On Sleepless Roads
Chapter Thirteen
Marti’s POV
So what exactly was I supposed to do now?
Ryan was being too nice!
And he didn’t freak out nearly as bad as I thought he would when he saw my wrist.
I wanted to like him,
But in my experience,
When people are nice it’s only because they want something.
Except for Mark and Maddie,
They were nice just because they can be.
Right now, Brendon and I were sitting in the living room,
Not talking.
I was afraid to cut myself again,
What if Ryan freaked out if I did?
I really do not want to make him mad.
“So, what’s your favorite movie?” Brendon asked, interrupting my thoughts.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas.” I said slowly.
“Yeah that movie is pretty good.” Brendon replied.
Ryan’s POV
I decided not to tell Marti about her mother,
Why worry her even more when there’s a good chance we’re all overreacting?
When I walked back into the living room,
Marti and Brendon were talking about The Nightmare Before Christmas,
Much like Marti and I had earlier this morning
She must really like that movie.
“What do you guys want to do today?” I asked, sitting down on the couch.
Both Marti and Brendon shrugged.
They’re sure helpful.
“We should do something outside.” Brendon said finally.
I agreed and Marti didn’t say anything.
Finally Brendon and I decided to just go to the park,
And when I say park I mean a huge park,
Not a little kid’s park.
We took my car over,
There wasn’t any point in taking both cars.
It didn’t take very long to get there,
And soon we were out walking around.
Marti was walking in front of Brendon and I,
Looking around with wide eyes.
I guessed that she’s never been to the park before.
Brendon and I were talking,
We’d given up on including Marti in the conversation.
Suddenly,
Marti gasped and stopped dead,
Causing me to walk into her.
“What the he-“I started to say but I stopped as Marti turned to run.
Luckily Brendon managed to grab her.
“Where are you going?” He asked.
Marti was trembling as she answered.
“We can’t go over there!” She said.
Both Brendon and I looked in the direction we’d been walking.
There was nothing but a big crowd of people.
“Why not?” Brendon asked.
“We just can’t!” Marti said, trying to get away from him.
Brendon tightened his grip on her arm and Marti flinched.
“We are going over there unless you tell us why you don’t want to!” Brendon said.
Marti trembled again and looked away from Brendon and then back to him.
“C-Carl’s over there!” She stuttered.
“Who’s Carl?” Brendon asked.
Marti glanced nervously over her shoulder before she answered him.
“M-my stepdad.” She said.
Brendon didn’t waste a second.
He pulled Marti off the path and behind some huge bushes.
I followed them.
Brendon kneeled down,
Pulling Marti with him.
“Which one is he?” He asked.
Marti just stared at him with wide eyes.
Now why didn’t I think of asking that?
“Tell me or else I’ll drag you back out there!” Brendon threatened.
That sure got Marti talking.
“He-he’s wearing the o-orange jacket.” She stuttered.
It was easy to find him,
There was only one person wearing an orange jacket.
He was tall and really skinny with slicked back black hair.
He had thick-rimmed glasses and really just looked like a nerd.
It was hard to believe that this guy beat anyone.
“Ryan, get back here!” Brendon said suddenly.
I hadn’t realized it,
But I had taken several steps forward,
So that I was going towards Carl and out of the bushes.
Quickly I went back over to Brendon and Marti and kneeled down next to them.
Marti was shaking like crazy.
“Don’t worry, he won’t get you.” I whispered, hugging her.
She didn’t say anything.
“Shit he’s coming this way!” Brendon hissed.
Great, what the hell were we supposed to do?
Luckily Brendon thought quickly.
“I’ll distract him and you two get out of here as fast as you can!” He said.
I just nodded.
Brendon jumped to his feet and walked out of the bushes.
The second I heard his voice I jumped to my feet,
Pulling Marti up with me.
Then I ran in the opposite direction,
Pulling Marti with me.
We didn’t stop until we got to the car.
And only ten minutes later Brendon came back.
He was barely in the car when I started pulling away.
“What’d you say to him?” Marti asked, her voice trembling.
Brendon grinned at her.
“I told him that I’d seen a duck walking around with an arrow through its wing and I need help finding it.” He said.
I laughed,
But it sounded forced,
Even to me.
“He was so confused; he’s still trying to figure out what I said. I can’t say that he came off as that smart.” Brendon said.
“He’s not, but…” Marti said softly, letting her voice trail off.
“But what?” Brendon asked.
Marti hesitated before answering.
“He’s not smart but he’s strong.” She whispered.
Neither Brendon nor I said anything.
We were surprised that she’d actually answered.
And,
In some sort of weird mutual agreement,
We decided not to ask her exactly what she meant.
She’d tell us eventually.
So what exactly was I supposed to do now?
Ryan was being too nice!
And he didn’t freak out nearly as bad as I thought he would when he saw my wrist.
I wanted to like him,
But in my experience,
When people are nice it’s only because they want something.
Except for Mark and Maddie,
They were nice just because they can be.
Right now, Brendon and I were sitting in the living room,
Not talking.
I was afraid to cut myself again,
What if Ryan freaked out if I did?
I really do not want to make him mad.
“So, what’s your favorite movie?” Brendon asked, interrupting my thoughts.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas.” I said slowly.
“Yeah that movie is pretty good.” Brendon replied.
Ryan’s POV
I decided not to tell Marti about her mother,
Why worry her even more when there’s a good chance we’re all overreacting?
When I walked back into the living room,
Marti and Brendon were talking about The Nightmare Before Christmas,
Much like Marti and I had earlier this morning
She must really like that movie.
“What do you guys want to do today?” I asked, sitting down on the couch.
Both Marti and Brendon shrugged.
They’re sure helpful.
“We should do something outside.” Brendon said finally.
I agreed and Marti didn’t say anything.
Finally Brendon and I decided to just go to the park,
And when I say park I mean a huge park,
Not a little kid’s park.
We took my car over,
There wasn’t any point in taking both cars.
It didn’t take very long to get there,
And soon we were out walking around.
Marti was walking in front of Brendon and I,
Looking around with wide eyes.
I guessed that she’s never been to the park before.
Brendon and I were talking,
We’d given up on including Marti in the conversation.
Suddenly,
Marti gasped and stopped dead,
Causing me to walk into her.
“What the he-“I started to say but I stopped as Marti turned to run.
Luckily Brendon managed to grab her.
“Where are you going?” He asked.
Marti was trembling as she answered.
“We can’t go over there!” She said.
Both Brendon and I looked in the direction we’d been walking.
There was nothing but a big crowd of people.
“Why not?” Brendon asked.
“We just can’t!” Marti said, trying to get away from him.
Brendon tightened his grip on her arm and Marti flinched.
“We are going over there unless you tell us why you don’t want to!” Brendon said.
Marti trembled again and looked away from Brendon and then back to him.
“C-Carl’s over there!” She stuttered.
“Who’s Carl?” Brendon asked.
Marti glanced nervously over her shoulder before she answered him.
“M-my stepdad.” She said.
Brendon didn’t waste a second.
He pulled Marti off the path and behind some huge bushes.
I followed them.
Brendon kneeled down,
Pulling Marti with him.
“Which one is he?” He asked.
Marti just stared at him with wide eyes.
Now why didn’t I think of asking that?
“Tell me or else I’ll drag you back out there!” Brendon threatened.
That sure got Marti talking.
“He-he’s wearing the o-orange jacket.” She stuttered.
It was easy to find him,
There was only one person wearing an orange jacket.
He was tall and really skinny with slicked back black hair.
He had thick-rimmed glasses and really just looked like a nerd.
It was hard to believe that this guy beat anyone.
“Ryan, get back here!” Brendon said suddenly.
I hadn’t realized it,
But I had taken several steps forward,
So that I was going towards Carl and out of the bushes.
Quickly I went back over to Brendon and Marti and kneeled down next to them.
Marti was shaking like crazy.
“Don’t worry, he won’t get you.” I whispered, hugging her.
She didn’t say anything.
“Shit he’s coming this way!” Brendon hissed.
Great, what the hell were we supposed to do?
Luckily Brendon thought quickly.
“I’ll distract him and you two get out of here as fast as you can!” He said.
I just nodded.
Brendon jumped to his feet and walked out of the bushes.
The second I heard his voice I jumped to my feet,
Pulling Marti up with me.
Then I ran in the opposite direction,
Pulling Marti with me.
We didn’t stop until we got to the car.
And only ten minutes later Brendon came back.
He was barely in the car when I started pulling away.
“What’d you say to him?” Marti asked, her voice trembling.
Brendon grinned at her.
“I told him that I’d seen a duck walking around with an arrow through its wing and I need help finding it.” He said.
I laughed,
But it sounded forced,
Even to me.
“He was so confused; he’s still trying to figure out what I said. I can’t say that he came off as that smart.” Brendon said.
“He’s not, but…” Marti said softly, letting her voice trail off.
“But what?” Brendon asked.
Marti hesitated before answering.
“He’s not smart but he’s strong.” She whispered.
Neither Brendon nor I said anything.
We were surprised that she’d actually answered.
And,
In some sort of weird mutual agreement,
We decided not to ask her exactly what she meant.
She’d tell us eventually.