Changed For The Better

Reunited Properly

I'm glad Ryan was going to be okay and I'm over the moon that he didn't hate me and was happy to talk to me still. It would have been the worst if he had started giving me the silent treatment. There would be no point in him being back really.

"Ok, so you know all about me, and Chloe guess. But I want to know what happened to you"

"What do you mean?" I asked as I rested my arm over his shoulder from where I sat beside him.

"Marie you ran away, again!"

"Oh yeah that"

"Yeah, that. Marie this is massive. This is the second time and we were all so worried"

"We?"

"Yeah. I was worried too. I was worried sick"

"But how did you know? I left my phone behind"

"You're not the only one with my phone number(!) And you left it behind deliberately?!"

"Well yeah"

"Why? We couldn't get in touch with you! I tried calling you and calling you but it kept going straight to voicemail! Then when I get here and find out you don't even have it with you? And now you tell me that it was on purpose?! How do you think that makes me feel?"

"Im sorry Ryan. But I didn't want you to find me again using that tracker thingy."

"But we thought...well...anything could have happened to you"

"But it didn't. And I'm here now"

"Thank goodness for that. Anyway, where did you even go?"

There was no point in lying to Ryan. He can always see straight through me so if I lied it would only make me look worse.

"First, I went nowhere. I just got on a random bus and went to a random town. When I was there, I just, found a place to sit. It was raining and dark and I didn't know where I was. But then this boy came to me. He was called Clive. He took me to this house where him and a bunch of other lads lived. It was abandoned, like it was trashed and there was no electricity or anything."

"So you stayed with strangers? In a squat?"

"Well, yeah I guess but it wasn't as bad as you're making it sound..."

"Have you told Luke?"

"Well, no..."

"Marie you need to tell him."

"No I don't. It's none of his business"

"Well it is. He is here to look after you and keep you safe. I'll admit, he failed miserably. But he has to know Marie. It will have to go on your file if nothing else"

"No!"

"But Marie.."

"I said no Ryan. I'm not having them put another dodgey report on my file"

"Since when have you cared about your file?"

"Since...well..since..."

"Since what?"

"Since...just now! Ugh it doesn't matter. Look, I'm not telling Luke. Or Mai Lee for that matter. End of"

"But.."

"And you won't tell them either! Promise?"

"I promise" he said rolling his eyes.

"Good" I finished.

"Now I have other questions"

"Really? Do I have to answer?"

"Yes"