Run Free (sequel to A Lesson Never Learned)

n i n e

—Nora—

That man...Josh...he was sitting on the bed next to me.  He had gotten up and brought back a glass of water and a sandwich with chips on the plate for me and a cold beer for himself.  And now, he was sitting next to me. 

"Aren't you hungry?"  he asked, looking down at me with a look of confusion on his face. 

I sat with the plate in my lap, the scent of the freshly made club-styled sandwich right in front of me.  "No, I'm not."  My stomach made a loud noise and I blushed from embarrassment.  Josh raised his eyebrow at me, frowning.

"Well, it's not poisoned or anything."  He told me, laughing.  I still didn't believe him.  I was just drugged twice within the span of five hours, and now I was given food with no catch?  "Here."  he leaned over and grabbed the sandwich.  He took a small bite out of the corner of it.  Next were the chips, which he took a couple and popped them in his mouth.  Finally, he took my water from me and sipped it, washing it all down.  I watched him carefully, waiting to see any type of sign of the drug hitting him.  I knew from experience that it was a hard-hitting drug, so I was waiting for him to go all droopy-eyed and tired, but he didn't.  He only smiled at me.  "See?  I don't want you starving out on me."

"I'd rather starve than be here."  I admitted, putting the food down next to me.  My stomach was not agreeing with my actions.  It rumbled in protest.  Josh sighed again.  I watched as he ran his tongue over his teeth and he squinted at me. 

"So, you're not hungry?"  Josh asked.  I shook my head half-heartedly.  "At all?"

I opened my mouth, but my stomach rumbled again. 
Josh shook his head.  "C'mon.  You're not fooling anyone."

"Look, I don't need you to be my friend."  I snapped, glaring at him.  "You're supposed to be dead.  I don't even know you but I know enough about you to know that you are the reason this is all happening to me!"

Josh looked confused and then he sighed. 

"You and I were raised in different times."  Josh said quietly.  I began to start an argument, but Josh spoke over me.  "I was raised in a world in which it wasn't safe to walk home from school.  It wasn't safe in school either.  School was more of a prison than you think.  You had to make the right type of friends.  In my case, it was Oliver.  He didn't stay at school for long.  His dad called him and his brother out of school when their numbers got short."  Josh shrugged.  "Anyway, Oliver looked after me.  He's psychotic, like I mentioned before, but if he lets you get to him, then he'll look after you with his life."

"He's been torturing me for what feels like decades."  I whispered, feeling my hands shake.  Josh made a sympathetic noise. 

"Well, I can assure you that he won't hurt you again."  Josh said, nodding at me.  "Now go ahead and eat." 
I wanted to argue with him more, but the food was so tantalizing and it had been a while since I had eaten the food Elliott had given me, so I did as he told me.

Josh hummed, sipping the beer he had brought for himself.  He looked like he was content.  Like he didn't know he was dead to the rest of the world.  I stared at him intensely.  His jaw was clenching and unclenching every time he changed pitches in his humming.  His eyes were half shut and he grinned over at me once he caught me staring.  I blushed and looked away. 

"So how's your mother?"

"I wouldn't know."

Josh's smile faded. 

"And why would you care anyway?  She doesn't know you." 

Josh blinked slowly.  "No, you're wrong."  He sighed. "You're very wrong.  Your mother and I...Lilian and I...we knew each other from childhood.  And at some times, we were best friends.  But...we grew apart.  She was headstrong...I was more or less a follower.  She liked to break rules and I liked to make them.  She was an opposite to me, but opposites attract.  I looked after your mother."