The Red Hot Tamales

I was sitting there, getting my toe nails painted black with little pink skulls decorating them, when my phone went off. The sound the Fox and the Hound's song filled the room. The girls stopped and stared at me. Todd. I got up and ran to my phone. The silence in the room was thick enough to cut. Maria looked disapproving as I answered the phone.

"Todd." I sounded almost relieved that he was calling me.

"Hey Copper.... I didn't know who else to call, but I shouldn't have called you... I just." He sounded very distraught.

"Of course you should have called me Todd. Now whats wrong. You sound very upset." Inside I was secretly pleased that he called me and not Dehlia.

"I ran away from home." I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at the phone in shock before putting it back.

"You What? You ran away from home? Todd where are you?" I was already heading to the stairs. I mouthed to the girls that I would be back. I ran upstairs and passed the boys. They cat called me and I realized I was only in my silk night gown. I shrugged and kept going. Todd told me he was at the Willow. I should have known, thats were we go to escape. I ran out of the house and down the drive way. After promising Todd that I would be there shortly, I hung up with him and ran to the secret spot. The whole time I had mixed feelings towards Todd.

I got to the spot and I ran through the door. I ran along the pathway, the moon helping me to see where I was going. I seen Todd standing under the willow tree and ran faster. He looked up and seen me running towards him. I ran right into his arms. He wrapped his arms around me tight, and it felt so right being in Todd's arms.

"Oh Todd, I missed you. Now what happened?" I pulled out of the hug and stared up at him. He looked so... I don't know. He just didn't look like my Todd.

"I missed you too Copper. I don't know what happened. First I was being hit on by Ardie's friend, then mom and dad came in and talked to me about my grades. We got in a fight and then dad slapped me." I felt my jaw drop. I have never heard of Mr. Sherman laying a hand on either of his kids. The fight must have been bad.

"Oh Todd, I am so sorry. What can I do to help? Have you told Dehlia?" I seen Todd's face turn guilty.

"I... haven't... I haven't told her yet." He said, shuffling his foot on the ground.

"You mean you haven't even told your girlfriend that you ran from home? Why?"

"Well... No." He seemed to be trying to dig a hole with his foot. He wasn't looking at me.

"Todd, you should have told her first."

"Why? Your my best friend." He countered.

"Yes, but she is your girlfriend Todd!! You can't keep that stuff from her."

"Kind of like how you kept how you love me from me?" He countered back. He was getting angry. I was stunned for a split second, then I felt a spark of anger.

"That is different. I told you then because that was when I realized that I loved you. You could have told me that you didn't like me back instead of running away and then date Dehlia. Why did you run Todd? I could feel tears coming to my eyes. I didn't want to fight with Todd.

"I didn't date Dehlia just because you told my you loved me... I like her. A lot."

"Well you couldn't tell me that you didn't like me that way before you dated her, hell before you ran from the hotel? God, sometimes you act like a pig-headed male Todd Oliver Sherman!" I screamed at him.

"I couldn't tell you that Copper." He said. His face was no longer filled with anger. He looked tired.

"Why? Why couldn't you tell me? Why Todd?" I whispered. I could feel tears gently slide down my face.

"Because..." He started to shuffle his feet again. He stepped closer to me.

"Why Todd?"

"Because.... well... Because..." Suddenly Todd grabbed me and pulled me to him. He kissed me before I knew what was happening. I froze before I kissed him back. Suddenly Todd broke from the kiss and ran.

"Todd!" I yelled after him, but he kept on running. I stood there frozen. What seemed like an eternity later I walked back to Maria's house.

I walked in the house, the boys still playing their game. The girls were still downstairs. I walked silently down the steps. I heard Maria talking to the other girls.

"Well Cop told Todd that she loved him. But he ran, and then when Cop saw him next, he was glued to Dehlia's lips. Thats why I don't like him much." I walked in and all the girls turned to me.

"He seems to like to run." I whispered. They all looked at me sympathetically. I crawled into my sleeping bag and turned away from them. I silently cried myself to sleep.

Damn you Todd