I Never Told You What I Did for a Living
Escape
I've changed my mind. I'm not as okay as I thought.
"Lily, you're not leaving!"
"I need to see him! I need to make sure he's okay!"
"If you leave, you won't come back!"
The screaming that filled my house had been going on for nearly an hour, and there was no end in sight. I couldn't believe that my mother was this stubborn. I guess that this is where I get it from.
"It would be easier to come back if I had my car."
"No, Lily. You're staying here and that's final!"
"No, Mom, I'm going and you can't stop me."
"Watch me," she challenged. "You're grounded. Go to your room."
My jaw dropped. I hadn't been grounded since I was twelve. How could she do this?
I spun around and obeyed. I locked the door behind me and turned on my stereo, cranking the volume just to make her mad. It wasn't long before I heard her banging on the door, yelling at me to turn it down.
"What's that? I can't hear you over the music!"
I saw my opportunity and I took it. While she was preoccupied with the locked door, I slipped out my window. Lucky for me, there was a lattice on the side of the house that I was able to climb all the way down to the ground. I had slung my bag over my shoulder and dashed across the lawn. I ran for about three blocks before stopping and taking out my phone.
"Hello?"
"Mikey, can you come get me?"
"Where are you?"
"I'll meet you at the corner store on 50th Street, okay?"
"Um, sure. Lily, what's going on?"
"Just be there. I'll explain later."
I hurried to the store and waited on a bench outside for what seemed an eternity. When Mikey finally pulled up, I hopped into the passenger seat eagerly. He didn't move the car, only sat, staring at me.
"Did you do something you'll regret?"
"Probably. But it had to be done. I need to see Gerard."
"Lily-"
"Just drive," I commanded. "I'll tell you everything on the way."
He put the car into gear and pulled into the street. He remained silent the whole time, listening to my story. I realized that he was frowning by the time I was finished.
"You shouldn't have run away. Things are looking just like they did last time."
"But this time I'll go back. I just need to see him, then I'll go home. I promise," I added, when he opened his mouth to protest.
We arrived at the hospital, and I rushed to Gerard's room.
"Lily!" he was shocked when I entered. I ran to him and he pulled me close. "What are you doing here?"
"No secrets this time," I announced before plunging into the same story I'd just told Mikey. "But I'm going back tonight. I just needed to see you," I finished.
He nodded. "Okay. I would argue that you shouldn't have come, but I'm just so glad that you're here!"
We shared a kiss, and I felt electricity flowing between us.
"I don't ever want to leave again," I murmured softly.
"You've got to," he pointed out. "The last thing I need is an angry mother coming after me and injuring me even more than I already am."
I laughed. "Well, the accident never disturbed your sense of humor."
I lay beside him on the hospital bed, just as I had before, and we talked. Our conversation was light and random, neither of us wanting to talk about anything serious just then. Before I knew it, two hours had passed.
"I should go."
He said nothing, only nodded. Mikey was waiting for me when I left the room. He drove back to my house, definitely breaking a few traffic laws to get me there faster. I said a hurried goodbye and climbed the lattice to my window. I could no longer hear my music, but I knew that the CD had ended long ago.
As I hauled myself over the window ledge, I saw her. My mother was standing in my room, arms crossed, watching me. I was so shocked I nearly lost my grip and fell backwards. With no other options available besides plunging to my death, I finished pulling myself inside.
"It looks like I need to take more drastic measures to keep you here," if looks could kill, my heart would have stopped ten times over by the stare she was giving me.
I am so fucked.
"Lily, you're not leaving!"
"I need to see him! I need to make sure he's okay!"
"If you leave, you won't come back!"
The screaming that filled my house had been going on for nearly an hour, and there was no end in sight. I couldn't believe that my mother was this stubborn. I guess that this is where I get it from.
"It would be easier to come back if I had my car."
"No, Lily. You're staying here and that's final!"
"No, Mom, I'm going and you can't stop me."
"Watch me," she challenged. "You're grounded. Go to your room."
My jaw dropped. I hadn't been grounded since I was twelve. How could she do this?
I spun around and obeyed. I locked the door behind me and turned on my stereo, cranking the volume just to make her mad. It wasn't long before I heard her banging on the door, yelling at me to turn it down.
"What's that? I can't hear you over the music!"
I saw my opportunity and I took it. While she was preoccupied with the locked door, I slipped out my window. Lucky for me, there was a lattice on the side of the house that I was able to climb all the way down to the ground. I had slung my bag over my shoulder and dashed across the lawn. I ran for about three blocks before stopping and taking out my phone.
"Hello?"
"Mikey, can you come get me?"
"Where are you?"
"I'll meet you at the corner store on 50th Street, okay?"
"Um, sure. Lily, what's going on?"
"Just be there. I'll explain later."
I hurried to the store and waited on a bench outside for what seemed an eternity. When Mikey finally pulled up, I hopped into the passenger seat eagerly. He didn't move the car, only sat, staring at me.
"Did you do something you'll regret?"
"Probably. But it had to be done. I need to see Gerard."
"Lily-"
"Just drive," I commanded. "I'll tell you everything on the way."
He put the car into gear and pulled into the street. He remained silent the whole time, listening to my story. I realized that he was frowning by the time I was finished.
"You shouldn't have run away. Things are looking just like they did last time."
"But this time I'll go back. I just need to see him, then I'll go home. I promise," I added, when he opened his mouth to protest.
We arrived at the hospital, and I rushed to Gerard's room.
"Lily!" he was shocked when I entered. I ran to him and he pulled me close. "What are you doing here?"
"No secrets this time," I announced before plunging into the same story I'd just told Mikey. "But I'm going back tonight. I just needed to see you," I finished.
He nodded. "Okay. I would argue that you shouldn't have come, but I'm just so glad that you're here!"
We shared a kiss, and I felt electricity flowing between us.
"I don't ever want to leave again," I murmured softly.
"You've got to," he pointed out. "The last thing I need is an angry mother coming after me and injuring me even more than I already am."
I laughed. "Well, the accident never disturbed your sense of humor."
I lay beside him on the hospital bed, just as I had before, and we talked. Our conversation was light and random, neither of us wanting to talk about anything serious just then. Before I knew it, two hours had passed.
"I should go."
He said nothing, only nodded. Mikey was waiting for me when I left the room. He drove back to my house, definitely breaking a few traffic laws to get me there faster. I said a hurried goodbye and climbed the lattice to my window. I could no longer hear my music, but I knew that the CD had ended long ago.
As I hauled myself over the window ledge, I saw her. My mother was standing in my room, arms crossed, watching me. I was so shocked I nearly lost my grip and fell backwards. With no other options available besides plunging to my death, I finished pulling myself inside.
"It looks like I need to take more drastic measures to keep you here," if looks could kill, my heart would have stopped ten times over by the stare she was giving me.
I am so fucked.