Escape {COMPLETE}

~Chapter Seventeen~

Nick's P.O.V.

"MICHAEL?!?!? OH, HELLLLLL NO!!!!!!" I screeched. It was him, the stupid guy from Idaho who nearly had her suicidal!! I was NOT gonna let him just BARGE in her and break her heart AGAIN......

"Well, this must be Nicholas," He smirked arrogantly. "If you must know, I came her to meet Erin in person, but apparently that BASTARD..." He turned to the door and shouted in malice, "found out I was here for her. He said that he 'must get everyone involved' and handcuffed me." Erin looked on in slight horror. "I-I'm so sorry he did that to you!" She grabbed his hands and looked at his now-bleeding wrists. I wasn't buying it for a second.

"Why in the world would you ever come here for Erin?! You don't deserve her, you nearly KILLED her once, God knows what you'll do this time--" I spat at him, starting to march towards him and strangle his evil ass 'til he turned Smurf-blue, but Rachel held me back. I writhed beneath her grasp, trying to get at him and hurt him, punishment for what he did to her. "Nick! Stop!" Erin started yelling to me, despair and fear poured into her blue-green eyes. They actually looked gray in this God-awful lighting...

He looked on at me, standing tall. He was much bigger than me, having an age and height advantage. He didn't flinch at all as I swiped my fist at least two inches from his face. "Are you quite done?" He asked in a mild, bored tone. This only added fuel to the fire and I growled in frustration. "LEMME AT HIM!" I screamed like a child. "LEMME AT HIM!!!!!!" I wriggled out of Rachel's grasp, but she caught me again. "A little help here!!!" She cried, and Patrick instantly placed his freckled hand on my chest.

"Dude, lay off!" Erin nodded. "Nick, leave him alone! Calm down!!!!" She sounded close to tears, yet her eyes were dry. I struggled a few seconds more, but after making no more progress, I realized these efforts were futile. I stopped trying to get loose, and sat down on the ground, grunting in frustration. Michael just chuckled triumphantly above me. "Don't test me, you asshole," I hissed through gritted teeth, glaring up at him.

He stopped chuckling, his face turning stony and unreadable. Erin looked up at him nervously. "Michael?" She quietly murmured. "Lighten up, jackass, I was just kidding," He spat, walking to the other side of the room and leaning against the wall. He slid down to the floor slowly, and bent one knee in front of him. He looked down at the linoleum tile floor, mumbling something under his breath and laying one arm coolly on his knee.

I threw icey daggers at him with a stone-cold stare, but he didn't seem to care at all. He stared right back, refusing to be intimidated by some stupid kid. I finally gave up that attempt, too, and sat in silence for a few minutes. Erin walked over to Michael and sat beside him. They smiled as they talked to each other; it sickened me. I looked over at Patrick--he had continued his rigorous pacing, back and forth, back and forth...

Hannah's P.O.V.

I left him standing there with the hand print on his face, giving him no more thought than a gave a squirrel I saw several minutes afterwards. I honestly didn't want to think about anything, so I pulled out my iPod. It has a unique way of making me listen instead of thinking. I shoved in my ear buds, flicking through my songs with apparent irritation. I finally decided on Catch Me by Demi Lovato, pressing the play button and allowing the music to wash my worries away, at least for the moment.

I put my iPod in my pocket, keeping my hands in my pockets as I continued the walk and the wind continued to nip at me. My ears were starting to burn with cold, if that makes sense, and I swiftly placed a thick lock of hair in front of them.

Before I fall, too fast....

Heaving a heavy sigh, I looked down at my feet. They moved with methodical precision, like a steady metronome set on a slow tempo. The leaves littered the sidewalk I tread upon, the orange and red colors falling like a veil all around me. One twisted down in an unusual pattern--they're all unique, anyway--and landed precariously upon my head. I flicked it off in annoyance.