The Forgotten One

Chapter Forty Three

We kept walking and I was beyond scared. I couldn't believe we were doing this. My friends, my boyfriend, and my brother and a person I just met were helping me to escape this city. I couldn't believe it at all. I couldn't believe that Nate had planned to get me out of North Carolina, that he had planned all of this. How long has he planned this? Did he plan this when I younger? Did he planned this before I was born? I was amazed and scared at the fact that my brother had planned this for so long without telling me, I wanted to desperately ask him when he planned this but I was so weak from the bullet that I just stayed silent. 

Nate was in front of all of us, making sure that there were no cops around, as we headed towards 15th Avenue that lead to the secret tunnels. I shivered at the thought of being by myself. How could I survive without my brother? I was always so dependant of my brother that just being apart from him made me anxious. Jasper must have sense my anxiety because he looked at me and kissed my cheek. 

"Hey, it's gonna be alright," he whispered. I looked up at him as he carried me bridal style to where Nate was leading us. My friends were also being cautious as they looked around and followed Nate's signals as we silently kept walking to different streets of the city. I actually thought we were going to make it until I heard it, the siren of a police and suddenly we were all running, Jasper trying to hold me steady as we ran. We were suddenly far enough that we couldn't hear the police anymore.

"It's this way!" Nate yelled as he guided us and we were finally at the tunnel. We stopped for a second so Nate could see to where it would take me to my freedom. He was shaking as he looked down at the map and Brooke held his hand to calm him down. "We just have keep going straight, we make a right, then a left, then a right again and we're out" But then Nate paused as he looked at all of us. "No, as a matter of fact, it will just be me and Ana that will be out, you guys will stay here and forget us! Just forget that we even existed!" 

"But you said that I can go with her! When the hell did you change your mind!?" Jasper yelled out. Nate stared at him with sadness in his eyes and I knew that look. That look that Nate had already made up his mind. 

"When I decided that putting everyones lives in danger wasn't worth the risk, I'll take her and you should go! All of you!" Nate stepped towards Jasper to try and hold me but Jasper took a step back and glared at him. "Jasper, we don't have time for this!" 

"I don't want to leave her alone!" Jasper looked down at me and held me close. 

"She won't be alone! She'll be with me and I will protect her! She's my sister! I have always taken care of her!" Nate yelled back. 

"So what? You're just gonna hide her again for another sixteen years! I thought you said you weren't coming with her this time! And you expect me to stay behind and what, forget about her!? She's the love my life!" Jasper said. 

"That's not good enough, I thought I would be ready for Ana to be alone by herself out there but I can't bring myself to leave her alone! So she's coming with me and only me!" Nate tried to grab from Jasper's hands but he pulled back. 

"Jasper! Enough!" I yelled at him and he looked down at me in surprise as I tried to struggle to get down, he placed me down gently, and I held onto him for support. I looked deeply into his eyes and kissed him, I kissed him like I've never kissed him before and then I pulled away with tears in my eyes. "I'm sorry but. . . my brother is right, you need to stay here! I can't risk your life again! I just can't! Not after what happened with Rachael! I love you too much for that! So I'm leaving without you!" 

"But Tasie-" I cut him off as I stepped back from him and immedately Nate supported me. 

"I don't want you there! You will just break my heart from me fearing what will happen to you! To all of you! To all of you who love me and helped trying to escape from this place that doesn't accept me! And to the girl who doesn't even know me but helped me anyway because she loves my brother enough to do that! Thank you! Thank you so much for being apart of our lives!"I cried out. Nate made sure I was steady enough to stand for myself for a bit before he walked over to Brooke and kissed her, the only person that I've seen him truly love besides me, I heard him apologizing to her and her begging him to come with but he had shown a stern face, indicating that it was not up for discussion. Jasper reached out his hand to grab mine and I squeezed it. 

"Anastatsia, I love you! Please let me come with you!" he pleaded but I shook my head. I placed my hands on his face and smiled. 

"No Jasper, I'm done being selfish! Being selfish is what caused all of this! If I hadn't left my house, none of this would have happened," I say softly. Jasper had tears streaming down his face and hugged me tightly. 

"But if you hadn't left your house, we wouldn't have met!" Jasper said. 

"I'm sorry," I say as I took a step back from him. I looked at all of my friends and they all hugged me. I looked at Jason, Alice, Bryan, Allison, Grace, Charlie, Diana, Leo, Gwen, and Chloe and we all grouped hugged. 

"I'm gonna miss you so much," Jason said. 

"It won't be the same without you," Alice said with tears in her eyes. 

"I hope you have a good life out there," Bryan said as he fist bumped me. 

"May you have a great adventure out there," Allison signed. 

"You better not forget me out there, lassie," Grace said with her scottish accent. 

"Keep it solid out there, would ya?," Charlie smiled as he kissed my cheeked. 

"I can't believe this is happening, feels like only yesterday, we were getting mani pedis, I hope you have the best life, you deserve it," Diana sniffed as she hugged me. 

"Remember that we're always going to be here for you," Leo high fived me as he smiled. 

"I hope the stars shine brightly for you," Gwen said as she bowed to me. 

"I love you so much! I hope we can text or something! This isn't fair!" Chole hugged me fiercely and then let go of me. I looked at all of my friends and smiled. 

"Thank you guys so much!" I said as Nate walked back to me and picked me up piggy back style. He told my friends, Brooke, and Jasper where to hide until the cops weren't looking for them anymore and then kissed Brooke's cheek. 

"Let's go before the cops show up," Nate said and I nodded. He walked briskly towards the tunnel, only taking a few steps until we heard it again, the police siren. This was not part of the plan.

"Stop! We have you surrounded!" A policeman said. That's when Nate broke into a run and we all heard the policemen shouting at us. I heard my friends running away from the cops, and telling Nate to run faster. I fearfully looked back, and I saw my friends struggling with the policemen as they tried handcuff them. I saw them all fighting with them but Brooke and Jasper were nowhere to be found. I shouted at Nate to let me go, that this wasn't fair to them, that wasn't apart of the plan but Nate ignored me. We kept running into the tunnel and going into the direction that Nate was following and I pleaded with him to stop, wondering where Brooke and Jasper were and then I saw them. They were right behind us, they were going to escape with us.