Run Away From The Pain

Stow Away

"Guys, meet Alex." Steven pulled me onto the tour bus, and grinned wildly. "She's a stow away. She'll be tagging along with us on the tour, until we reach New Jersey."

I looked across the bus, and realized I was standing before rock legends. Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, and Brad Whitford, all gave me very quizzical looks. 
Joe's dark eyes met mine, and I instantly was filled with fear. I tensed up, and backed up, right into Steven. 

"Don't worry, darling." Joe smirked. "We don't bite.... hard." He winked.

"Awe, Joe! Look how terrified she is! Leave the poor thing alone!" Joey gave me a warm smile. "This'll be fun, you being on tour with us!" 

"Great! Another groupie." Tom chuckled.

Brad just gave me a quick smile, but didn't say much. 
Steven pushed me along, and sat me down on the plush seats of the tour bus, right next to Joe, then took a seat next to me; sandwiching me inbetween the two. 
I looked over to my left, and saw Joe's dark eyes boaring themselves into the side of my head. He gave me a wicked smile, and chuckled a bit. 

I instantly stood up and walked across the bus, to sit on a seat in the far corner, far away from everyone else. 
"Joe! God damn it, you scared her!" Steven smacked his arm

"What.... What did I do?!" Joe exclaimed in retaliation. 

I sat in silence, looking out the window, and thought over everything that just happened.
I can't believe I was doing this. I should've just left his dressing room when I had the chance. Maybe... Just maybe, being dead would be better than living in the constant fear that He would find me.

A while passed before someone came over and sat by me. 
I didn't bother to turn my head, and look to see who it was. I just wanted to go home. I didn't have to converse with any of them, I just had to sit on a bus for a few months, waiting until we reached New Jersey. 

"Hey... Alex..." Joe said, with a very apologettic tone. "I'm sorry for freaking you out earlier... I didn't mean to."
I tried my hardest to ignore him, but he sounded so hurt, so defeated, that I caved. I turned to him, and saw him with his head bowed, looking down at his lap. 

"I don't mind.... It's just....." I sighed. "It's been a long day. I just want to get home as quickly as I can." 

"I understand." He smiled, and placed a hand on my knee. I flinched, and pulled away at the touch. 
"I.... I'm sorry... did I-"

"No.. No it's fine." I stuttered. 

"Do you want me to sit here and keep you company, or do you want to be alone?" He sighed.

"I need some company right now... I've been alone for the past few years, so I could use it." I half heartedly smiled. "Let's go sit by the band." 

He grinned, and we got up, walking over to where everyone else was sitting. 

"Ahhh, she's back!" Joey chuckled. 
I smiled and took a seat at the small booth built into the wall, next to Steven, who put an arm around my shoulder. Again, I flinched at the physical contact, and shrugged his arm off of me. 
This earned me some very wary looks from the rest of the band. 

"Well someone's got personal space issues." Brad snickered.
Steven shot him a serious look, and he instantly got quiet. 

"Don't worry, babe. You'll get over them reaaalllyy quickly, while we're here. After all, you're going to be living on a bus with 5 guys for the next few months." Tom laughed, as Joey, Brad, and Joe all joined in. Steven chuckled a bit, but didn't fully laugh, hoping he wouldn't offend me

After the laughter died down, there was an awkward silence looming over us. 

"Sooo...." Brad whistled. The first time I've ever heard Brad Whitford speak, and it was just a very awkward drawn out sound. "Where are you from, cutie? Tell us your story!"

"I don't have one." I shuttered. 

"Oh come on... A gorgeous girl like you has to have some kind of story to tell us." Joe smiled at me, with his brooding dark eyes. 

"Yeah! Story time!" Joey chuckled. I swear, he's just a big kid. 
Steven gave me a wary look.

"My story, is for me to know, and for you to find out." I snapped, sounding a little more harsh than I had expected. 

"Ouch..." Joe was taken aback. 

"That's okay..." Tom snickered "I like mysteries."

I rolled my eyes, and got up from the table. I walked into the little bathroom that was at the back of the bus, and quickly locked the door behind me. 
A thousand emotions were swirling around my mind, but for some reason, the only thing on my mind was the fact that Joe had called me gorgeous. Was I really? I never thought so. 
I looked into the little mirror at my complexion. 

I had long and wavy chocolate brown hair, which pooled down to my waist, and long fron bangs which came down to my eyes. 
The ony thing I've ever like about myself, were my eyes. They were a stranged mix of Jade and Gold, though sometimes they seemed a bit more green, while other times, they seemed more gold.
My mother always told me that I could make entire cities crumble ubnder my gaze; that I had the most piercing eyes a human could possibly have.. She was right. No one could look directly into my eyes for long periods of time. Even I couldn't look in the mirror for too long. It scared me. 

My make-up wasn't ever really thick, usually just a small amount of eye liner and some mascara to redefine my already extremely long and thick lashes. 

I was very lanky, and didn't have much of a figure, so I couldn't see what guys liked about me... especially him. 
I didn't have a body that guys would crave, so I never understood why he wanted to kidnap me, and do all the horrible things he's done. There was no reason for it. 
I was also covered in a tremendous amount of scars, and bruises. All over my legs, and arms there were scars of cigarette and cigar burns. The remnace of knives were left on my thighs, as well as bruises. Many, many bruises. On my forearm was the perfect imprint of a hand, which left purple and yellow splotches of dicolored skin. I pulled my long sleeves down over my bruises, and made sure the holes in my jeans didn't show any scars. 
I shuttered at the memories, as tears swelled up in my piercing jade eyes. 

No. I will not do this. I will not cry. Yeah, what happened to me was horrible, and terrifying, but I won't dwell on it any longer. All that matters now is that I'm free. He can't get me anymore. I'll call the police the moment I get back to New Jersey. 

Why am I so stupid?! Why didn't I just call them while we were still at the venue?!
I stormed out of the bathroom, and right up to Steven, and pulled him to the back of the bus so I could speak to him.

"I don't know why I didn't think of this before?!" I hissed to myself. "Why am I so stupid?!" 

"What?" A concerned look was burrowing their way into Steven's eyes. "What's wrong, Alex?"
I looked up, directly into his eyes, looking for the words to say. Moment's later, he looked down, unable to hold my gaze. 
"Don't do that... Your eyes... they..." He paused, looking back up to me. "It's like they pierce right through me." He looked at me, quizzically. 

"My mother used to tell me that all the time..." I sighed. "But! I need to get to a phone! I need to call the police! I don't know why I didn't think of it back at the stadium while he was still in there!"

"Shit! You're right!" He gasped. "What's his name? When we get to the hotel, we'll use the phone in the room to alert the cops, and they can track him, and arrest him."

"His nam-..." I paused... "I'm not sure.... I... I heard it once.. I think It's Richard... But I'm not sure of the last name.. I didn't even know where I was. I saw his mail, once, when he wasn't home. He left a paper in the room that was I was locked in, but I didn't get a close enough look at it, because he took it away when he realized what I was doing." I blinked back more tears. 

"Don't cry.. You're too pretty for that." Steven smiled and reached out to hug me.
I backed up several inches, wary of his feeble attempt to comfort me. "Come on.. It's just a hug. I'm not gonna hurt you." He gave me a faint smile, though he was clearly hurt that I couldn't trust him. 

"I......" I sighed, and wiped the tear that was rolling down my cheek. "I'm sorry. I just can't." I sighed and walked back to the front of the bus, where everyone else was.