Runaway

8

"Everybody ready?" Riker asked as he layed his phone on the center consul of his car.

Everyone nodded.

Riker pressed the call button.

I held my breath as it rang.

"Hello?" A deep make voice answered.

All five of us froze.

"Hello?" The guy repeated, slightly annoyed.

Riker was the first to findhis voice, "Uh- hi- i was just-"

"What are you doing?" A muffled female voice asked on the other end.

"Your phone rang, "The male voice said nervously.

"That doesnt mean you answer it!" the female voice ot closer and shuffling on the line told me the phone was being handed over, "hello?"

My breath halted. I couldnt recognize the voice when it was far away from the phone but now i knew for sure. Riker and i exchanged an unsteady glance before i spoke up, " Mikayla?"

If i didnt know better i would say i could hear her heart stop, but her voice remained steady, "Yes?"

"Come on, kay, " the sound of her voice was breaking down my walls and making my desperate. Despereate for her touch. Desperate for her smile. " dont act like you dont recogniz my voice."

"Am i supposed to?" Her voice was breezy but i could hear light shutffling in the background. She was buisying herself; distracting herself.

"Dont do this Mikayal. Its ross. Your best friend."

she paussed fro a split second too long, "I dont know a Ross."

"i suppose next your going to say you dont know a Riker?" Riker interjected.

"Or a Rocky?"Rocky added.

"or a Rydel?" Delly asled on the verge of tears.

"Im sorry, " Mikayla said with a little too much emotion, " but no."

"What about me? Ellington?" Ell jumped in.

"No... Sorry."

A door opened on the other line.

"uh- i have to go. Im sorry im not who you thought i was." The line went dead and the little comfort i had gotten from her voie disappered.

Im sorry Im not who you thought i was.

I dont know a ross.

Her words kept running through my head.

Rydel grabbed my hand. Her girl sense must have told her I was on the verge of a breakdown.

"Well that was..." Rocky's voice trailed off as he realized there was nothing positive to say about it.

Riker sighed," if it helps at all, Ross, it sounded like it hurt her to lie to you."

I shook my head," if it really hurt she wouldn't have done it."

Everyone was silent as tears slowly poured out of my eyes.

"She doesn't even want to be found," I whispered through my tears.

"Maybe..." Ellington didn't finish his sentence.

"Maybe what?" I sniffled before meeting his eyes.

"Well... Maybe you should just let her go." He finished.

All my siblings looked at him with wide eyes.

"W-what?" I stuttered.

"Look, if she doesn't want you to find Ed. Maybe you should stop trying..."

"So you're saying I should just GIVE UP on my BEST FRIEND?" I spoke every word precisely.

"I-I'm just s-saying that-"

"No, I know what you're saying. You're saying you don't think she wants me. You're saying she ran away from me. You're saying that I Should just give up on her because she's never going to feel the same way about me that I feel about her," my voice rose with every sentence.

"Ross he wasn't saying any of-"

"How do you know he wasn't, Rydel?" I yelled at her.

Se shrunk back in her seat. She's not used to me yelling at her.

"You know what Ell? Maybe you should just get out," I said quieter.

"W-what?" He asked shocked.

"Maybe you should leave," I said pushing him up against the car door.

"Woah, Ross, stop it," Rocky held me back.

"Let go of me!" I yelled as I fought against my brother's grip.

One of his hands slipped and I pushed Ellington against the door again and used my other hand to pull the handle. Our brown haired friend fell out of the car backwards. I climbed over his body as he lay helplessly on the parking lot asphalt.

"Ross! Get back in the car!" Rydel scolded me through her open window.

I shook my head," not until he leaves."

"He's not going anywhere," Riker said from his spot behind the steering wheel.

"Fine," I sighed," then I'll leave."

I started walking away, ignoring my sisters calls to come back.

"Rydel, let him go," I heard Riker say," he needs space."

"But when will he come back?" She asked, tears dripping from her words.

I cold picture Riker shrugging, "when he finds what he's looking for, I guess."