Alone Together. [An OM&M FanFic]

Chapter 49: A Walk Down Memory Lane.

Hannah.

The wind outside was whipping my face with lashes of cold chains. I felt like my feet were being stabbed as they smacked the ground sharply. The cold felt like it was knocking me out and into shock, even as I walked with my head down low and my hands shoved into pockets. I had forgotten my keys, not that I really had access to them anyways, and so my cold ass was left to do nothing but trudge around like a homeless highschooler.

I started simple, making my way out of the neighborhood, and when I was steady on the side walk, I began to stand a little straighter, holding my head a little higher, and the thoughts of Jeanette, Grandma, and Grandpa's words and pity, washed away. Who cares what they think, or how they feel about MY problems. If they wanted to call me crazy, fine, have it their way. I can't wait to be graduated and leave, even if I haven't applied to any colleges that I had wanted to go to. Too late now..

I made my way out of the neighborhood finally and headed in the direction of school. I don't know why on earth someone who was choosing to run away from a terrible, overbearring home life, would run to a strict, overbearring school.

I had lots of cars pass me at speeds of 30 and up, some honking at me and some slowing to decide if I was looking for help or running from it. I was counting the cars as they passed, thinking about how long it's taken, if they've even noticed, to see I'm gone. I then started to wonder who noticed first, and what everyone's trying to do if they DO know I'm gone. I'm not too far from home already, am I?

As I rounded the corner the vibrating clutched in my fist beckoned me. I pulled it from my pocket and slowed my pace to check the notifications that were still loading up. Most were texts that were for Grandma, asking to talk to me or asking about me. Anger began to boil down in the pit of my stomach as I read on, anger that Grandma was lying and letting me get worse. All I've ever wanted was to stay in touch and talk to the guys. Does she not know how much they've done for me?

I looked up from the phone to grab onto a crosswalk pole and hold myself steady as a car zoomed past me, his finger in the air and his other hand wailing on his horn. I steadied myself when he past and tucked the phone back in my pocket till I got to a safer place to inspect.

Wrapping my hair in a bun as I neared the school, I started to regularly check over my shoulder for Grandma's van, or Grandpa's motorcycle to come for me. I came up to the student parking lot, which was fenced shut, and looped my fingers in the freezing metal. Memories of driving Matty in here and having Austin or Haylee and their usual entourage meet me outside. The rememberace of walking with a group of people who easily accepted me as me was something of an emotional hug on my heart. Now, knowing it's lost, the connection feels cracked.

I couldn't time how long I stayed there, just standing and staring at an empty parking lot like someone or something would magically appear in it's space. My phone continued to buzz in my pocket and I knew I needed a place to read through those texts, MY texts.

Eventually I forced my feet to move and my hands to let go, and I merged onto another spot I had in mind. It was a few miles in a car, so I began to mentally prepare myself for this on foot hike. I kept close to the walls of passing buildings or neighbor's porches. My hand stayed jammed in my pocket, one cluthing the phone, the other splayed against my leg for any layering of warmth. The fear of being picked up by any member of my family steered out of my mind and I focused solely on the journey down memory lane, the safe side.

Blocks upon blocks, blocks turning to miles, feet turning to ice skates to trek these miles.. And soon, I can see te top of the building. The homey dark brown roof giving off it's threatening drops, daring anyone dumb enough to climb it to do so. Austin and I were once dumb enough, but that's because he knew all the right steps to take, where to move, since after all.. It is his house.