How to Save a Life

Emily’s Point of View

I was half asleep when I felt the truck stop again. I could hear him to turn me. His jeans made a rubbing sound against the soft seat. But I was to tired to move my eyes in his direction. In to much pain to turn to him. My feet and hands hurt so bad. Honestly, I’m regretting ever trying to make an attempt to try and escape. It wasn’t worth this. The pain was to much. Where did he put those pain pills? I need them.

I felt his arm wrap around my waist, pulling my to the back seat. Nicking my head against the head rest. It hurt a little but, but I was able to ignore it. His hand was automatically smoothing out the hair that covered my head. Trying to make it feel like he had never hit my head against it.

“Oh whoops sorry.” He smirked. Pulling open the window to the truck bed topper. Slipping us inside it. Which did take a little work, maybe a minute or two. But was really surprised me was that I found it to be made up just like a giant bed. “I use to sleep out here when my parents were ticked off at either one another or myself. I think it’ll do for tonight, we really don’t think we have any other choice.” He pulled back the thick comforter. Revealing on of those padded things you put under your sheets to make the bed easier to sleep in. They reminded me of an egg carton. Actually it seems like this will be nicer then the cot I’ve been in for the last year. “Please tell me about your life.”

“What do you want to know?” I whispered. Nuzzling the side of my face into the pillow he shoved under my head. He slipped under blankets, to close to me for my taste really. Sure I was able to kiss him if I planned it carefully through, but this was just to much for me right now. I can’t sleep with him this close to me.

“Tell me about school.” He demanded. An arm resting over my hip. I began to tense up. How could he think it was okay to be this close to me? He knew how much he still frightened me, why couldn’t he give me at least a little space. It’d be nice to be able to think things through when I am alone. I’ve never really hung out with him this long. It was quite odd to say the least.

“What’s there to tell? Little loner girl with an iron fist. That’s it.” I whimpered. He sort of got the picture then pulled his arm off my hip and rested it between us. My heart began to beat normally again. Now, he just needs to not attempt that again. Then I’ll be happy. I think just because he did that I might not be able to sleep at all tonight. I’d be to scared.

“Let me guess, you refused one of the jocks and they ruined your new start.” He sighed. Watching me nod. All I did was refuse a date because I knew it’d be a disaster. He didn’t like me, he wanted to ambush me with a bunch of his friends and his girlfriend. So I looked like a slut on my first day of school. But of course he managed that anyway. What is it with those jocks and cheerleaders? Why do they have to do that to people? Okay, so I know that some of them aren’t that bad, but the ones at my…old school were just plain horrible. I’d rather spend eternity with Zane then have to spend one minute with one of them. “I use to do the same thing to girls like you when I was on the football team. I hated myself for it.”

“Then why’d you do it?” I mumbled. Feeling like knowing that was worse then abuse. How could he have done something like that to some poor person? It wasn’t like kidnapping them, it was just plain ruining their self esteem. They could never get that back easily. He could very well ruined a good like, into something that could never get better. I know that if someone were to save me from him, I might be able to overcome it. But if he told someone that they weren’t pretty, that they were worthless, they very well might never get over it. He could’ve killed their chances of having a better life.

“Because they told me I’d be kicked off from the team if I didn’t. Actually, that is how I got kicked out. By you actually. I use to have a picture in my wallet of you before I took you. It reminded me that I had the ability to love something. They found the picture. I had to tell them that you were my girlfriend, I even knew it was weird to carry a random picture around of a girl. They told me they wanted to meet you. I knew what they would want from you, or what they would want me to do. I couldn’t do it. I told them no, and then I was history. I really hate sports now, football the most.” He explained. Seeming slow to admit it. Like he didn’t want to. Which I didn’t blame him for, I wouldn’t want to admit something like that. It was horrible. He has just went down a notch in my book. The picture thing and the hurting someone thing has just pushed me to far.

“You’re a creeper.” I giggled a bit. Carrying around a picture of me? That was weird. I didn’t like that at all. But I was not about to show it. I didn’t need another reason for him to hurt me. If I started a fit over this I really don’t know what he would do. I’ve never started one fight with him in the coarse of a year, now I’ve started at least two tonight. He has to be getting fed up. I don’t want to push him to far. I value my life to much to allow him to get ticked off and kill me. “…Do you know where we are going?”

“Ya,” He chuckled. Seeming to brush off my weird looks. Maybe he didn’t want to start a fight as well. “my brother’s house. He’ll take good care of us.” I smirked a bit as the blanket was pulled closer to my cheek bone. Then my hair was tucked behind my ear. He was starting to take care of me again. He didn’t realize how creeped out I was about the picture. He’s just going to act like tonight didn’t happen. I can tell already. Which is a good thing. I don’t want to have to carry this around with me. It wasn’t worth the fear. “I won’t make you sleep in a tiny room anymore, you can have a bed. I’ll make sure you get some real food. Maybe you can start going outside again.”

A small yawn escaped my lips on accident. “Promise?”

“Only if you go to sleep.” He pulled the blanket up for himself as well. “You can hold me to that.”

“I can’t sleep if you keep talking.” I sighed. Rolling over so I wasn’t facing him. I felt him do the same. “Good night.”

“Night, Emily.”