Status: Read, Stay with me... Please!
Look at Me
14.
2: AM
Was he really surprised where he’d ended up?
No.
Where else could he go?
Where else was safe?
Hayden looked at the empty field and then he looked at the house. There was still one light burning brightly on the second floor. Her light. She was awake. What was she thinking? What would she say?
“You could tell me you know if…if you did something bad or if something bad happened to you…”
***
Terry hugged her arms protectively around her midsection and looked at the clock. It was almost 2:00 in the morning. Kevin was long gone.
She looked at the girl sitting on the end of her bed and said, “You should really head home Terry. Your mom’s probably freaking out right now.”
Terry made a face and said, “I’m not leaving you alone. There are way too many sharp objects in this house.”
Paige laughed, but it sounded a little hysterical even to her. She wiped the black rivers of mascara hastily off her cheeks and said, “Don’t be stupid. I’m not THAT upset.”
“Bullshit,” Terry said quietly. Her eyes lifted and Paige saw the real concern in them.
“Terry,” she almost shouted. “I don’t even know him. Not really. Why should I care that he ran off like a goddamn psycho?”
Terry’s eyes lowered and she bit her lip. Then she said, “That’s what I’m worried about. I mean I’d expect you to be mad, but this isn’t mad Paige…It’s more then that…”
Paige felt the stinging sensation of tears as she turned away. For the first time ever she really didn’t want to talk to her best friend about something, because for the first time in her life nothing made any sense.
When Hayden ran away, it had felt…wrong. It felt like there was something more happening. And instead of telling her, he had just taken off. She had followed, but he had just kept running. What was he running from? Or what was he running to?
“Paige, he’s just a crazy ass guy who probably forgot to take his medication. This has nothing to do with you!” Terry finally blurted out in her customarily tactless way.
Paige looked at her and smiling weakly she asked, “How is it that that you always seem to know what I’m thinking?”
Terry walked over and pulled her into a bone crushing hug.
“I’m you’re best friend,” she said. “What do you expect?”
Paige hugged her back and said, “You want to call your Mom now and tell her you’re spending the night?”
“Yeah,” Terry said and she headed toward the door. Then she turned and asked, “Where’s you mom?”
“In Chicago, she’s supposed to be flying in tonight.”
“Kay, I’ll be right back.”
Terry had been gone for maybe five minutes when she heard her yell, “Holy shit. Come here Paige!”
Paige ran out of her room and met her friend on the steps going downstairs.
“Ok,” Terry said so fast it was hard to keep up, “I heard something scratching at the back door when I went to use the phone and I went to check. Guess what it was!” Without giving Paige time to respond, Terry gushed, “That dog! The one you said ran off!”
She grabbed Paige’s hand and dragged her through the living room and into the kitchen. Sitting obediently by the door was a black German Shepherd. Paige stepped slowly over and crouched down on her haunches in front of him.
“Hey Babe,” she said softly as she ran her fingers over his fur. “I guess you decided to come back to me.”
***
As she spoke, Hayden noticed the way her eyes started to shine in an over bright way. He watched her bite her lip to hard and then she said it.
“I guess you decided to come home.”
He looked straight into her patently honest eyes and at that moment he would have told her everything. He would have given her his secrets and prayed she would take them. He would have finally broken the silence he’d been choking on for so long.
It was too late to worry about her thinking he was a freak. Hauling ass across her backyard had kind of made him one already. So he would tell her…but there was one problem.
Terry. There she stood, arms crossed and gawking, looking at him in that, Does it have rabies way.
“What in God’s name is on its fur?” she finally muttered leaning closer.
Was he really surprised where he’d ended up?
No.
Where else could he go?
Where else was safe?
Hayden looked at the empty field and then he looked at the house. There was still one light burning brightly on the second floor. Her light. She was awake. What was she thinking? What would she say?
“You could tell me you know if…if you did something bad or if something bad happened to you…”
***
Terry hugged her arms protectively around her midsection and looked at the clock. It was almost 2:00 in the morning. Kevin was long gone.
She looked at the girl sitting on the end of her bed and said, “You should really head home Terry. Your mom’s probably freaking out right now.”
Terry made a face and said, “I’m not leaving you alone. There are way too many sharp objects in this house.”
Paige laughed, but it sounded a little hysterical even to her. She wiped the black rivers of mascara hastily off her cheeks and said, “Don’t be stupid. I’m not THAT upset.”
“Bullshit,” Terry said quietly. Her eyes lifted and Paige saw the real concern in them.
“Terry,” she almost shouted. “I don’t even know him. Not really. Why should I care that he ran off like a goddamn psycho?”
Terry’s eyes lowered and she bit her lip. Then she said, “That’s what I’m worried about. I mean I’d expect you to be mad, but this isn’t mad Paige…It’s more then that…”
Paige felt the stinging sensation of tears as she turned away. For the first time ever she really didn’t want to talk to her best friend about something, because for the first time in her life nothing made any sense.
When Hayden ran away, it had felt…wrong. It felt like there was something more happening. And instead of telling her, he had just taken off. She had followed, but he had just kept running. What was he running from? Or what was he running to?
“Paige, he’s just a crazy ass guy who probably forgot to take his medication. This has nothing to do with you!” Terry finally blurted out in her customarily tactless way.
Paige looked at her and smiling weakly she asked, “How is it that that you always seem to know what I’m thinking?”
Terry walked over and pulled her into a bone crushing hug.
“I’m you’re best friend,” she said. “What do you expect?”
Paige hugged her back and said, “You want to call your Mom now and tell her you’re spending the night?”
“Yeah,” Terry said and she headed toward the door. Then she turned and asked, “Where’s you mom?”
“In Chicago, she’s supposed to be flying in tonight.”
“Kay, I’ll be right back.”
Terry had been gone for maybe five minutes when she heard her yell, “Holy shit. Come here Paige!”
Paige ran out of her room and met her friend on the steps going downstairs.
“Ok,” Terry said so fast it was hard to keep up, “I heard something scratching at the back door when I went to use the phone and I went to check. Guess what it was!” Without giving Paige time to respond, Terry gushed, “That dog! The one you said ran off!”
She grabbed Paige’s hand and dragged her through the living room and into the kitchen. Sitting obediently by the door was a black German Shepherd. Paige stepped slowly over and crouched down on her haunches in front of him.
“Hey Babe,” she said softly as she ran her fingers over his fur. “I guess you decided to come back to me.”
***
As she spoke, Hayden noticed the way her eyes started to shine in an over bright way. He watched her bite her lip to hard and then she said it.
“I guess you decided to come home.”
He looked straight into her patently honest eyes and at that moment he would have told her everything. He would have given her his secrets and prayed she would take them. He would have finally broken the silence he’d been choking on for so long.
It was too late to worry about her thinking he was a freak. Hauling ass across her backyard had kind of made him one already. So he would tell her…but there was one problem.
Terry. There she stood, arms crossed and gawking, looking at him in that, Does it have rabies way.
“What in God’s name is on its fur?” she finally muttered leaning closer.