Simple Manipulation

Chapter 20

With my heart pounding against my chest, struggling to break free from the stress and anxiety being pushed down on it, I continued on. I am still trying to wrap my mind around what just went down back at the park but nothing is making any sense.

Why did Derek come to find Luke? And more importantly why was he so mad?

What drove him to drink? Of course, I don't expect anything more out of him, he isn't exactly the greatest human being, but he sure is better than that.

Why was Luke saying he wants him dead?

And...why did he begin threatening me?

I shook these thoughts out of my mind and pulled myself to run faster. I quickly slipped my shoes off to run faster and felt my hands shaking with every motion of my body. My breaths were getting heavy strictly from the fear of what was happening now back at the park. I can only imagine what the two are doing now. But all I know is it isn't anything I want to be thinking about. 

I need to call the police. 

That thought rang through my head multiple times but there was nothing I could until I reach Sally. Besides, my phone is in my purse back at the park.

After what felt like ages in my mind, Drew's restaurant came into view and i could just barely make out Sally's figure sweeping in the window.

"Sally!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Sally!" Her head lifted looking up from her sweeping and I burst through the front door.

"Peyton?"

"Sally! Sally I need a phone, I need a phone now!" I cried scrambling over behind the front desk desperately searching for any ways to communicate with the police. Normally the phone is kept behind the podium at the front, but I have never been here after hours to know if it gets moved or not. "Sally where is the phone!" I screamed now at her. Her face emotionless and fixed on me.

"Peyton."

"Sally please! I need to call the police right now!" I begged now racing into the kitchen.

"Peyton! It would be no good! Drew turns off that kind of stuff at night so it stays of the overall bills to save money." She said.

"WHY THE HELL DOES HE DO THAT? DOESN'T HE KNOW THAT THERE COULD BE AN EMERGENCY AT HAND?" 

"Nobody is usually here at ten o'clock at night on a Saturday! Saturdays we close at nine-thirty and the bar isn't open. What would be the point?" She explained while questioning me.

"Cellphone. Sally can I borrow your cellphone?"

"Girl what are you needing the police for anyways?" She hit her broom on the floor and placed her hand on her hip tapping her foot giving me her "Talk. Now." face.

That's when I broke.

"It was going so well! We were feeding the ducks without having to scam the elderly, we were making bets and having little competitions! I was actually having an amazing time! But then this dude named Derek showed up. He's this kid from school who is really good friends with Luke. Or should I say ex-best friends because apparently something happened, but I don't know what that mess is. But Luke kept saying how we needed to go, we really needed to go! But then Derek grabbed me and was a total jerk throwing me on the ground, which actually hurt a lot! Then Luke tried to stop him, but Derek punched him, then threatened him, then threatened me, he smelled like he had been drinking, then he threw me again, which hurt. But then Luke told me to run to you! I wan't to stay and help but I knew I would only get in the way. So they are probably still knocking each other's brains out which is why I need to call the police!" I blurted every known fact about the previous events out to Sally who took it all in quite well. She dropped her broom and pulled me over to a table and sat me down.