My Life is Far from Free

chapter 3

I barely slept that night, instead I stared off into the darkness. It hides so many secrets, I couldn't help wonder how it holds them all. Questions filled my head making it hurt. How could it not explode with every breath drawn, with every word spoken, every truth and lie and, every secret? How many secrets can one person hold? How many lives differ from what they tell or appear? How many people are not who they say they are? How many lies have been told to keep a cover. It is like everyone is spy, trying to protect their covers while living in a world thats not their own. I wonder how many people around me are hiding their identities? Now, I must protect myself, I must hide my own identity. I never can show any emotion, I can never trust anyone around me. I must never trust anyone. i must get my revenge.

In the morning I woke up late. My father was gone already at work. I figured he was probably a workaholic since it was a Saturday and no one likes to work on weekends. I walked to the kitchen and found the fridge. I grabbed a drink and turned to be facing Jeff. He looked tired and had bags under his eyes but still was cute. "I am going for a run." I stated walking past him. " I'll come with you" He argued. I just sighed, "Look, you don't have to. It is just a run through the woods, five miles, thats it."

He looked impressed that someone like me would go running and said "I like to run" so i shrugged and headed for my room to change. I grabbed my shorts and a tank top and put them on. I looked over at my worn out shoes and frowned. They had holes in them and were no longer able to run in. "I will just have to go barefoot" I told myself. I walked out of my room to find Jeff already, we walked out of the house and Jeff cautiosly looked around and locked the doors. He looked down at my feet and smiled. "Where's your shoes?" he asked me and i smiled back. "I am going barefoot"I informed him and he laughed. His laugh lightened my anger a little, it was so sweet. "Come on!" He yelled walking down the street, and I did. I followed him down the road and asked "Where are we going? the woods is that way." I pointed to the other side of the street and he smiled. "I am getting you some shoes to run in." My jaw dropped and he laughed.

We made it to the store in ten quick silent minutes and He bought me some new Adidias shoes. He got the green awesome pair so i settled with blue. He gave his old shoes to a man on the street that looked homeless and I sighed in awe. "I don't get it." I blurted on our way through the woods. "Get what?" he asked. " I know you don't want to be here, i know I am not all that great to hang around with, but why are you being so nice to me? You must be mad that you have to waist everything you learned to become a policeman to be a teenagers babysitter." he didn't look at me or show any expression. He just kept running and dodging trees. I stopped running and he did the same. "Do you think I did it?" I asked. He looked at me straight in my eyes. Something happened when he looked at me, it wasn't like everything else, it was like he was looking at me. The real me.  

"No, I don't" he was telling the truth. I could feel it, it was like i have known him for a very long time. I liked his honesty. "How fast can you run" He asked me. I smiled and replied, "We'll just have to see, won't we?" I ran away from him and he followed, catching up to me. "You run pretty fast' He remarked and when I was about to say thanks he stopped me and said "For a girl your age."  I frowned and he laughed.

When we got home I went to the fridge and grabbed two bottles of water; one for Jeff and one or me.  He sat on the couch in the living room and sighed. He was sweating and so was I. "That was fun, I like running." Jeff annunced. "I do too. I run everymorning if you want to join." He nodded and took a sip of the water. I sat next to him and looked at the clock on the wall. Ten o'clock, great. I have the rest of the day to do nothing. Wait a minute, I have an idea

"Do you know how to fight?" I asked Jeff. He gave me a confused look and nodded. "Can you teach me?" He looked at me cautiously and asked "Why?" 

"Well", I said "If someone is coming after me, or if I am in some sort of danger I want to know how to protect myself. You know, incase you aren't here." I tried the best sweet little girl look i could hoping he would buy it.  He took a while to answer and finally agreed. "We will start tomarrow. We will work in the woods so you will have to get up early" he ordered. I nodded, agreeing to the plan.