All I Ever Wanted

Lost in the Trees

Hey everyone! To prevent futher confusion, please read this. This chapter jumps from the presennt day to the day before. It's a whole lot like the chapter that Grace tells Nadine about what happened with Brittany. The three stars (***) mean that it's a different time. If you guys get confusd just tell me and I'll repost it telling you which part is when.

Chapter Twenty

“Have a goodnight,” the boy at the cashier said cheerfully after he had given me my change. I smiled politely and took the two plastic bags that held the things I needed to make dinner tonight. Putting in my ear buds I started my way home. There weren’t many people in the street, I might have been the only one. But that wasn’t really unusual, at this time a reality show was aired and one the town’s boys was in it so they all tuned in to support him.

I could barely see the cliff that overlooked the town from where I stood, but just remembering it brought a smile to my face.

***

“Come on.” He held out a hand for me to take while his other was holding my door open. Still angry at him, I ignored it and got out.  I could sense him roll his eyes as he closed the door than locked the car. All around us were people looking into the huge binoculars set on the edge of the cliff, overlooking the town. I thought Julian was going to get me to look through them or something but he clearly had other ideas because he went into the trees, gesturing for me to follow. And so I did.

We kept walking through the orchard of trees, my hair getting caught every now and then in the dangling branches. We must have been walking for ten minutes and by now I couldn’t hear any sounds of other people, just chirping birds and our shoes prodding on the soft grass and crunchy leaves. Julian pushed a branch out of our way and behind it was a sign that said, “Danger, keep out.”

I didn’t really know where this guy was taking me, I didn’t care before, but now when I saw the warning, and saw him walking towards it, I let go of my anger enough to say, “It says keep out, don’t you know how to read?” I asked bitchily.

He didn’t get offended by my tone, in fact he smirked, “And do you think a stupid sign is going to keep me out?”

I decided not to answer because I already knew what he would say. “I’m not going in there,” I told him.

“Sorry sweetie, I’m afraid you will be.”

“I won’t,” I said stubbornly.

He winked. “Fine then. You don’t have to follow me if you don’t want to, but good luck trying to find your way back.”

“I don’t need your help,” I stated, crossing my arms over my chest. We both knew I was lying.  

“As you wish.” With that he gave me a fleeting smirk then disappeared into the trees ahead.   

I stood there for a few minutes, looking back the way we came through. The only problem was that I couldn’t see a trail, or see the car park or anything. It was obviously a path that only locals knew. Great, so now I was lost, just what I needed.

I took in a deep breath, it’ll be okay Nadine, just keep walking in a straight line opposite to the danger sign and eventually you’ll find a way out, I told myself. It wasn’t like there were wild animals around here. Besides it still wasn’t afternoon yet, and if there were any wild animals they would be coming out at night, right?

Once again I told myself to calm down again, then began to walk. If I got lost there was always my phone. I would call my dad and tell him where I was he would come get me and then I would murder Julian. A good plan if I do say so myself.