‹ Prequel: Coffee Shop Soundtrack
Running From Lions
Six.
“Ken,” I said, as soothingly as possible. “I can’t stay here forever.”
Makenna sat on the bed with her knees tucked into her chest and rested her chin on top. She didn’t say anything. I could just see her face panicking. I sat next to her, trying to make sure she was okay before I left.
“We need food.” The fridge and the pantry were both getting to be pretty bare. “And I have to go to practice. The guys will know something is up if I don’t show up again.”
She nodded. “I know. “ Her eyes were starting to water though. The idea of being alone in my apartment was terrifying her.
“Here,” I said, handing her my iPhone. “If something happens, call 911.”
I wanted to do whatever I could to make her feel safe. Nothing had happened since Pat showed up here looking for her, I was pretty confident she would be fine once I left. She, however, was sure someone had to be watching us, whether it was Derek or one of his friends. She was sure that the second I left someone would pounce. She was just scared, and I hated that I couldn’t take that fear away for her.
“I won’t be gone long, okay?” I reassured her. “I’ll make up an excuse to leave practice early and I’ll stop by the grocery store on the way home. I’ll be back before you know it.”
She nodded, clutching the cell phone to her chest.
I put my hand on her face, lifting her chin up to me. I looked into her bruised up eye, the whites were still completely red from broken blood vessels. She promised it didn’t hurt anymore but I wasn’t so sure. It still looked terrible.
I dropped my hand and stood up, giving her a small smile before leaving the bedroom. I felt terrible for leaving her, but I already missed one practice. I couldn’t miss another. I grabbed my keys off of the kitchen counter and walked out of the apartment, locking the door behind me.
I made my way to my car quickly. The sooner I got there, the sooner I could leave. I drove in silence to the 8123 building where we had a small practice room set up. When I got there I could hear them talking about Makenna.
“You haven’t heard anything?” I heard Kennedy say.
“Nope,” Pat said, “It’s just so unlike her, to just take off and not tell anyone. Me, her mom, nobody. I don’t know what she’s thinking.”
As I approached the room, the chatter immediately stopped. I got pretty used to this when Makenna was the topic of conversation. The subject would always change as soon as I got there.
“Hey, I have to cut out a little early,” I said.
“Of course you do,” Garrett said annoyed.
We launched into a discussion of our next tour and what we would be playing, even though it was still a couple of months away. I questioned what I would do about Makenna. Would she still be with me by then? Would she still be hiding? My mind wondered into these questions throughout our entire practice. I just couldn’t focus. By the time I said I had to leave it was almost as if the guys were relieved.
I got back into my car. I realized I was really nervous going back to Makenna. Not necessarily because I was worried something had happened to her, but because I was worried about the amount of emotional stress being alone had put her under.
I got to the grocery store and threw random food and snacks into the cart, just eager to get back home. I went throughout the checkout line, throwing frozen pizzas and cereal boxes onto the conveyor belt.
“$80.52,” the teenage cashier totaled after everything had been wrung up.
I reached for my wallet in the back pocket of my jeans but it wasn’t there. “Shit,” I said, under my breath. I swear I had it when I left the apartment. “I’m sorry,” I apologized to the now annoyed cashier. “I’ll have to come back.”
I embarrassingly left the groceries and made my way back to the car. I looked under and next to the car seat but my wallet was nowhere to be found. I didn’t have my phone to call any of the guys to see if I at practice.
I got in the car and drove home. I would have to go back out to get food and that killed me. I knew leaving her for a second time today would be even harder.
I parked the car and walked to the complex door, looking around on the ground in case my wallet had fallen. I went up the stairs, still searching the floor. When I got to the third floor I glanced up. At the end of the hall where my apartment is I could see a shadow cast onto the floor and up the wall opposite of my door. It looked like the door was cracked open.
I felt my heart drop and I ran. When I got to the end of the hallway I pushed the door open the rest of the way, letting the door slam against the wall as I entered my apartment. Two heads swung around to look at me. I noticed Makenna’s face first, she was terrified. Just a moment later, my eyes landed on Garrett’s.
Garrett held up my wallet. “Forget something?”
Makenna sat on the bed with her knees tucked into her chest and rested her chin on top. She didn’t say anything. I could just see her face panicking. I sat next to her, trying to make sure she was okay before I left.
“We need food.” The fridge and the pantry were both getting to be pretty bare. “And I have to go to practice. The guys will know something is up if I don’t show up again.”
She nodded. “I know. “ Her eyes were starting to water though. The idea of being alone in my apartment was terrifying her.
“Here,” I said, handing her my iPhone. “If something happens, call 911.”
I wanted to do whatever I could to make her feel safe. Nothing had happened since Pat showed up here looking for her, I was pretty confident she would be fine once I left. She, however, was sure someone had to be watching us, whether it was Derek or one of his friends. She was sure that the second I left someone would pounce. She was just scared, and I hated that I couldn’t take that fear away for her.
“I won’t be gone long, okay?” I reassured her. “I’ll make up an excuse to leave practice early and I’ll stop by the grocery store on the way home. I’ll be back before you know it.”
She nodded, clutching the cell phone to her chest.
I put my hand on her face, lifting her chin up to me. I looked into her bruised up eye, the whites were still completely red from broken blood vessels. She promised it didn’t hurt anymore but I wasn’t so sure. It still looked terrible.
I dropped my hand and stood up, giving her a small smile before leaving the bedroom. I felt terrible for leaving her, but I already missed one practice. I couldn’t miss another. I grabbed my keys off of the kitchen counter and walked out of the apartment, locking the door behind me.
I made my way to my car quickly. The sooner I got there, the sooner I could leave. I drove in silence to the 8123 building where we had a small practice room set up. When I got there I could hear them talking about Makenna.
“You haven’t heard anything?” I heard Kennedy say.
“Nope,” Pat said, “It’s just so unlike her, to just take off and not tell anyone. Me, her mom, nobody. I don’t know what she’s thinking.”
As I approached the room, the chatter immediately stopped. I got pretty used to this when Makenna was the topic of conversation. The subject would always change as soon as I got there.
“Hey, I have to cut out a little early,” I said.
“Of course you do,” Garrett said annoyed.
We launched into a discussion of our next tour and what we would be playing, even though it was still a couple of months away. I questioned what I would do about Makenna. Would she still be with me by then? Would she still be hiding? My mind wondered into these questions throughout our entire practice. I just couldn’t focus. By the time I said I had to leave it was almost as if the guys were relieved.
I got back into my car. I realized I was really nervous going back to Makenna. Not necessarily because I was worried something had happened to her, but because I was worried about the amount of emotional stress being alone had put her under.
I got to the grocery store and threw random food and snacks into the cart, just eager to get back home. I went throughout the checkout line, throwing frozen pizzas and cereal boxes onto the conveyor belt.
“$80.52,” the teenage cashier totaled after everything had been wrung up.
I reached for my wallet in the back pocket of my jeans but it wasn’t there. “Shit,” I said, under my breath. I swear I had it when I left the apartment. “I’m sorry,” I apologized to the now annoyed cashier. “I’ll have to come back.”
I embarrassingly left the groceries and made my way back to the car. I looked under and next to the car seat but my wallet was nowhere to be found. I didn’t have my phone to call any of the guys to see if I at practice.
I got in the car and drove home. I would have to go back out to get food and that killed me. I knew leaving her for a second time today would be even harder.
I parked the car and walked to the complex door, looking around on the ground in case my wallet had fallen. I went up the stairs, still searching the floor. When I got to the third floor I glanced up. At the end of the hall where my apartment is I could see a shadow cast onto the floor and up the wall opposite of my door. It looked like the door was cracked open.
I felt my heart drop and I ran. When I got to the end of the hallway I pushed the door open the rest of the way, letting the door slam against the wall as I entered my apartment. Two heads swung around to look at me. I noticed Makenna’s face first, she was terrified. Just a moment later, my eyes landed on Garrett’s.
Garrett held up my wallet. “Forget something?”