Hiding

Chapter 1

"Scarlett don't forget to take your medicine every morning" my mother warns me as I ready myself to leave the place I've called home for the 19 years of my life. I can't help but smile at my mother's nervousness.

"Mom, don't worry. I'll take my medicine." Just as I finished speaking her mouth opens once again. "And yes Mom. I will call you when I land." I say with a smile. I look over at her only to see tears forming in her hazel eyes. 

"I can't believe that you're actually going to New York." She wipes under her eyes and forces a laugh. 

"Scarlett? Earth to Scarlett? You there?" I focus my vision only to see my best friend Cara waving her hand infront of my face. I swat her hand away and stand from the chair I was sitting on and fix my apron. 

"Sorry. I zoned out again." I say as I make my way back behind the counter of the bakery.

"What is Miss Scarlett Montgomery day dreaming about this time?" she teases. 

I give Cara a glare and grab a tray of  vanilla cupcakes and set them down on the countertop. "Hey Cara? Which icing would go better with vanilla? Buttercream or chocolate?"

"Oh no. You're not gonna change the subject on me. Seriously. You looked deep in though. What were you thinking about?" she nudges me lightly and leans onto the counter. "And totally buttercream." I mumble a thanks and ignore her questions. The last thing I need right now is to have another one of our 'family talks' at work. 

Once I'm finished icing the cupcakes, I bring them out to the front and put them in the display case. Today has been a very slow day for this bakery. One of the slowest I've experienced since I started working here 3 years ago when I first moved here. I grab my phone and start scrolling through Instagram while waiting for a customer to walk in. Before I know it my phone is out of my hands and in Cara's

"Now," she slides my phone into the pocket of her apron,"you can have it back after you tell why you've been zoning out alot lately." I don't answer her and just stare back at her. After a few seconds she raises and eyebrow at me and I sigh. 

I whisper and look down at my hands, "I've been thinking about home and my family okay?" I can feel Cara's glaze on my but I can't work up the strength to look at her. All I can seem to do is stare at my icing stained hands. 

When I finally look up I see Cara moving a chair next to mine. She sits and studies my face before she speaks. "Scar, do you miss home?"

"No. Of course not. This is my home." I gesture around us. "I don't miss anything from that hell hole, besides my mother."

"You never really told me why you left anyways. When I first met you, you told me you were here to start over. I understand that but if it were me I wouldn't move from Louisiana to New York to start over. I'd just move a little farther from the town I was living in. Don't think that was a little extreme?"

"Cara. I moved far away for a reason." I snapped. I look at her and she looks shocked. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get angry. It's just something I don't want to talk about." I quickly apologize.

She stands and tosses my phone in my lap then starts to walk away and I hear her mumble, "It's fine."

_____________________________________________________________________________

 My walk home from work was just like every other day, other than the fact that Cara wasn't with me. She told me she was going hang out with some friends at a bar and I was welcome to come but I turned down the offer. I walk to Cara and I's appartment, which takes about 15 minutes, and took a shower. I was sitting on the couch in my pajamas watching The Perks of Being a Wallflower when I heard my phone ringing. I stand up and walk to the kitchen. I see my phone on the island and grab it to see who's calling.