Case Reopened

Running Away

HEADS UP! THIS IS BEFORE KENNEDY AND HARRISON ARE TOGETHER! If you're still confused after me yelling at you then that's on you. Also, I apologize if this is a little more simple than usual.

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Kennedy sat before at her computer and stared at the multiple taps open, all of them holding college applications. All of them waited for her to spill her life for them to decide if she was good enough for them. As she looked over the words, a creeping feeling inched up her skin. Though she knew it wasn't possible, she felt as if her room shrinking around her.

When the feeling became unbearable, she shoved her chair back and stood up. Taking her phone out of her pocket, she dropped it on her desk. Checking that her wallet held cash, she hooked her bag over her head and jerked her shoes on.

As she left her room, she grabbed a baseball cap and tugged it on. She didn't fully understand why she was taking all the precautions she was, all she knew was she needed to leave, to get away. She needed to run.

She stepped out of the apartment door and closed it behind her.

"Hey."

Kennedy screamed and jumped back, colliding with the hallway wall. Harrison grinned making Kennedy scowl harder.

"What was that for?" she snapped.

"I said 'hey', Kenny, that wasn't something crazy to say to your best friend." He eyed her satchel and raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going?"

Swallowing, Kennedy righted herself and put on a calm mask, hiding her racing nerves.

"I'm going to the store."

"Okay I'll come with-"

"No."

Harrison paused, frowning at her.

"Look, I just have to go by myself, okay? Unless you want to stand with me in the female aisle?"

Harrison turned slightly pink and looked around. "You know what, I'll let you go on your own for this one."

Not giving him more time to rethink coming with, Kennedy moved towards the elevators.

"Later," she said, her throat tight.

"See you later, Kenny."

Pricked with guilt, Kennedy hurried towards the stairway. Inside, she pulled out sunglasses, putting them on. Instead of heading out of the lobby, she cut through the basement of the apartment building and used the back exit, edging along the wall to avoid the security cameras aimed at the back alley.

Once free of the cameras' range, she slid into the foot traffic of the sidewalk, blending in with the mob of pedestrians. She let it carry her toward the metro station. Keeping her face turned away from security cameras, she used cash to buy a single pass and climbed onto a train with a horde of other passengers.

The metro dumped her out at the train station. The station rang with footsteps, announcements on the speakers, and the rattle of wheels as trains raced in and raced out. At the destination board, Kennedy scanned the list of locations she could be taken to. Though some had trains leaving within the next half an hour, Kennedy bought a ticket for a train leaving in an hour. Though the delay was a risk, the destination was what she desired.

Buying a cup of coffee at a cafe stand, Kennedy found a back corner of the station to sit in. From her spot, she could see the front doors and watch as travelers flowed in and out. Without her phone, she felt antsy but knew having it with her would have made everything she was doing to avoid notice pointless.