
New Life, New Love
Runaway
I got up this morning with a smile on my face. I didn't feel as ashamed as I did before when Harry had confronted me about my cuts at the party.
After my shower, I went to grab something out of the kitchen in my robe so my hair had a chance to dry.
I got back up the stairs and started looking through my clothing options. While searching, I kept thinking to myself, "Would Harry like this?" I smiled to myself as I reminisced about his beautiful facial features moving as we talked.
I smiled even wider when I remembered when he asked my thoughts on us being friends.
I got ready for school, deciding to go with something I wouldn't normally wear. I guess I wanted to leave Harry with a good impression of me. I clasped the necklace my paternal grandmother gave me. Unlike my mother's mom, this grandmother was proud of me and she gave me her necklace before she passed away. I sighed as I stared in my mirror.
My hair was almost dry. I grabbed a hair tie and was about to pull my hair into its usual ponytail, but I decided against it. I let my hair run wild around my shoulders. I almost thought about putting on makeup, but I decided against it. I grabbed my usual chapstick, balming it over my lips.
I walked towards writing class excited for what the day would hold. Harry and I could actually get along. When I walked in the door, the back row was empty and there was a seat up front that was empty. I almost went to the front until I remembered Harry and I planned on sitting together so I sat in the empty back row.
Class began and the teacher started lecturing, but where was Harry?
After fifteen minutes the door opened, Harry stood in the doorway for a second. His hair was a mess and his eyes were wild. I noticed his jeans weren't zipped up. His cheeks looked flush. I wonder where he was?
I made eye contact with him and immediately smiled, but he didn't return it. He looked at the empty seats in the back row before his eyes saw the empty seat in the front. Immediately, his feet took him towards it.
I began to frown. What was that? Why was he being so rude? Why didn't he want to sit by me?
So many questions run through my mind and before I know it the class bell rings. Harry quickly leaves the room and I am soon to follow him.
"Harry?" I call out. He doesn't stop, but I know he heard me.
I quicken my pace and am able to catch up to him. "Are you ignoring me?"
He looks over at me and something flashes in his eyes.
Shame?
"I thought you wanted to be friends with me?" He tenses up when I say this. He stops and looks me dead in the eyes. I find myself mesmerized by the captivating green color.
He looks away as he huffs. "Belle, I'm only friends with girls who can actually do something for me." He called me Belle instead of Bella. The way he said Belle sounded so cold.
"Wha-what do you mean?" I knew what he meant but the words came out of my mouth from my shock of his rudeness.
He rolled his eyes. "Friends with benefits." He quickly walks away to his next class.
The rest of the classes didn't go well. I got yelled at in the next class because I was caught not paying attention several times, and in the class before lunch Melody got irritated with me because I wasn't listening to some story she was trying to tell me. All I could think about was Harry.
Melody said she had get some things done during the lunch period, so I was on my own. I looked around the lunch room and saw several groups of people I could sit with. I began to make more friends even if I wasn't super close with most of the people. But I wasn't in the mood to talk and I wasn't in the mood to eat. So I bought a bottle of juice from a vending machine and made my way to a lone table in the back. I was about to pass against Harry's table when I heard someone say my name.
I turned around to see Nicole smirking at me. She had red marks all over her neck. I noticed Harry was sitting beside her. Louis, Niall, Zayn, and Nicole's two friends were at the table as well.
"What happened to you?" Was the first thing to come out of my mouth.
"Harry." Her eyes flashed at me.
"Oh." I gulped, embarrassed at my own ignorance.
"Nice necklace you have there." She said with a smille. She was actually being nice to me? I felt my heart rate quicken slightly from the excitement.
"Thank you!" I said with my smile wide. It came out a lot bigger than I meant it to but whatever.
She smiled back. "Yeah, it matches all the granny clothes you usually wear." She gives a sarcastic laugh and a few chuckles are shared around the table, even Harry laughed, I noticed.
I tugged on the necklace before my eyes met Nicole's eyes again. She actually was really pretty, even though she wore too much eyeliner for my liking. "You don't have to be so mean." I told her calmly. She mocked me and I saw Harry grinning as the others laughed.
I could feel the familiar sting in my eyes, but I pushed the tears back. I would not cry in front of them.
I felt a hand on my shoulder only to be met with my brother by my side.
"Hey! We forgot to tell you!"
I looked at him with a confused look. I knew everyone at the table was paying attention to our conversation.
"Dad got a call from the school back home!"
"What?" I asked confused.
"Yeah some friends of yours wanted to contact you but they said you forgot to give them your contact information."
I don't remember forgetting to give anyone my contact information.
"They asked for our address and dad gave it to them. They are sending you a package."
"What were their names?" I asked, completely oblivious.
I heard Nicole mock my voice, indicating the group was still intent on hearing Jon and I's conversation.
I gave her a glare. "What? I'm surprised you even had friends!" She said. I rolled my eyes before I focused back on Jon.
"Hmm..I can't remember." Jon tried to remember" ...oh wait, one of the names was Andrew, I believe."
I took a step back as I soaked in his words. I could feel my face pale and my fingers let go of the juice in my hand. Since I had uncapped it earlier the juice went spilling over the floor and over my clothes and shoes, but I didn't care.
"Bella?" I could hear it was Harry.
"D-did you...said..you..Andrew...address, dad gave him my address?" I could feel the tears threatening to spill over.
"Belle, are you okay?" Jon stepped forward to me as he tried to engulf me in a hug.
"HOW COULD YOU LET DAD GIVE HIM MY ADDRESS?" I screamed, forgetting everyone around me.
Jon looked slightly hurt by my words. "I didn't have control over the situation. Dad told me after he hung up the phone. What's the big deal if Andrew's your friend?"
The tears were now rolling down my cheeks. Jon grabbed my arm and I cried out in pain, my cuts still hurt.
He looked confused as he started to grab my sleeve to pull it up, but I jerked away before he could. I ran out of the lunch room, I heard several voices calling my name, Jon, Melody, Harry, and a couple others. I noticed all eyes were on me in that dreadful lunch room.
I ran and ran and ran. I didn't know where to go but I just kept running. I ran past my house and down some streets. As I started to lose energy I began to walk instead.
So many thoughts ran through my mind, so many emotions were bubbling up inside of me, but the two emotions that engulfed me were shame and fear...
I fell asleep in some forest grove area as it began to darken. I went to check the time on my phone but I realized I left it in my locker at school. I figured it was probably around 6 or 7 and my parents were probably worried, but after the show I put on at school, I couldn't confront them.
I couldn't tell anyone about the bullying. I was much too ashamed and embarrassed. Plus, it would ruin the image my parents had of me being the smiley, cheery popular girl. That's all I had for them to be proud of, I couldn't ruin that with telling them about the bullying.
*Nightmare*
Bella? I have a package for yooouuuuuuu....The voice was haunting and I knew it belonged to Andrew. He walked into my room holding a box twice the size of himself. He seemed to have an amazing amount of strength.
It opened up and my mouth dropped to see Harry and Nicole walk out naked, dripping in blood.
Their mouths attacked each other before their attention turned to me, knives in hand. They walked over as Andrew let out a maniacal laugh. Nicole began to stab me in my thighs, the place I was most self-conscious about. I let out a scream. Then she stabbed me in my stomach, another place I was insecure about. Blood was gushing everywhere. I wasn't crying, but I was in unbearable pain, from the wounds and shame.
Harry than licked his knife up and down. "This is going to be fun."
Andrew began to laugh, "Do it, Harry! I can't wait any longer..."
Harry looked me up and down before letting out a laugh. "You are so gullible, Belle." The way he said Belle was so cold. And his knife went straight to my heart.
I shot up panting and screaming as the sun blared into my eyes. I looked around at my unfamiliar setting and began to calm down.
I started to get up and began to walk. I didn't know where I was going. I didn't know where I was so I just kept walking, putting my fingers around my grandmother's necklace, my small source of comfort.
I needed to relieve myself, so I hesitantly walked over to the bush as I pulled down my pants.
I began walking hoping to find where I was. The air was cold around me, causing me to shiver.
It felt like days had passed and my legs felt like jello, but I finally saw civilization. It looked like a town center, there were shops that littered around a giant circle full of flowers and statues. It was charming.
I walked into a coffee shop, the warmth subsiding my shivers a little, and noticed that my stomach was screaming at me to put something in it. A couple stared at me, raising their eyebrows. I noticed an elderly woman sitting in the corner. She looked at me and smiled.
I stuck my hand in my pocket and hoped for the best. Nope, not a single bill.
I sighed. I had no money, I was hungry, I was still cold, I was sore, and I was lost. I had no way to find my way back home.
I walked into the bathroom, deciding I could at least wash my face.
I gasped as I looked at the girl in the mirror. My hair was a tangled mess and my face was dirty, but there were tear stains that cut through the grime on my cheeks. I washed my face and grabbed the hair tie on my wrist and pulled my hair into a low ponytail. I looked down at my clothes and noticed I had juice stains everywhere, which were now accompanied by patches of dirt.
I walked out and sat down at an isolated table. I set my head down on it and began to process what my next step was going to be. I felt a tap on my shoulders and looked up at one of the workers.
"Look, I don't mean to be rude but you need order something or leave you.' I could tell he was pissed.
I mumbled a sorry as I began to get out my seat but a hand was placed on my arm, I turned and saw the elderly woman smiling at me.
My stomach growled and her smile turned into a frown.
"Oh my! You look....hungry. Can I buy you anything?"
"Oh no, I couldn't let you-"
"Nonsense." She pushed me down back into my chair as she went to the counter and ordered a pastry and a drink.
She came back and handed me the pastry which I scarfed down almost immediately. She went up to get the drink and set it in front of me at the table. I took a cautious sip. Hot chocolate.
"Mmmmm..." I hummed as the drink proceeded to warm my body up.
"Where do you live young lady? I don't believe I've seen you around..."
"London." I lied. I wasn't sure why I lied, but I did.
"Why are you here?" Her voice was soothing, she reminded me of my grandmother. I began to play with my necklace.
I looked away from her. "I...ran away."
She nodded sympathetically.
"Why?"
"I needed to leave, my environment..it wasn't healthy." I began to sob.
"What are you planning to do?"
"I don't know."
"Do you have a place to stay?" I began to cry as she reached over and touched my face.
"Don't cry sweetheart, you can stay with me." She said through her thick accent.
After my rejecting it several times, I finally gave in.
We got up and made our way to her house. We walked, but I was relieved since it was only about a block away. We arrived inside a quaint little home.
I looked around and inhaled the scent of cookies, oatmeal, and a faint hint of a smokey fire. It was a comforting smell.
"Who else lives here?"
"Just me, but sometimes my family visits me." She said faintly. I could hear the loneliness in her voice.
She smiled up at me and led me to a door. "You can shower in here." I nodded before stepping in. I looked around the tiny room for a towel and finally found one. I immediately stripped and let the water heat up before stepping in.
I let out a satisfied sigh as I the hot air relaxed my sore muscles. I looked down at the dirt pooling in the water around my feet.
I saw two different shampoos. There was a men's shampoo and a female's shampoo. They must be for her family I thought to myself.
I, of course, took the female one and began detangling my waves under the hot water. Curiosity got the best of me as I reached for the male shampoo. I popped open the lid and inhaled the smell. I smiled. It smelled a like Harry.
I finished my shower and began getting ready, frowning that I had to put my dirty clothes back on.
I walked out and the elderly lady led me to a small bedroom with two twin-sized beds. She pointed me towards a dresser.
"There are clothes in there that my granddaughter wears when she comes over. I'm sure you'll find something to fit you." I smiled and nod.
She came into my room and smiled.
"Are there any calls you need to make?"
I probably should call my parents, but I decide against it. The thought of facing them made me want to puke.
"No."
"How old are you, dear?"
"Eighteen." I lied. If she knew I was younger she would probably prod me to go back home, and I didn't want to go back.
She nodded before leaving. I looked around the room and saw a shelf full of books.
She came back into the room as I grabbed one of them. "You are welcome to stay the night here. I have to do some more errands but I'll be back in time to make dinner. There is food in the fridge for when you get hungry until then."
I thanked her as she left. With book in hand, I began to roam the house. I sat in the cozy living room as the small fire crackled in the brick fireplace. I opened up the book and was able to leave my reality for a few hours.
------
I rubbed my stomach, still satisfied from the dinner I had a couple hours ago. I didn't even feel guilty for staying over. This was now the second night I was staying at this house and third night away from home. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go back, I knew my parents were going crazy worrying about me. But I didn't care. I was angry that my dad gave Andrew my address, even if he was oblivious. I was ashamed of my past. I was hurt by Harry's actions towards me. I was uncertain of how my parents would view me once they knew about the bullying.
I was tired of being the runt of the family. My good grades were no where near as impressive at Grace and Jon's excellent grades. I was tired of my only talent being my "kindness" when Grace and Jon received award after award for theater or soccer.
I heard the phone ring. Sally, the elderly woman, went to pick it up.
"What? A girl? Missing from his school? No, I haven't se-..................you know what, let me call you back. I have a few things to sort out." I heard her sigh as she put the phone down on a hard surface, the table I assumed.
Sally walked into my room, a frown etched on her forehead.
"I have to go to the store to get eggs for breakfast, but when I get back I need to have a talk with you." I nodded as she left.
Once I heard her car drive away, I immediately shot up from my bed. I began pacing, thinking. What was she gonna talk to me about? Who was the girl? Was it me? I shuddered at the horror.
Maybe it's time I go home, I thought. But I didn't want to leave without thanking Sally. I would wait for her to get back.
I decided to have a walk around the house. I noticed a few pictures on the wall of two children, a boy and a girl. Hmm...they looked familiar. One picture caught my attention in particular.
There was a girl with dark brown hair, her eyes were closed but she was smiling. I swear...I've seen her before. The boy next her was lying on the ground as his hands were at the girls side, tickling her I assume. His face was sideways, allowing a clear view of his left dimple. His dark brown hair was an unruly mess. The messiness somehow added to his cuteness.
I glanced over at another picture and my heart stopped.
The two siblings were in the picture smiling at the camera, but this photo was more recent than the others.
I was staring at the faces of Harry and Gemma.
Notes
Well that took a dramatic turn!
I hope you had fun reading this. :)
I'll upload later tonight if you vote, subscribe, and COMMENT what you think about the story! :)
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@AnonUserForever
Crap lol, I checked wattpad a while ago but I haven't recently. Thank you very much:)
6/28/14