Forever and Always

Chapter 15

Scarlett pulled her dark green, knit sweater over her head as the wind picked up. The few leaves left on the trees, where swaying and falling down to the sidewalk.

   She had finally worked up the courage to go back home after a few days of crashing at Renny's. She had offered to drive Scarlett, but Scarlett preferred to walk; it was only ten minutes from school. So, after school, she started walking towards the small house she had grown up in.

   As she walked, she thought about the cliff... or clearing ... that Chase and her had been going to for the past three days. Scarlett was sure her parents had received a call from the school notifying them of her absence during the first hour or two. Not that it was a surprise. Levi died two months ago and Scarlett had missed almost a month of school.

    "You should come back to school." Annie was standing in the door way of Scarlett's dark room.

  "You come and go, come and go ... your education will slip away." If Annie was trying to be comforting or motivating she was failing.

  Scarlett didn't even acknowledge her friend, she just kept typing away on her mother's laptop.

  "We're starting to work on the Christmas play, you would love it." Annie said with a smile. Annie's blonde hair was showering over her delicate shoulders, and she pushed it back behind her.

  "I'm good," Scarlett said, not looking up.

  "You've already missed quite a bit, you could try." Annie wasn't really here by choice, Jared had practically forced her to come, he had hoped Scar would listen to her ... it wasn't working.

   Annie and Scarlett hadn't spoke since the incident with Jared ... being Scarlett's "bodyguard." Which was one of the reasons Scarlett was trying her best to ignore Annie.

  "Fine ... just please come back." She was sincere this time.

  "I will, soon." Scarlett said glancing up, her amber eyes sad and broken.

  "Okay, well I hope you do ... you have a great supportive family  you know that too," Annie said.

  "I know." Scarlett replied and she did, no matter what, they had her back even though she had hurt them so badly.

  "I'll see you soon."

  "Uh-huh," Scarlett said and her fingers started clicking on the keyboard again.

  "Hello?" Scarlett walked in to the familiar living room.  

  "Scar?" Paul's voice sounded from down the hall.

  "Yeah" she said quietly. Paul's door flew open and he ran down the hall, running into her and squeezing her tight.

  She realized how tall he was, suddenly he was taller then her by a few inches, not that it was hard to do. Scarlett was the shortest in the family and had always been below everyone except her brother, who now was grown.

  "We were so worried," he said, pulling away.

  "Are Mom and Dad here?" she asked trying to side step his comment.

  "They'll be home soon," he said looking at her. "Where did you go?"

  "Places," she said, not feeling like going into detail.

  "I didn't see you at school."

  "I avoided you" she said facing the comment and being truthful about it too. She had been avoiding him, taking precaution so she didn't run into Paul.