The Ruds

Chapter 3

The next day I woke up, the cuts still stinging, everywhere. I opened my eyes to see Mason sitting by my feet on the couch, Navvy on the other couch, Ty, Cash and Dylan on the floor and HiJack on the pink chair in the back. I got up and walked to the bathroom as quietly as I could, and got in the shower. The hot water stung the cuts, but also cleaned the dirt off my face. I got out and got dressed, I saw the shirt I was wearing last night, I would never be able to get the blood stains off the white T. When I got all dressed, and wrapped the towel around my hair I went out to the kitchen. Ty was sitting at the kitchen table drinking a glass of milk, "Did I wake you up?" I asked. "No this is around the time I usually wake up." He assured. "How you feeling this morning?" He asked. "I'm fine." I say. "You sure?" He asked, "Positive," I responded. "Here have some pizza." Ty slid the box across the table to where I was standing.

A little while later the others started to wake up. "Hey Faith how you feel 'in today?" HiJack asked. I didn't say anything and just stood there and tried to grab the necklace, the one HiJack gave to me eight years ago. "Wait where's my necklace?" I ask looking around. "You mean this one?" HiJack pulled it out of his pocket and held it up. We both just stood there for a minute. "Yea that's it." I said, grabbing it out of his hand. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked. "Tell you what?" Ty butted in. I had forgotten that I only told Mason about me and HiJack. "Nothing," I walked into the main room and HiJack followed me. "Faith wait," He started after me. "I don't want to talk to you." I scolded not even turning to look at him. "Faith come on... wait!" He half yelled. I walked out the screen door and down the steps.

It was January, so it was still a little chilly outside, but I didn't really notice, I almost never get cold. "Faith stop." HiJack grabbed my shoulder and spun me around, this time I stayed there. "What?" I asked. "Why didn't you tell me that you were you, that you were here. Do you know how worried I was? I went to go look for you in Greenville and when I saw you weren't there I spent the past three years trying to find you. I never should have left and I never should have waited so long to come get you." He started. "When you weren't there I thought I would never see you again and that Ruth and Harold would do something to you and I would never forgive myself, if I wasn't there to keep you safe." He continued. "I know Mason told me. I just thought if you didn't know it was me it wouldn't hurt so much... You know the night you left and I told you I would never forgive you if you left." I reminded him. "Yea I remember." He answered, after a while. "I hope we can get back to where we were, eventually." I continued. "I'd like that." He smiled.

It was getting late and since it was Friday night we had all our friends over. Zeal and Taysha came over and, so did Kaytlin, Dylan's new girlfriend and Marty and his girlfriend Kyler. They all liked me except Zeal, Navvy's girlfriend, the rest liked me just fine. "Hey, Faith," Mason smiled and sat next to me against the wall. "Hi," I started, "Where's your girl, everyone else has one." I said matter of factly. "Don't have one, never have." He told me. "Really," I was shocked at that news, at school girls always seemed to love him.

"Hey Faith, Mason, this is Kaytlin, my girlfriend." Dylan introduced her. "Nice to meet you," I smiled. She had orange hair and glasses, she had bright blue eyes and a lot of freckles. I recognized her from school, she was a Freshman and I was a Sophomore. The two of them walked away and I followed them with my eyes. "You like him don't you?" Mason joked. "Who? Dylan!" I exclaimed, he nodded. "Yea, sure." I faintly laughed. "Come on admit it, I won't tell." He said. I kinda just looked at him for a second, "I don't know." That is all I said.

We both sat and were quiet for a minute when Zeal came over. "Gross who invited the hobo!" She pointed at me. "I'm not a hobo." I told her. "Then why are you always over here?" She asked. I didn't really know what to say to that, so I didn't say anything. "What your folks nock you too hard, I asked you a question. Oh wait I forgot you don't have any parents." She smiled. "How do you know that?" I shyly asked. "Navvy told me and he also told me you bum around here all the time like you live here or something." She smirked. "Why don't you knock it off?!" Mason told her. She just glared at him and then left. "Hey don't listen to her, Navvy would never say something like that." Mason said to me. We were still sitting against the wall and I put my head on his shoulder and we kept talking for around and hour.

Everyone started to go home or go over to MT's for some food. "Would you two love birds get off the floor." Cash joked at me and Mason. "Love birds? Really?" I smiled. "What you two have been down there all night, I saw you." Cash laughed. "Whatever," Mason said getting up then helping me up. "What time is it?" I asked looking at the clock. "Crap, it's almost midnight, I got to go. See y'all tomorrow." I walked out the door