One Word

Chapter 11~ Crying On A Staircase

Mason’s P.O.V.

I ran and ran and ran until my legs couldn’t support me and I had no idea where I was. My lungs were burning and I swear I had twisted my ankle somewhere along the way because it looked suspiciously swollen. I had forgotten to put on shoes and my bare feet were filthy and black.

I swept my blonde hair out of my eyes as I searched for a place to be my refuge. I saw an outdoor staircase and sighed in relief. Twilight was just starting which meant that darkness would soon occur and I was starting to feel stupid for running away. I examined my ankle, which was continuously turning more black and blue and almost cursed out loud. It was just my luck to run away and severely hurt myself. I am so pathetic.

Pain shot through my ankle and a tear slipped down my cheek. If I could write, now would be one of those times I could write a really good poem about how stupid I am. I reached into my pocket thinking I was smart enough to do something right, but no. Nope. I’m not even smart enough to bring my phone. Tears now flooded down and drowned my vision. I thought about how dumb Jeremy must have thought I was. I had just confessed my feelings to him. OUT LOUD! Now he was going to leave me because that’s what he does. He said he changed… but I didn’t believe him, I couldn’t. How could someone like me end up with someone like him?

I cried out and immediately covered my mouth with my hands. If someone heard me crying that would be embarrassing.

“MASON?! Where are you?” I heard a deep voice scream.

“Yea, come on Mason, I don’t want to walk any further in these heels!” yelled a high-pitched, cynical voice right after. Jeremy and Anny! I smiled to myself as I recognized my friend’s voices. I heard the clicking of high heels come closer and I tried to get up to meet them. Obviously, I had forgotten about my ankle because I quickly fell over while yelling out in pain.

“Mason! My poor baby, what happened to you?” Anny cooed as she rushed over to help me up. I shook my head and pointing to my ankle. She winced and pulled me up to her, giving me a bone-crushing hug.

“For a sixteen-year-old boy, you really don’t know how to take care of yourself,” Jeremy pointed out with dismay. Anny growled at him before continuing to look me over for injuries.

“Don’t insult him! If it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t be like this,” she said while glaring at Jeremy. He proceeded to pout and I stifled a laugh.

“Well at least we found him,” he shot back. Her glare became ice-cold.

“Yea we found him. HURT!” Anny screamed at him. I knew she would have attacked him if she weren’t holding me up.

Guys stop fighting I told both of them. Jeremy nodded at me and sighed.

“Mason is right, we need to stop fighting and get him to a hospital,” he replied.

A hospital? Nuh uh, no hospital I cringed. Anny hugged me tighter.

“Mason, I know your mom works at the hospital, but you have to go,” Anny told me in a reassuring voice. I shook my head. She’d make it so no one would help me. A tear rolled down my cheek.

“Well, it looks like we’re going to have to carry you,” Jeremy said with a grim face. Anny nodded slowly while grinning devilishly.

“You mean you have to carry him,” she retorted. “I can’t walk very well in these shoes.” She stumbled around to show him what she meant. I sighed. I knew exactly what she was up to. Anny could walk perfectly in heels, scarily good in fact. She was trying to get him to be the hero to save me so I would like him. Jeremy didn’t, however, perceive her bad acting skills and grumbled about how inconsiderate she was. He lifted me up into his arms and hugged me to his chest and walked away continuing to grumble.