Never Alone || Fourtris

Chapter 27

Left, left, right, left, left, right, right. I try to recall the turns and pathways the car took while getting to the groves. Everything looks the same, all in pitch black. The light on the small phone is no help and its probably below zero degrees outside. I cry to keep my face warm, hot tears stream down my face, but its not much of a challenge to cry, Whats there not to cry about. Strange noises appear from every corner and my heart beats a little faster each time as an inhale of the cold burns my lungs.

My hands look like the hands of a child playing in the snow, not listening to their mother to put gloves on. It January and the nights are still as cold as when November started. I don't remember Chicago being this cold. When I was little, my mother would take me to the ice skating rinks when my father wasn't home, she would buy me hot chocolate and let me play with her hair as I sat on her lap in the horse carriages. All that ended, when my father mad mother smoke pot with him and she forgot all the fun things we used to do. 

The small feet supporting my heavy weight collapses on the ground and I huddle into a ball. How can I be this stupid? To go with these people I don't even know and expect them to be my friends. The only friend I'll ever have is Christina and I have to tell her I forgive her, no matter what because I'm being an idiot for not taking fault in some of this myself. I agreed to help, I can't take this out on Christina. 

A small snap of a branch comes from the back of me. I stop shivering and start to build a bit of fear and curiosity inside me. I manage to get off the ground and look into the oblivious night. 

"Hey!," I barley scream, as my voice crack from the cold. 

Maybe this is the end of being alive. If there's something there, I can tell it to kill me right there and then, that would be easier for all of us. It coughs and the fear that was building up goes away and is replaced by secureness. 

"Beatrice!," it, no not it, he, screams. 

"Tobias!? Did you follow me?," I ask. 

He appears out of the shadows with a huge blanket in his arms, quickly wrapping them around me. 

"Thank goodness I finally found you. Its really dark outside, I thought I was going to lose you," he says, keeping me warm, and guiding me to where I assume his car is parked. "You know..no matter where you go, who you're going with, and why you're going..I'll always find you." 

"Im not worth looking for Tobias," I say, managing to ignore the pain of my dry throat. 

His hands graze across my shoulders and he stands in front of me. I can see a glimpse of his eyes as he looks into mine. 

"You're worth everything..and more," he says, in his softly quite voice. 

I slowly nod and he picks me up, running to the car. I laugh a little and regret it, my throat burns. He puts me down on the passengers side of the car and I get in, snuggling inside the blanket. 

"Time to take you home...Prior." 

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"That was not cool loofus! Not cool," Andrew says angrily. 

"I know...I was just mad and everyone and everything that I thought It was better for me to make new friends, and start a new life..but I was wrong," I say. 

"You're damn right it was wrong!," he says. 

"Andrew, calm down. I agree, it was not okay for her to go out like that, but she paid for her own consequences and hopefully she learned something from it," Natalie says, turning towards me as she says the last sentence. 

" I realized something while I was suffering hopelessly in the groves...I realized that you're more than Natalie and Andrew. You're my parents. Parents are those you miss and want to run and turn to when times are tough, and I didn't realize that feeling has been inside me all this time. So now, you're no longer Natalie and Andrew, you're mom and dad," I say, trying to keep the tears from spilling over. 

They don't say anything, but stare and smile. Natalie immediately hugs me and Andrew joins in a few moments after. 

" And I know that whatever punishment you want to give me, I can take it," I finish. 

"We're not going to punish you...this time. But next time you pull something like this or anything worse, just know that not everything will be forgiven automatically," Natalie says. 

"Get some sleep loofus...we have a big day tomorrow," Andrew say.

I stare at him confused, but do what he asks. What does he mean by big day tomorrow? The question doesn't leave my mind as I lay down for bed and try to relax. 

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Beatrice. Beatrice. Beatrice. Beatrice! 

I wake with a startling call of my name. Andrew and Natalie stand above me, with their eyes on the verge of popping out. I furrow my eyebrows and sit up from the bed, looking at them confused.

"We have good news!," Natalie says. 

"What is it?," I say wide awake now. 

"You get to spend the whole day with Caleb today!," she says, nearly jumping of joy for me. 

I stare at them like I have no idea what they're saying and their smiles turn into frowns.

"Are you not excited?," Andrew asks. 

"No..I am! But....why all of a sudden? Not two weeks ago did Caleb's mom not want me to see him," I say. 

"Well, you're going to be seeing him, under their supervision," Natalie says. 

"Of course," I say. 

Natalie slightly nods and tells me to get ready. They both walk to their room and wait for me to get ready. But I couldn't get ready, a part of me gave up trying to fight for Caleb and the other part of me is filled with joy. Caleb was the only person I wanted to be with forever, but a burden is coming between us and I'm to weak to fight it. 

I get up from my bed and stand in front of the closet, examining the cloths that hang on the hangers and the shoes that lay beneath them. I sigh and shake my head, knowing that Natalie and Andrew don't have a chance to win Caleb..ever. 

I know its been a while, and this must be a shitty chapter, but the next one will be better.