Running From Lions
017
It was the day of Xavier’s mom’s party and Alex had been out with Xavier all day but I’d covered for him saying he was with me so his dad didn’t get angry with him.
“Rory come down to the park,” Alex said as I answered the phone and he hung up straight away so I went down confused.
I walked in to see them sat on the bench.
“What? I asked as I got level with them, Alex pointed to the small brick building .
“What?” I asked and he rolled his eyes.
“Go look behind it,” he said and I walked off with them following a distance behind me. I looked around the end and saw my brother sat on the floor hugging his knees to his chest.
“We’ll stay here,” Alex whispered and I nodded as I walked towards him.
“Jonah,” I said and he looked up.
“Someone gave me this the other day,” I said holding out his wallet and he took it from me smiling.
“Thanks, where did you get that?” he asked and I smiled.
“Craig and apparently he wants something back in return,” I said.
“She’s gone back as usual,” he stated, I wanted to sit next to him but I wasn’t sure it was safe.
“You can sit down you know,” he said an I nodded sitting down but keeping my distance. I noticed he’d been crying.
“What’s the matter?” I asked and he shook his head.
“Okay well if you need anything,” I said standing up and he grabbed my wrist making me jump.
I stared in panic as to what he was about to do as he pulled me towards him but relaxed as he hugged me, it’d been years since he really hugged me.
“She’s back,” he whispered.
“Who?” I asked without thinking.
“Her, I saw her yesterday. She spoke to me, what am I supposed to do Rory. She’s all I ever wanted and she’s back.”
“Talk to her,” I suggested and he shook his head hugging me tighter.
“She won’t listen, I loved her Rory and she just left me, I did everything for that girl but it wasn’t enough and now she’s back. She told me she wants to meet up with me, what does that mean?” he asked crying again.
“Maybe she wants to talk to you?” I suggested.
“What if she says what I don’t want to hear?”
“Surely it’s better than not knowing, Jonah she just walked away from you when you needed her, just be careful this time,” I warned him.
“I did everything she wanted, I changed who I was just to make her happy,” he whispered.
“I know and you shouldn’t have changed for her, Jonah go and see her but don’t let her mess around this time. If she wants to be with you again then that’s great but don’t expect to get everything you want,” I warned him and he nodded.
“Thanks,” he said letting me go.
He looked at me and smiled.
“Come home, mom and dad have been worried,” I said and he nodded as he looked round at the bottle on the floor.
“Maybe lay off everything before you meet up with her?” I suggested and he looked at the bottle and nodded.
“Come on,” I said walking off and he followed.
“I’ll see you 2 later,” I said to Alex and Xavier as I walked past and Jonah followed with his head down.
We walked home together and I noticed him pull his hood up to hide himself.
“You know you should be more careful with your wallet,” I said trying to start a conversation.
“Why?”
“Well Craig brought it back and he scared the life out of me,” I admitted.
“Did he hurt you?” I shook my head.
“Sorry, do you want to do something tonight?” he asked.
“I can’t I’m going out somewhere but tomorrow night I can,” I suggested and he nodded.
“Rory!” someone shouted and I saw Jack walk towards us.
“Are you still coming tonight?” I nodded as he kissed me.
“Who’s this?” Jonah asked.
“It’s Jack you met him before, Barakat,” I offered and he nodded.
“I remember, so you’re going out with him tonight?” I nodded.
“You 2 are dating?”
“For over a month,” I said.
“Well thanks for telling me,” he stated.
“You weren’t home, sorry,” I offered and he smiled.
“Well it’s nice to meet you Jack,” he said shaking Jack's hand.
“You too and I’ll see you later,” Jack said walking off.
“He seems nice,” Jonah said as we started walking again.
“He is nice, we’re home,” I said and he nodded as I opened the door.
“Rory come down to the park,” Alex said as I answered the phone and he hung up straight away so I went down confused.
I walked in to see them sat on the bench.
“What? I asked as I got level with them, Alex pointed to the small brick building .
“What?” I asked and he rolled his eyes.
“Go look behind it,” he said and I walked off with them following a distance behind me. I looked around the end and saw my brother sat on the floor hugging his knees to his chest.
“We’ll stay here,” Alex whispered and I nodded as I walked towards him.
“Jonah,” I said and he looked up.
“Someone gave me this the other day,” I said holding out his wallet and he took it from me smiling.
“Thanks, where did you get that?” he asked and I smiled.
“Craig and apparently he wants something back in return,” I said.
“She’s gone back as usual,” he stated, I wanted to sit next to him but I wasn’t sure it was safe.
“You can sit down you know,” he said an I nodded sitting down but keeping my distance. I noticed he’d been crying.
“What’s the matter?” I asked and he shook his head.
“Okay well if you need anything,” I said standing up and he grabbed my wrist making me jump.
I stared in panic as to what he was about to do as he pulled me towards him but relaxed as he hugged me, it’d been years since he really hugged me.
“She’s back,” he whispered.
“Who?” I asked without thinking.
“Her, I saw her yesterday. She spoke to me, what am I supposed to do Rory. She’s all I ever wanted and she’s back.”
“Talk to her,” I suggested and he shook his head hugging me tighter.
“She won’t listen, I loved her Rory and she just left me, I did everything for that girl but it wasn’t enough and now she’s back. She told me she wants to meet up with me, what does that mean?” he asked crying again.
“Maybe she wants to talk to you?” I suggested.
“What if she says what I don’t want to hear?”
“Surely it’s better than not knowing, Jonah she just walked away from you when you needed her, just be careful this time,” I warned him.
“I did everything she wanted, I changed who I was just to make her happy,” he whispered.
“I know and you shouldn’t have changed for her, Jonah go and see her but don’t let her mess around this time. If she wants to be with you again then that’s great but don’t expect to get everything you want,” I warned him and he nodded.
“Thanks,” he said letting me go.
He looked at me and smiled.
“Come home, mom and dad have been worried,” I said and he nodded as he looked round at the bottle on the floor.
“Maybe lay off everything before you meet up with her?” I suggested and he looked at the bottle and nodded.
“Come on,” I said walking off and he followed.
“I’ll see you 2 later,” I said to Alex and Xavier as I walked past and Jonah followed with his head down.
We walked home together and I noticed him pull his hood up to hide himself.
“You know you should be more careful with your wallet,” I said trying to start a conversation.
“Why?”
“Well Craig brought it back and he scared the life out of me,” I admitted.
“Did he hurt you?” I shook my head.
“Sorry, do you want to do something tonight?” he asked.
“I can’t I’m going out somewhere but tomorrow night I can,” I suggested and he nodded.
“Rory!” someone shouted and I saw Jack walk towards us.
“Are you still coming tonight?” I nodded as he kissed me.
“Who’s this?” Jonah asked.
“It’s Jack you met him before, Barakat,” I offered and he nodded.
“I remember, so you’re going out with him tonight?” I nodded.
“You 2 are dating?”
“For over a month,” I said.
“Well thanks for telling me,” he stated.
“You weren’t home, sorry,” I offered and he smiled.
“Well it’s nice to meet you Jack,” he said shaking Jack's hand.
“You too and I’ll see you later,” Jack said walking off.
“He seems nice,” Jonah said as we started walking again.
“He is nice, we’re home,” I said and he nodded as I opened the door.