lost || shawn mendes

five

• Sierra's POV•

As I jumped on the express way to leave the city and start heading East, all that kept running through my mind was, how was she able to deal with her mother that long? 

I felt my grip get tighter on the wheel thinking of what her mother put her through. 

I definitely don't have the same life at home as Rose but I've seen what she's been through, it's not something pretty. She's a really strong person to deal with something that long. And to think that in the process of having an abusive and addicted mother she lost her father. In all honesty, I don't know how any children or even young adults who can live in a household like that and not lose their heads.

I'm proud of Rose for being so strong and keeping herself on a good track. She's always been concerned about her grades and college and her life after high school. I hope that this runaway won't get to her head though.

I remember when Rose first told me about her mother. She never quite said anything bad about her, yet nothing that good came out of her mouth either. She didn't want to say anything about her. The only person I know she really loved was her father, he was always there for her. Hell, he was there for me too. He played a huge role in who I am. Before Rose and I were friends, he knew my father and acted as mine when my dad was away in the army. I owed so much to Rose's dad. 

I remember when I went to his funeral, it was the worst day for a lot of people, especially Rose.

"Why did he leave me, I have no one." She cried into my shoulder as we sat in front of her fathers casket.

"He's in a better place Rose, remember, he doesn't want you to be hurt and this sad, he wants the best for you." I whisper truthfully and tears welling up in my hazel eyes. 

She pushed the light brown hair out of her red face and wiped it of all the tears falling freely from her eyes to her nose and chin. 

"I just miss him so much" her bottom lip trembled and her breathing hitched occasionally. "he was all I had left Sierra."  She held onto my forearms and cried into my lap. 

I rubbed her back with one arm and began to cry. I kept wondering why she didn't only look sad, but she looked scared. She was not scared of the situation but of something else. Why was fear plastered on her face? 

Now I know why she was scared, she was scared of what her mother could do to her now that her father was gone. She was scared what her mother would do. She was scared that her mother wouldn't stop. And she didn't. Her mother made her the most emotional person, but she made her the strongest. No one really saw that but me. She kept her walls up very well. 

When anyone else looked at Rose, they saw a beautiful girl who occasionally smoked, drank and did most things of a young adult our age, but still cared about her future. She looked, normal. Whatever the hell that means. However, only a few knew Rose. The real Rose who delt with the gang, school, college applications, being harassed, anxiety, depression, body image issues,  dealing with heart aches, and all at the same time dealing with a crazy bitch for a mom. It wasn't easy. It couldn't have been. Not in the slightest, but Rose surrounded herself with good people for the most part. No one who disrespected her, she'd had plenty of that. 

As I stopped my train of thought, there was a tall man stopped at the side of the road next to a white jeep patriot. Being the curious human I am, I stopped behind him. Rose was moving and groaning asking why we stopped, and I told her to look out the windshield. The first thing she said was, "he looks almost as tired as me." I couldn't help but laugh, then knew I had to help this man. 

"Come on, Rose. Lets go help this guy out." I jerk my head to the side motioning for us to go. 

" I know I'm half awake, but uh this isn't a good idea" she yawns holding a finger and continues. "He could hurt us, or take us, kill us even!" she sits up getting louder. 

"Or we could help him and move on" I suggest shrugging my shoulders. 

"Fine, but I'm taking this" she pulls a hand gun out of her bag and puts it in the seam of her grey joggers. 

I shake my head slightly but have to admit that she's smart. I get out and Rose follows behind me. I was using my phone as a light since it was rather dark out. 

She runs next to me and we see him standing near the front of his car, but can't really see what he looks like until we get about five feet away from him. 

"Hey, do you um need help?" I say with my left hand on my right shoulder and my right hand pointing to his car with the hood up. 

"Well I just want to say thanks for stopping, not many cars have passed through. And yeah if you can just hold this light and this wrench." I didn't realize that he was this handsome. Although most people look better in the dark, it was clear to see he was handsome. Even though there was little light it was obvious he had chocolate brown hair and very light brown eyes with bits of gold and green, he was very tall, considering I'm tall, he was huge next to Rose. He was easily six foot. 

I had a gut feeling this wasn't the last of this guy. 

"So, where are you two from?" he didn't break the concentration of fixing the wires. 

"Chicago, you?" Rose says with her hand near her waistband, I really hope she doesn't use it. 

"Toronto, I'm heading to New York hopefully to get a job. I went to college back home." he had his bottom lip in his teeth and a look of thought.

"Cool, we're heading to New York too, a road trip you could say." Rose kept conversation going with him not moving her hand and I held the light there thinking. 

She hadn't talked to a guy since Robert did her wrong, its been almost a year. I knew she talked to Sam and Jack but she's known them for a long time, and they respect her, its not the same. She was really firm to not talk to any males after that relationship and that wasn't my place to do anything. She never told me the fully story with him. Maybe she'll tell me later? 

I ignored my thoughts and kept conversing with the two of them, it was clear that Rose wasn't so stressed, and that alone, it made me incredibly happy. 

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i hope you enjoyed this and are having a great morning, afternoon, or night. 

~ leylani