deep breath, trying to relax. Soon, this will all be figured out, I told myself. Soon, you'll be able to live the life you've always wanted along with the love of your life.

Ripping my eyes away from the big screen, I turned my back on it and started running. I was sick of running, but I did it anyway, because I needed to, and in the direction of home.