Can't Be Afraid Anymore

Chapter Thirteen

Anna's P.O.V.

I hop in his truck ready to leave. He grabs his phone and headphones and gives it to me. I plug them in and curl up against the window. I try to focus on the music, but the panic wasn't going away. It was about 10 minutes later when the car stopped. I didn't want to open my eyes, I just wanted to focus on the music and be able to breathe fine. I felt the door open slowly.

"Come on." I hear Matt's voice.

"Can't m-move." I say shaking my head. Then I was lifted up. He has lifted me up before, but it was still surprising that he could lift me with ease. He walks a little and then I was put on a bench I think. I curled in the corner and felt the panic attack coming again. I squeeze my eyes shut and turn the music louder. 

Then I feel Matt sit down and put his arms around me. I lean into him and then the bench moves. It was a swinging bench. I smile a little remembering when I would go to the parks and just lay on them for hours. After a few more swings I opened my eyes. Matt was looking out. I felt complete like he didn't expect anything from me and I didn't need to keep anything from him. It was kinda strange. No, I have to keep one thing from him. 

When I look out I saw a little pond and a lot of trees. I wondered where we were but didn't want to talk. I saw him glance at me and he smiles.

"Beautiful."

"Ya." It really was. I just wanted to stay here forever, but we have after school detention so to say and I have work, but not for a few hours. "Thanks," I say turning towards him. I unplugged the headphones.

"You know if you need to get out, you can just ask me and I will?" He says sincerely.

"Thanks."

"Hey, that's what friends are for." He says before we turn back to the pond. 

"Where are we?"

"Oh, this is my grandparent's house."

"Oh, they have a nice place."

"Ya, I used to live with them, I bounce between here and my place. Zach doesn't need a roommate, but sometimes it's nicer to get away." He says. She thought it was strange to have two homes, but didn't question it. 

"Why? What about your parents?" He tenses up a little. "Sorry, personal questio-"

"It's fine....My parents weren't ready for a child so my grandparents raised me. My parents are somewhere in like Montana, I don't talk to them, they don't talk to me. It works out." He says still looking out at the lake.

"What about your grandparents they don't talk to their daughter or son?" I wasn't sure which one was his grandparent's kid. 

"No, something happened a long time ago, I don't even know, but they don't talk to each other."

"Oh, well are your grandparents fun?" He smiles when I ask.

"Ya, but very to the point. They don't sugar coat things."

"Oh, what fun."

"Ya. So what about your parents?"

"I lived with them until I was 7." I said not looking at him.

"What happened?"

"My mom lived with my dad until I was four. They...they broke up and my mom had to find a different boyfriend. She always needed a guy to be in her life to make her feel happy or complete, but she wasn't, she always cried at night and her boyfriend would yell and scream at her.....Then I saw a bruise on her arm I asked what happened. She just said they were playing around and she hit something. Then when I turned 7 she couldn't handle me so I went into foster care. That's why I've gone to so many different schools."

"That's a lot of moving."

"I like to move." He turns his head confused.

"What? How it's so annoying?"

"I like to go through my things and organize them."

"Of course you do, that little bit of OCD seeping in." He says with a small smile.

"Yup, from my dad. He had it really bad apparently. He had everything from the organization to every bad thought that you can think of." He nods his head looking back out at the water. He still had his arms around me which was comforting, so I didn't say anything or move. After about an hour of watching and talking I had to bring it up, "We need to go back to school, and we have detention."

"But I don't want to." He whines. I lay against him and he movies his arms around me again. It wasn't awkward, it was more comfortable.

"I don't either, but we have class and detention," I say and get up missing the warmth. "Come on," I say trying to pull him up. He only moved a little. I pull again, but he gets up and I fall to my butt.

"Are you ok?" He asks while laughing.

"Ya, perfectly fine," I say whipping my hands on my pants. We walk to his truck ready to go back into the hell.

"Wait where's my phone?" He asks checking his pockets. I jog back to the bench, but it wasn't there.

"I thought I gave it to you?" I question looking around.

"No."

"There's your headphones," I say pointing under the bench. We start looking on the ground knowing it has to be around somewhere. When I bent down I felt something in my pocket. Nope, just my phone. "I have no clue," I say standing up.

"Come here." He says grinning a little.

"Why?"

"Just come here." I walk over to him.

"What?" Then he went behind me and pulled my phone out. "That's my phone. Are you going to call your self?" He turns and shows me the screen. It was a picture of him and his grandparents I think. "Oops. I thought that was mine." I say laughing a little, mine must still be in my backpack.

"Thanks for scaring the crap out of me." He says and walks back towards his truck.

"Payback for scaring me when you pulled me in the closet," I say hopping into his truck. 

"I thought you forgot about that." He says and starts driving.

"I never forget."

"I'm scared now." He says in a little kid voice.

"You should be," I say and he smiles a little.