Quoting Nolan

«Surrender»

«Quoting Nolan»

-Chapter Five» Surrender-

It happened again.

Should Austen blame her? Daniel hadn't stopped calling for days? Even at the latest hours of the night the phone would ring. It's understandable that Vanessa would get stressed, or annoyed, or frustrated. Anyone would.

Perhaps, calling Austen a "mistake" was going too far. But another slap? Austen just doesn't know anymore, she really doesn't.

At least this time she can identify the reason for the violence.

It's only ever him, Daniel, he's the one who causes it. He takes the happy dory and he twists it into something that has Austen running again.

This time though, she didn't plan on going to the library. This time she wanted complete freedom, even if only for a little while.

She wasn't escaping.

No, it was different. She was- giving up.

"I surrender." Austen whispered to herself, burying her bare feet further into the wet sand. "I'm done."

Austen pulls her knees up to her chest and takes a deep breath. Anyone could tell the difference between fair and unfair, Austen knew which end she stood at.

I guess it's not all that bad, she's not living in a dangerous environment or poverty. She's not completely alone, she's not an orphan. She's not starving, she's healthy. Perhaps Austen shouldn't whine at all. Everything was fairly fine.

Fairly Fine.

«««« Nolan's POV »»»»

Austen didn't come in to the library at all today, which Nolan found very odd. Over all the days that he had written to her or admired her, she had always been here. But neither her bright eyes or fiery locks stepped foot into the building at all on this particular morning.

Should he let this worry him?

Should it matter?

Maybe she's ill?

Yeah, she probably was.

Nolan found himself nodding to himself, as if debating his own thoughts. The classic angel on one shoulder and devil upon the other, whispering thoughts into his ears.

Feeling stressed and confused and slightly overwhelmed by said whisperers, he made his way towards the front desk.

The loud 'plonk' his novel made when it hit the wooden counter caused his aunt to flinch and turn from her computer in surprise. When she spotted him, Julia relaxed and paused her typing away to raise an eyebrow at the boy.

"What's up Nolan?" she asked her nephew carefully, noticing the mixture of emotions on his face.

"Have you seen her?" He asks, knowing instantly that Julia would know of the girl he was talking about. The only girl he would ever talk about.

"Not today honey, it's already twelve and she hasn't been in, odds are she won't now. She's never here in the afternoon." His aunt replies, her hazel eyes casting to the clock on the wall, signifying that it was, in fact, 12:01 pm.

"She's always here though,-"

Nolan's speech is cut off by the library phone calling. Julia raises a finger to quieten her nephew before answering, "Hello this is St. Tides Local Library, how may I help?"

Nolan rolls his eyes and leans against the counter, waiting for the phone call to end. But his aunts long pause of silence intrigues him, he lifts his head to find her eyes narrowed and eyebrows furrowed. Like she's concentrating on everything that she's hearing, but her facial expression is hard and firm.