Becoming "Forever Yours"

Ch. 6 Visible.

I hadn't run so fast in so long. The wind was whipping against my face with a fury, only further making me think about how bad my throat was burning. I wanted to stop, but my legs wouldn't let me. Not until I lost them.

"There she is!" I could hear one of Margot's trolls behind me, but I didn't stop to look. I just kept on running.

They know this way, this is the obvious way.

I booked it towards the alley, hoping they were far enough behind me not to have seen me catch the turn. As soon as I rounded the corner, I was sent flying straight to the ground after colliding with something.

"Well, ow.. Cole? Why are you-"

I stood up, not wasting any time to register the pain, let alone explain to her what I was doing. Grabbing her arm, I pulled her to the side, crouching down behind some stacked, discarded boxes that blocked the view of passerby's from one side.

"Hey, doll-" She tried to stand, but I yanked her back down.

"Don't." I kept my eyes on the opening. "They'll see you."

"I don't think it's me they're after." She then whispered to me. "Who's they?" She asked afterward, obviously confused.

"Shh!"

Just seconds later, I could hear and then see the three girls jogging past, and then the one and only, walk right on by. When I was sure her attention wasn't on the alley, I leaned back against the wall, sighing.

"Oh, I see.." She said standing, then leaned down with her arms extended to pull me up. "You know, you shouldn't have to run from them."

"It's none of your business." Was all I could come up with.

"Says the one that manhandled me into a corner."

"I-" I glared at her. "It's your fault." I grumbled, climbing over her bike to continue in my usual route.

"My fault? How the hell was that my fault?" She followed behind me.

"God," I slid my bag further up on my shoulder. "You don't ever think before you act, do you? Just like your typical new girl, needing all the attention. Why don't you just leave me alone?"

"Woah, hey!" She caught me by my arm. "That's hardly fair, I didn't ask for all the school girl craze when I started at Green Grove. It came with the name. If I could change it I would, don't ever hold it against me." She looked my square in the eye.

Something I'd said had clearly struck a nerve. She was visibly upset, I could tell by the slight shake of her hand as it still held onto me. Come to think of it, I had never seen her upset. It didn't seem possible.

"I.. I'm.. sorry." I went from angry to ashamed. "I took it out on you, I didn't mean it." I touched her hand with mine. "Don't hate me.. but I think it'd be best for us to keep our distance. School's almost out anyway, I don't need anymore friends to say goodbye to."

"Your friends will be here next year with you, right? You won't have to say goodbye to them. I'm not leaving either, we still have one year left." And there was that smile.

"It wasn't those friends I was referring to." My gaze flickered back in the direction I had come running from. "I should go."

"Hey, wait.." This time, I moved before she could grab me. "If It's them you're worried about, I'm not. No one dictates what I do or who I do it with."

"You always this careless?"

"Mm, more like carefree. You should try it sometime." She rose a light colored brow.

I chuckled. "Thanks, Gwen."

"For what?" She called out as I started off.

"For being.. I don't know, you." I smiled to myself.