Runaway

Chapter 5

        "What do you mean he ran away?" I ask my mother.

         "Mrs. Matthews sent out a search team for him and his friends, but they can't find them anywhere near the area."

        This news hits me like a gunshot from behind. Julian. The Julian I had adored for years nowhere to be found. The Julian who had teased me and Crystal gone, maybe never to be seen again. I had to find him, because I don't know what I would do without our constant teasing and his sparkling eyes looking down on me from his ridiculous height. Well, it was ridiculous to me, considering I was almost a full foot shorter. I remember my mom is standing right there still, so I reply to her.

        "How far out have they looked?"

        "Almost to the border of the next town. And it's highly unlikely they've ran much farther in that short of a time period."

        "Well what else could've happened to them?" my mother doesn't even respond because we both know some other things that could've happened. They could've been captured or even worse. They could've been killed. No, they couldn't have been killed, that's way too far fetched. We live in a woodsy area, and they could be hiding in one of the densest areas. That's probably what. They'll be back by tomorrow, no doubt. But even with that, I couldn't help but worry. The woods could be dangerous too.

        My mother walks out of my room, but I barely acknowledge her. I had to go and try to find him, and I was going to do that tonight.

        My brain is a mess of mixed emotions and ideas on just how to escape are swirling through my head. Like an angel, Crystal calls me and interrupts my worries. I answer almost immediately.

        "What the hell were you thinking, hanging up like that? First you admit you like someone who I thought you hated for years, and then you tell me he ran away just like that?"

        "Listen, I'm sorry ok? It all came as a shock." there's silence for a while as Crystal's processing this information.

        "Are they looking for him?" she whispers.

        "They have been. They looked all around the town, but there's been no trace of him and it'd be impossible to run much farther." Crystal then asks the question I knew was going to come up eventually.

        "Is Logan ok?" this would infurate me, but hey, I'd kept my crush on Julian a secret, so I owed this to her.

        "I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty confident they found him and the rest of the gang." there's another silence.

        "Maybe he's in the woods somewere." she suggests. I wanted to keep my plan a secret, but I couldn't much longer.

        "I'm going to find him.

        "Briana!" she gasps, "that's absolutely insane, you can't do that! Your dad's the sheriff!"

        "I know, but I have to."

        "No, you don't have to. He's never done anything but tease you all your life."

        "But don't you see, I like him-no, I love him and I need to find him."

        "You...love him?" Crystal asks, her voice shaky.

        "Yes, I do." those three words took more confidence to say to Crystal than it probably will to say a different three words to Julian himself.

        "Still, that doesn't mean you actually have to go after him. He's insane to run away and you don't know where he is or what he could be doing."

        "Julian is just a person who made a mistake. We all make mistakes, some big some small, and all mistakes have one thing in common. They can be forgiven and I'm more than ready to forgive Julian because I know he's a good person. And hopefully once I find him I can convince the rest of the town that too."

        "You're insane." she says, "insane with incredible reasoning skills. And a nice vocabulary. I'm not saying that this idea of yours is a good one, but I think that you could help him. And do you want to know a secret?"

        "What?"

        "I've shipped you and Julian for years." before I could even react, never mind respond to her she hangs up and I'm left to put my plan into action.

        It seems like years before my parents finally go to sleep. I creep out of my room with a backpack filled with food (lots because I don't know when I'll find Julian) and water, and all of my money, which luckily was a lot due to my recent birthday. Now I had to focus on how to escape. One of the downsides to having your dad be a sheriff is he has eyes and ears like a hawk. One of the downsides of living in my house is my parents room is on the way to the front door. I do one last check to make sure my parents are sound asleep, and though it's embarrassing to admit, I trek down the stairs on my butt. Yes, my butt. It makes less noise, okay? Anyways, I make it down the stairs alright and I'm finally at the front door. Was I really about to do this? Was it worth it? Yes, it was. Anything for Julian was worth it. Julian, where are you?

A/N: Happy Holidays!!! It's Christmas Eve for me right now and tbh it doesn't feel like it at all. Anyways, my gift for you was a cliffhanger, I hope you enjoy it:) (that was sarcastic) In all seriousness, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and feedback is always appreciated (but hate isn't) I hope you have a safe holiday season and see you in Chapter 7!!

-Isabel