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I woke up to the vibration of my phone on the bedside table. I sighed in distress. I already knew it was Charlie. I had spent a nearly sleepless night texting him, telling him to leave me alone. He just couldn't get it into his head that I didn't love him anymore.
I switched my phone to silent and stuffed it into my jean back pocket. I silently chewed on my blueberry bagel and pretended to listen to my father ramble on about how successful his 9 steps to happiness were. I heard him pause and I took the chance to get out of the room.
"Listen, Dad, I have to go brush my teeth" I excused myself.
"Okay, honey. Keep those chompers clean!" he said, over protectively as I trudged upstairs.
I quickly scrubbed my teeth and brushed my black hair idly. I drew in my makeup and applied mascara. I could hear the kids whispering at me. Look at her.. she looks like she's going to kill the principal... As your best friend, I'd tell you to stay away from that girl... They couldn't understand that I was different.
True, I had anger issues, but not enough to want to kill someone... well, maybe... Yes, I see the darker side of things, but I'm humorous too... although, I keep it to myself.
I changed into some jeans and a T-shirt, grabbed a jacket and flew down the stairs. I disappeared out to my bus stop without my dad ever realizing I left.
As usual, I stood hushed at the sidewalk, sitting by my bag. The bus came and I sat at whatever seat the rest of the kids stuck me with. They threw a paper ball at me and I grabbed it before it actually made contact with my head. I held it in my palms and crushed it into a tighter ball.
I saw a specific kid smiling and laughing with his friends, enjoying his moment of popularity for throwing the paper. He hadn't yet realized the ball didn't meet its target. I aimed it at his chest and launched the crumpled trash with mighty force. He stopped his chuckling and immediately felt the pain.
The bus became hushed and they stared. I smiled and turned forward. I was satisfied.
Reaching the last stop, Charlie's. My breathing nearly stopped. I looked around to see if there were any seats nearby where he could sit. Diagonal to mine, a girl sat alone. I couldn't take the chance. I speedily raced to the back of the bus for any other spots to sit... Nowhere. I was stuck.
I put up my hood and turned to the window. Maybe he wouldn't see me. It was a childish thing to do considering my dark clothes were so easily recognizable. I had no choice.
I saw his head poking out of the crowd of people climbing onto the bus. He was rather tall. Charlie was only 7 seats away. I had little time. I was doomed.
5 seats away. He was lethally close. It would only be a few moments before he was in my seat, yelling at me. "Where were you this morning? Why didn't you text me?"
My daydream disappeared as he was only a seat away. I could see him looking at me, excited. But, I was too scared to look at him. I pretended not to see him.
A kid, knowing of my difficulties with Charlie, deliberately got out of my seat and offered it to Charlie. Thanks, kid.
"Hey, babe!" He smiled as if last night didn't happen. "Why didn't you answer any of my calls or reply any of my texts?"
I didn't answer. My face was against the window, hood still up.
"Baby? Did I do something to make you mad?" He asked.
"Huh? What?" I said in a falsely tired voice. "Oh, my dad confiscated my phone this morning for texting all night." I lied.
"Oh, sorry, hun. I shoulda stopped texting after 3. Will you ever forgive me?" Charlie looked at me with an innocent face.
I was so close to bursting. Was he truly going to make me put up with this bullcrap? "It's.." I swallowed my anger temporarily. "Fine" I said quickly before the temper regurgitated back up.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
I couldn't handle it. I blew.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Char? Do you remember exactly what you were texting me last night?" Everyone was staring at the scene I was making. My hood fell off my head from the anger that shook from my core. Drops of salty tears streamed down my face, leaving light trails on my cheeks, which then slightly burned.
"Honey, what are you talking about?" he said, trying to stay out of the spotlight.
"You know what? I don't want to talk to you." I said putting my hood back up. I crossed my arms and turned away.
"Why do I get yelled at for something I don't even know I did?" Charlie mumbled, making me look bad.
As the bus made it to the school, the others started getting up preparing to leave from the scene. They would do anything to get to school and tell all their friends about the crazy killer who wants to stab their boyfriend. But I didn't care. I just wanted to get away from it all.
Charlie wouldn't move his legs, and I couldn't get out. After everyone left, he smiled slyly at me, but he didn't speak.
I gave him a confused look as if to ask, "What was that about? You knew exactly what I was talking about."
He just turned my head for me, looked into my eyes, and forcefully snuck a kiss. I tried to pull away but he held on. I slapped him upside his head and his hat fell off. He reactively let go and I just gave him my most threatening look.
He smiled evilly as he moved up and out into the aisle. I pushed him forward as he progressed up front.
When we got to the third seat, he instantly stopped, bumping me into him. His childishness truly angered me and he knew it. Not only that, he loved it.
Charlie and I finally got off the bus just as the driver pulled away. I almost got caught in the door. I ran past him, up to class.
I had gotten through my first 3 classes clean. No one did anything more than whisper and stare at me. It was then the moment I had been dreading all morning. Lunch: a time where chaos wreaked and everyone swarmed around, eating like pigs and gossiping.
I went to sit in the corner, hoping that Charlie wouldn't see me, hiding in the shadows of the others talking about me. Once someone who knows something walks into the cafeteria, the secret spreads like a virus, across the room faster than the speed of light. Knowing so, I already realized that everyone in the lunchroom currently knew about what had happened this morning, but usually with creative modifications.
By the time I had begun chewing on my crackers to when I had finished, I had heard all the different versions of the story.
The same kid who moved from his seat in order to let Charlie sit with me this morning was only a few tables away. He spotted me and his eyes gleamed with excitement. He stood up proudly and yelled, "Hey!!! It's Sara!!!! Over here!” He was pointing at me.
Everyone stared at me as the lunchroom fell silent, stifling their laughs. Charlie saw me, exactly as I was afraid of.
My eyes widened and I immediately ran. I didn't want to stop. I couldn't take it. I felt the wind hit my face as I sped down the hallways. I didn't even bother to look back to see if Charlie was following me. Bad choice. He was. But I didn't know.
I made it out of the school in 45 seconds flat, but I still kept sprinting home. I never wanted to show my face again. I had made a decision the second I began running. I would never leave my house again, not if it meant having to have Charlie embarrass me yet again. I no longer loved him. He needed to get that in his head, but it seemed impossible.
Tears, fatter than this morning, rolled down my face as I took a shortcut my bus driver was too stupid to realize was there. I made it to my house and saw my dad's car was gone. Good. I didn't need him here for this.
I ran up the stairs and flew onto my bed. Ruining my pillow with my running mascara, I laid face down on my bed. I can't see Charlie ever again. He'd just cause me more pain. Maybe if I just never saw or talked to him again, he'd maybe realize I didn't want to be with him.
My father came home and saw me, wondering what had happened. I wouldn't tell him. I couldn't. He still wanted to find out why I had been crying, but I refused to reveal the incident with Charlie.
For some reason, he had to know. But I still kept my mouth shut. He then took it upon himself to beat it out of me. It was a cruel night. I couldn't take it. I sealed my lips. It had taken all night to get him tired enough to leave me alone. What a way of caring.
The next morning, I woke up, face red and puffy. Even though I cried all night, I was determined to convince myself to suck it up. Last night was horrible.
I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes. I was prepared to lock myself in my house forever, but not ever since last night. My dad probably had regained his energy and was going to hit me even more. I had nowhere to go.
I looked down the hallway and into my father's bedroom. He was asleep. Good.
I ran back to my room, grabbing a worn out reusable shopping back and stuffed a few thousand dollars of my father's fortune from his "secret" stash into it. I then put in my pocket knife and pepper spray for safety purposes.
I headed downstairs, careful not to make any creaking noises. I walked over to the kitchen and packed some imperishable foods. I had an idea where to go, but I wasn't exactly sure where I was going to stay nor when I was going to find it, so I had to make sure I had food to live off of for a few days.
Since my insane father had a state-of-the-art security system, I couldn't just walk out the front door, but I was prepared with an exit. I slid open a window and jumped right out. I was surprised that my father hadn't locked those.
I went over to Ethan's apartment. Ethan was a friendly, weirdly cool guy who was comfortable with anyone. He was my best friend. He is one of those people everyone loves. I didn't know why, but he was okay. He dances better than Michael Jackson, jumps rope on his back and is terrible at singing the songs that he knows every word of.
Ethan and I went back for years, but ever since I had started dating Charlie, he'd stopped talking to me. Hopefully, he would still take me in. He lived by himself because he hated his parents, and wanted to declare his independence.
I went up to the front desk. "Do you know which room Ethan Reland lives in?" I mumbled.
"No, I don't. I'm just sitting here with the room assignments because I don't know. WHAT DO YOU THINK, LITTLE GIRL?!" the doorman rudely remarked.
"Listen," I said, raising my voice. "Just tell me which room he's in."
"Why would I?"
"Man, don't mess with me. Please, I'm asking kindly. Please tell me which room Ethan Reland lives in."
"No." He simply said.
I pulled his collar up to my neck. "Tell me."
"You don't scare me, little girl." He smiled.
"Oh, don't I? I said, pulling out my pocket knife, opening it up.
"Okay," he said, holding up his hands."Room 43B"
I let go of him and closed up my knife. "Thanks."
I knocked lightly on Ethan's door and waited a few seconds. I then knocked a little harder and waited a bit longer, thinking he was probably in another room or something.
Still, no answer.
I knocked again, worried and impatient. The door swung open before I could make the 4th knock, and Ethan was dressed in two towels. One on his head and another around his waist.
"Oh, it's you." he said turning and attempted to closed the door in my face.
"Ethan, what's with you?" I said, slamming my foot in between the door and frame just as it closed. "I'm running from my dad and you turn me away? You know how much of a creep my dad is." I said, shaking my head.
"Whatever." he said in a depressing voice, letting go of the doorknob. "Get comfy."
I walked in and sat onto his couch. It was ripped up wherever his Rottweiler, Brownie, could reach. She was very peaceful actually, but liked to rip things, meaning the couch.
Ethan headed lazily over to his bathroom and disappeared behind the door, but he didn't bother closing the door, knowing I couldn't see him. "So, what'd he do to you, now?"
I pulled up my shirt to show my abdomen. I walked over to the bathroom and showed him.
"Gruesome." He said with a disgusted face."But, you've come to the right place." He grabbed some pants and walked into his bedroom.
Heading into his room, Ethan disappeared for a few moments as I went back to sit on his torn couch. I played around with the Christmas hat laid on his lazily on in between two cushions of the couch. I slipped it onto my head and waited for him to come out of his bedroom.
"What's taking so long?" I asked.
"Let's just say, I need to hire a maid." he replied as I heard strange clanking from his room. He finally walked out with a jar of ginger remedy and he opened it as the aroma filled the air of the apartment. "Good for bruises. I used to use this before and after football practice for mine. Here" he said as he closed it and casually tossed it at me.
I screwed open the cap and took my middle finger and rubbed it in the orange substance. Then, I set down the jar and began tending to my bruises.
"So, what's your plan?" Ethan asked.
"Plan? What do you mean?"
"Well, are you just going to move in to hide from your dad?" he said with a puzzled look on his face.
"Pretty much. You kinda hit it spot on. But hey, no worries." I mused as I finished fixing myself up. I reached into my bag and grabbed the money. I threw it at him and he caught it expertly.
"Okay, feel free to stay," He said. "Wow, this should cover the extra food, gas bills. Man, your dad is loaded." He exclaimed as he thumbed through the wad of cash.
"Yup. Dude, this is only a small portion of the entire thing. He thinks he has the stash hidden, but I've known where it was ever since my mom died." I reminisced back into my deeper memories. "Anyway," I said as I shook the memory from my mind, "so, what are we eating tonight?"
"I'm calling for pizza. Pepperoni and Italian sausage with extra cheese?" Ethan asked.
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