Fool Everyone

This was bad.

This was really fucking bad.

I had no idea where was I was, shit, I didn’t even know what state I was in. The phone in my pocket had been going crazy for hours and of course, I didn’t answer. It served them all right to worry about me. I had done nothing but cry and feel sorry for myself since I ran from the venue. I was so tired of being strong and acting like it didn’t bother me.

As I walked along the side of the highway, I thought about everything. I wondered why Nick was such a jerk to me. It wasn’t like I had intentionally just acted like I didn’t remember sleeping with him! I honestly had no idea it happened. How can someone be sorry for something they didn’t even know they did? And then there was the whole Deanna and Jared situation. Okay, maybe I had been a little harsh by yelling at her, but she still shouldn’t have told Jared about the Nick situation, and Jared should’ve had the decency not to announce it in front of everyone. And then there was Debby, who probably thought I was a whore for sleeping with her best friend and then “forgetting” about it. I bet he probably filled her in on what a terrible person I am for fucking him over when in reality, it was really his fault.

It was almost midnight at this point and I was exhausted from all the walking, but what was I supposed to do? As I was making up my mind to just keep on walking, of course it started to rain. It started as a few sprinkles here and there, but about five minutes later, it started to monsoon. I looked up to the sky as it started to thunder and asked God why he hated me today. There wasn’t a gas station in sight so I was stuck by the side of the road. Cars zoomed on past and didn’t even stop to take a second glance at the stupid little girl who’d run away from all of her fears like the coward she really is.

I sniffled and pulled the hood to my hoodie up over my head, but it wasn’t like it mattered. I was soaked to the bone. Even the inside of my shoes had water in them. I was miserable and cold and I desperately wanted someone to hug me and tell me that it was all going to be fine. Honestly, I knew I was being incredibly overdramatic, but I didn’t want to admit that. I knew I had the tendency to react to things too quickly and I had definitely taken it too far this time. Even though it sucked to have to swallow my pride, I knew what I had to do. I stopped walking and pulled my phone out of my pocket, dialing my brother’s number. He picked up on the first ring.

“Allison, where the FUCK are you?!” he exclaimed into the phone and honestly, I didn’t know what to say.

“…I-I don’t know….” I stuttered and heard a bunch of noise in the background.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T KNOW!?” he yelled and I started to cry.

“Hey, don’t yell at her, it’s not going to help…” Justin’s voice said and I heard some movement.

“Allison? Darling are you okay?” Justin asked into the phone and I sniffled.

“Justin, I don’t know where I am…and I’m scared. And it’s raining…” I cried and he sighed.

“Okay…what are your surroundings?”

I looked around. There was nothing here but highway and trees.

“Justin, there’s nothing here. Just road and trees” I told him and heard him sigh again.

“Just keep walking. Tell me when you get to a gas station or even an exit. I’ll stay on the phone until you do, okay?” he said.

“Okay…” I sniffled.

I walked on for a few minutes, listening to him breathe into the phone. Neither one of us said anything. What was there to say? A while later, I came to an exit ramp and stopped walking.

“Justin?” I spoke.

“Yeah, Al?” he questioned.

“I’m at an exit…I’ll stop here so you guys can come get me” I told him the name of the city on the sign and waited patiently.

Almost thirty minutes later, I still hadn’t seen or heard anything from them. As I waited, a car came past slowly, rolling the windows down and stopping beside me.

“What’s a pretty girl like you doing out here all alone?” the guy in the car said and I ignored him.

“Hey, I’m talking to you! You need a ride or something?” he questioned and I shook my head.

“No thanks.”

“It’s really no problem. Come on, just get in. I don’t mind” he said, grinning the creepiest grin I had ever seen in my life.

“No, really, it’s fine. I’m waiting on someone…” I trailed off, noticing he’d put the car in park and was getting out.

As he neared me, I slowly started to back away, but stumbled and tripped over a stick. The guy grabbed my arm with a tight grip and chuckled.

“Easy there, I’m not gonna hurt you. Don’t worry, sweetheart” he seethed and I started to panic.

The stranger danger alarm was sounding in my head. I tried to rip my arm away, but he held on tighter.

“I’m not going to let you stay here alone in this rain, come on. I’ll take you where you need to go, pretty lady.”

“No, I’m not going anywhere with you!” I yelled loudly and he jerked me toward the car.

“Shut up and get in the car, bitch!” he ordered, pulling me along forcefully and I fought to get away.

“Stop! Just leave me alone!”

He didn’t say anything. He just pushed me to the passenger’s side of the car, opening the door as I fought against him.

“I’M NOT GOING WITH YOU!” I yelled, pushing him with all of my might.

A few moments later, I heard Rocket’s van screech to a halt beside us and the guy paused and looked up with a confused look on his face. Before I could even process another thought, Nick had jumped out of the van and ripped the guy away from me.

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!” Nick yelled in his face and I just stood there, wide eyed.

The guy laughed, backing away.

“Easy there man, I was just seeing if she needed a ride” he said and Nick looked at the guy’s hand print on my arm.

“YOU BETTER NOT HAVE FUCKING HURT HER OR I WILL BEAT YOUR SKULL INTO THIS PAVEMENT!”

I felt a hand on my shoulder and jumped, turning to see Justin.

“Come on, Allison. Let’s get you dried off. Nick will take care of this, okay?”

I just nodded and turned to walk with Justin, but paused to see Nick had the guy hemmed up against his car and was yelling in his face. I turned and followed Justin to the van.

“Oh my god, are you okay?!” I heard Deanna ask and I just looked at her.

I didn’t even bother to reply and just closed the door to the van behind me.

“Allison, did he hurt you?!” my brother asked and I just closed my eyes and grabbed my head.

“Can we PLEASE just talk about this later? I’m really not in the mood…”

“Fine.” Eric huffed. “But we will talk about this.”

I just nodded and headed off to change into some dry clothes. I looked out of the window and saw that Nick was still shouting at the guy.

Nick never ceased to both confuse and amaze me.