Runaway

Chapter 3

After Nathan finished talking to his mother, I was warmly taken in by the Barnes family. Apparently his father, William Barnes, gave piano lessons privately and occasionally gave lectures at universities. His mother, Beth Barnes, owned a semi-successful bakery, resulting in their excessive amount of money. I was still stunned at the fact that they had accepted me so easily. 

What on earth was wrong with these people?

"Hey, don't just stand there. We're making dinner and mom wants you to join us." Nathan said, while poking me on my shoulder. I grinned, and walked over to the kitchen. His mother had already started on the casserole, and she waved me over to the counter, where a huge pile of potatoes were stacked on top of each other. 

"Sweetheart, I need you to peel and bake these potatoes, okay? Today's dinner is going to be amazing! You haven't lived until you've tried my sweet potato casserole." Beth excitedly waved me over to a mountain of potatoes. Why she would be excited about potatoes, I'm not sure.

Once we finished preparing the food (which took forever) Nathan led me to what I assumed was the dining room. I was stunned by the unnecessary largeness of it, but what really got to me was the enormous dining table that was sitting smack in the middle of the room. It was made of glass and decorated with various beautiful plates and silverware. I couldn't fathom spending so much money on forks and spoons. They were delicately painted with swirls of gold. 

"Your parents get this much money from piano lessons and bakeries?" I asked, still gaping at the room.

"Yeah, I told them that the table was overkill, but they insisted." Nathan let out a laugh. He pulled out a chair for me, and told me to wait as Beth and William came out with the meal. I stared in shock at the crazy amount of plates and bowls that now covered the table, the casserole being in the center. I had never had a meal like this before, and to be able to eat it with an actual family made me tear up a little. Beth gave me a smile and held onto my hand. 

"So, Heather. What exactly is your story?" William asked me, as he served himself some salad. I choked on my casserole, not really expecting that question. Then again, I guess William would want to know why a random girl was eating with his family. Screw it, it's time for my sob story.

"My mother died while giving birth to me. Her body was incredibly weak even before the pregnancy and my birth only made it worse. My father became a drunk and bada bing bada boom, my life was ruined as soon as it started. For the past 17 years, I've dealt with his abuse and neglect, but I decided that I was better off without him. So, I ran away. With no plan and barely any money. That's probably the shortest version of my story I can think of." I said. 

It was hard to feel bad for myself when sadness was all that I knew. When beer bottles and punches were part of my everyday life. Ugh, this is why I hate talking about myself. It only dampens the mood. 

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. It must have been so difficult for you." Beth looked at me with her pity-filled eyes and gave a sad smile. I shook my head. 

"No, it's not your fault. You guys are probably the nicest people I've had the good fortune to meet. Thank you for everything you've done for me. I really appreciate it." It wasn't an exaggeration, either. Whenever I went to school, the kids there seemed to love picking on the weird emo girl. While they weren't outright hitting me or shoving me into lockers, they still went out of their way to make me aware of their hatred towards me. 

"Well, you're welcome to stay as long as you need. Whatever you want, don't hesitate to ask for. My house is your house." William assured me. I thanked him and we continued eating our dinner, albeit slightly awkwardly. Once everyone was done, Nathan and I cleared the table and let Beth handle the dishes after she forcefully insisted that we go and "bond." 

Nathan led me to the guest room, which *surprise* was huge. I couldn't help myself as I excitedly walked over to the bed covered in fluffy pillows and an extremely soft blanket. 

"Tomorrow mom said that we'll go shopping for clothes. In the meantime, here." He tossed a pair of grey sweatpants and a white shirt towards me.

"I know that they'll be big on you, but just bear with it for one night. They're really comfortable. Anyways, I'm going to go to sleep now. Shopping with mom usually takes about four days minimum." I laughed, and quickly got into the clothes he gave me (after he walked out obviously). 

I turned off the lights and curled up into the small mountain of pillows with the blanket. I couldn't believe that today had actually happened. Maybe life was finally turning around for me.