The Lonely Streets

9- You saved me

You Saved Me

"Alright guys, Sunny and I are just going to pop out for an hour or two for a quick catch up. You'll be okay?" I asked Tiffany more than Hyoyeon. She nodded with a smile and returned to her seat next to her new friend. I was glad the two were getting along, Tiffany managed to let their conversation flow despite her nervousness, I felt like a proud mother.

"Okay, let me show you how to set it up" Hyoyeon said, motioning for Tiffany to get up and go to the TV. I nodded my head to the door and Sunny and I left them to it. I hoped Tiffany was going to be okay, Sunny noticed my nervousness and chuckled.

"Hey, she'll be fine" she reassured me as we walked out of the apartment complex and started down the icy street. "I've told Hyo not to touch her or make her uncomfortable...she'll be perfectly fine" she smiled.

"I hope so" I sighed.

"You like her don't you?" Sunny smiled and linked her arm with mine, cuddling up to me as we strolled along.

"I like her as a little sister or a friend. Nothing else" I replied. "She's too young anyway"

"Not really" Sunny shrugged. "There are couples with thirty years between them, you and Tiffany have...what, five? That's nothing"

"Maybe it's nothing if she was in her twenties, she's still a kid" I protested, not really liking where this conversation was going. Sunny left it at that so instead I told her all about how I met Tiffany and where she came from.

"Damn" Sunny exhaled once I had finished. "Poor kid's been through a lot."

I know, but I'm try..."

Sunny's ringtone interrupted me. She let go of my arm and I could see Hyoyeon's name on the caller ID before Sunny brought it up to her ear. I watched as her smile turned into a worried look before her eyes rested on mine. The last thing I heard was Hyoyeon shouting through the phone "You need to get here now!"

I ran, I had never run so fast in my life. We were a mile away from my apartment and due to my lack of fitness and short legs, I managed to get there in fifteen minutes. A stitch was throbbing against my waist but I didn't care. As soon as I reached my door, I knocked and knocked until Hyoyeon answered.

"Where is she" I demanded, storming into the living room and not seeing Tiffany there.

"She's in the coat closet" she replied, almost above a whisper. She was scared at the tone of my voice.

"Why the fuck is she in the closet Hyo! Open it!" I shouted, watching as the confident girl before me shrunk at my outburst.

"I can't, it's locked" she replied

I rushed over to the coat closet and tried the handle but she was right, it was locked. I looked around for the key and saw it on the ground, it had broken off while inside the lock. I held it up to Hyoyeon's face and she backed away so I threw it at her in anger.

"Tiffany?" I asked through the door only to be surprised when a loud and strong knocking ensued, making my face flinch away. I could hear her sobs.

"Please!" she begged from the other side. "Let me out!"

"Tiff babe it's okay, we'll get you out okay, just calm down" I replied, I was wondering why she sounded so scared, it's just a closet...then I finally remembered.

The orphanage, the small and dark room she was locked in many times, she was terrified of it...fuck.

"Please tell me the light is on in there" I asked Hyoyeon but she didn't answer, didn't even raise her head. "You stupid fucking...!" I stopped myself before I got too mad. I heard the desperate banging from behind the door again and held my head in my hands, what could I do?