in the cracks of light, i dreamed of you

03

We stay at the cafe until 8 in the evening before deciding it's time to part ways. She drops me off at my house and drives home, promising not to ignore me in the halls. When I walk through the door, no one is home. Typical. No note, no dinner, nothing. I head up to my room and dump my backpack on the floor. I want nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep forever but I force myself to shower. I make sure not to look at the lanky girl in the mirror so as not to burst the bubble of confidence Karlie has given me.

                                                                                        Next day

I am awoken at six thirty by loud shouting followed by a thud. I change as quickly as possible and climb out of my bedroom, not bothering to tie back my hair. I know if I stay in the house a second longer, I'll become Dad's punching bag. I run a few blocks before realizing I'm holding back tears. I let myself collapse on the sidewalk, oblivious to anyone walking by.

"Taylor?" A familiar voice calls out, "What are you doing out here?" I look up to find a familiar pair of green eyes looking at me from a few feet away.

"I had to get out. I couldn't stay there any longer." I say, ashamed that she found me in this state.

"Hey, you're ok" she says as she pulls me into her arms. She smells sweet despite the fact that she clearly was in the middle of her morning run. She rubs my back until my sniffles die down before asking me any questions. "I was just finishing up my run if you want to come back to my house. I'm sure my parents would be more than happy to let you stay with us as long as you need." she says gently, "I mean, only if you want" she adds.

"Yeah, I would really appreciate that." I reply, looking up at her. I hadn't realized how tall she is until now. Her light brown hair is pulled back in a messy ponytail and she has freckles sprinkled across her cheeks. I take a second to admire her features before looking back down at my feet.

She takes my hand as we walk back to her car, threading her fingers through mine. She squeezes my hand three times, letting me know she is there. My heart is still pounding in my chest but slowly my breathing steadys. We drive to her house in silence. I gaze out the window at the beach, thinking about how maybe someday, I could have a picnic with her there and forget everything that's wrong.

As we walk through her front door her mom calls out to her,"Hey sweetie! How was your run?"

"It was pretty good. I brought company, I hope that's ok?" She responds, keeping a firm arm around me. Her house is cozy, with photos and paintings everywhere. We enter her kitchen where I can smell fresh blueberry waffles. I can't even remember the last time I ate a home cooked meal, let alone something as yummy as waffles. I tear up thinking about how messed up my family is.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Karlie asks, concern etching her face.

"Nothing, I'm ok." I say, wiping away my tears and plastering a reassuring smile on my face.

"Guys, breakfast is ready" Her mom says, peering through the dining room doorway, unaware that anything is wrong.

                                                                                 

                                                                                   Karlie's POV

As we sit down at the table, I realize I should let my mom know what is going on. "Hey mom, can I talk to you really quickly?" I ask with some urgency.

"Yeah honey, of course!" she replies quickly. I follow her into the kitchen, leaving Taylor at the table, looking at my childhood photos.

In a hushed voice, I explain Taylor's situation to my mom. She agrees that it's probably best for Taylor to stay here until she figures something else out. I don't know much but I know it's not safe for her to go home. I've known her for all of two days but it feels like we've been friends our whole lives. I care more about her than I want to admit and seeing her hurting makes me want to do anything and everything I can to help.