Foreign |l.r.h au|

1.3

"Pretty girls like you shouldn't be wandering out by yourselves." a tall man with green eyes said. He has a white t-shirt and dark blue jeans on. He has some stubble underneath his chin and on the sides of his jaw. He's highly attractive.

"I'm not that pretty," I mumbled to myself. I feel him cup my chin and he looks me into the eyes.

"Darling, be nice to yourself. You're gorgeous." I melted into him like putty. My cheeks were hot and red. And I squeeze my eyes shut and try to hold in a giggle.

"What's your name, little darling?" he asked, rubbing his thumb in circular motions around my cheek.

"Remy," I mutter quietly, looking down. His thumb is now running over my bottom lip and my heart was thumping hard against my chest.

"I'm Alex." he smiles. "How old are you, sweetie?"

"Thirteen," I answer, waiting for the warmth of his hand to leave. But it didn't.

"Why are you out here?" his voice feels genuine and out of concern. I did not want to tell him that I ran away from my parents. I didn't want to tell him that they were getting a divorce or anything. I didn't answer him.

"Here, why don't I give you a ride back to my place. It's a bit far, but you can stay for awhile." he offers.

"Remy?"

"Remy?" my body jolts and my chest is moving up and down at a rapid pace. I'm in a smaller room and am seated on a brown, leather couch. A woman sits across from me, with a worried expression. Then I remember.

I'm in fucking therapy. I groan and start rubbing my eyes, trying to keep myself from crying.

"Are you okay?" she asks. I nod and continue to avoid eye contact. I get up from the couch and begin to walk out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Dr. Walker questions.

I'm suffocating in here. I don't answer her and just walk into the lounge where multiple people are waiting.

I see my mom and dad stand up when I enter. Both have worrisome expressions. I don't care. All I can think about is how bad I want to get out of here.

"Can I speak to you two?" Dr. Walker appears next to me, talking to my parents. They both nod and follow her down the hallway, leaving me in the waiting room.

After what feels like forever, my parents appear, holding a few papers in their hands and making their way to the front desk.

More than likely setting another therapy appointment.

We finally make it out of the Health Care Clinic and make it into the car. The car ride is only silent for maybe six or seven minutes until my dad says something. 

"Remington, I know this is hard, it's hard on all of us." he means that accepting the fact that I'm not stable is hard for everyone and I know it is. I can hear in his voice how exhausted he is. I can see it in everyone's eyes. I do not respond. I don't want to be in therapy and I don't want to be on medications. I huff and cross my arms, leaning my head against the window.

A few hours pass and my parents are out, Archie and Mary took Emery out to Champs, the rollers skating rink.

Luke, Michael, and Calum are currently in the granny house and I'm sitting in my room, writing down everything Detective Pacheco and I discussed the other day.

We sat at the station for nearly seven hours, mapping out everywhere I had visited with Alex. Jason would have joined us, but he had his trial. Though, Detective Pacheco partner, Amina Allen, (who has recently returned from maternity leave) was able to pull a few strings and get us some information on some of the other girls and what they knew.

Turns out Alex had many procurers and madams that helped him sell young girls. I already knew Hux, Omar, Paris, and Sayre, who is currently in jail and being interrogated.

Hux and Paris were found in New York, Sayre was in Colorado and the police found Hux in a gas station, after being called in for suspicious activity, which happened in South Carolina.

Aside from those four, I am unaware of the seven others who have been captured and placed under arrest. I am aware that they have either been found in Georgia, Wyoming, Maine and New Jersey.

I sigh, tossing my journal and pen on the nightstand. I may not enjoy therapy, but I did take Dr. Walker's suggestions and started a journal. The journal is an ugly shade of green and has wires wrapped around, being, that it is one of those ninety-eight cent ones from Walmart.

My thoughts cease when I see Michael running into my room and jumping onto my bed. His hair is drenched with water and is sticking to his forehead. He has droplets of water on that has soaked into his red-sleeved, white tee shirt. In his left hand is a small, blue water gun.

"Michael, what the fuck?" I shout out, he looks at me and immediately places a hand over my mouth.

"Don't talk. We're under attack." I put two and two together and realize that they're in an intense water war. "Take this." Michael removes his hand and reaches into his right pocket, handing me an orange water gun.

"Ah, fuck it. Let's go!" I whisper-shout. I grab Michael's hand and pull him and me off my bed. We act as spies, pressing our backs on the wall near the door. 

"Okay, I'll check first," I tell him, poking my head out of the slightly ajar door. I look both to my left and right, waving to Michael that we're clear.

Going down the picture-covered hallway, Michael stays behind me with his back pressed against mine. I assume that he's making sure that no one will pop out from the other rooms. Our movements are vigilant until I feel Michael press one of his hands into my back and he shoves me into the living room.

"I got her!" he screams. Immediately, Calum comes up from behind the couch and begins to shoot me with water, along with Michael. I let out a shriek and begin to run towards the kitchen, out through the open sliding door.

Running down the pavement, two arms wrap around me and I look to see that it's Luke, smiling as if he has won the lottery.

"Get her!" Luke yells out, hurting my ears. I see Archie, Mary and Emery appear from behind a cooler that I didn't know was there, while Calum and Michael rush out the door.

I rip my eyes away from Luke and notice that my two siblings and Mary are holding water balloons. I try to squirm from Luke's grip but am quickly ceased when I am greeted with thin rubber and water.

I immediately remember my water gun, and point it from behind my shoulder, pulling the trigger and squirting Luke. His grip loosens and I run by Emery, Archie, and Mary, grabbing the balloons from the cooler. Water balloons are being thrown everywhere and I suddenly remember this feeling, something I've longed for.

Being a kid.

Though I'm throwing balloons, I can't help but admire Luke. His black shirt is sticking to his torso and his skinny jeans, actually look tighter on him. His hair is damp, slightly curling at the ends, causing speckles of water to fall down his face and gravity pulling them towards the ground. He is laughing out loud and I think it's the first time I've really seen Luke look genuinely happy.

"What the hell is going on!" I see my dad walk out, with mom behind him, coming from the back gate. Everyone ceases their actions. Calum and Michael are standing frozen with their water guns, Mary and Emery are both holding water balloons and Luke is just standing there, drenched.

A huge smile comes onto my face and I sneakily grab a water balloon from the white tub, immediately launching it towards my parents. It pops on my mom's shoulder. Emery and Michael laugh, while everyone chuckles, including dad.

"Oh it's on!" she calls out, with a wide smile on her face and I know that this would be a memory I would forever cherish.

okay this was a really fun chapter to write. i love it :)

yall go check out my friend, Madi's book (@Madiiisxnnn) book, Rejects. she is incredibly talented.

-shannon xx