Runaway(ON HOLD)

2

     Silently, I stepped down from our front porch and crept around the side of the house to the empty lot.  I navigated through the weeds that were almost as tall as me and headed straight for Mr. Tree.  Suddenly, a loud crack echoed through the silent night as I accidentally stepped on a branch, and the slight rustling of the boy digging through his pack immediately stopped.  I froze in my place right on the opposite side of Mr. Tree.  I had no idea what to do.  My heart was pounding in my chest.

     Ever so slightly, the boy leaned out sideways from behind the tree.  All I could really see was the brilliant white of one eye and the outline of his messy head of hair. 

     "Hi," I spoke quietly, my voice wavering from a whisper to normal voice and back.  Uneasily, I held up the paper with his picture on it.  "Are you Harry Styles?"

     The boy muttered something under his breath, and suddenly sprang out from behind Mr. Tree.  I jumped, scared, when I realized he was pointing something at me.  "Don't . . . Don't move," he growled.

     "Is that a gun?" I asked.  I wasn't as scared as I probably should've been.  I mean, I was still scared,  but I wasn't running away, and I think that counts for something.  "You don't have to be worried.  I'm not gonna call the cops."

     Harry hesitated, then lowered the gun slightly.  "How old are you?" he asked, skeptically.

     "Six."

     I heard him sigh, then drop the gun completely as he picked up his pack.  "Thanks a lot, kid.  Now I gotta go find a new place before they find me.  This place was perfect, too."

     "I'm not gonna tell anyone," I promised.  "You can stay here."

     Harry chuckled humorlessly.  "Oh, I'm sure.  That's not really a risk I can afford to take."

     As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw him digging through his backpack.  He cursed under his breath, and dropped the pack, running his fingers through his tangled hair.  From the light sound the backpack made when it hit the ground, I guessed at what he needed.  "I can get you some water," I suggested.  "And some food."

     "Oh, yeah.  'Cause as soon as you go in there, there's no way in hell you're telling anyone that you found the runaway that they've been hunting down for the past week," Harry scoffed.

     I thought for a moment, glancing up at the sky.  "I promise on the stars," I stated suddenly.

     Harry looked at me warily, his eyes wide and his head cocked slightly to the side.  "What?"

     "As long as the stars stay out while I'm gone, I promise I'll be back with food and water and not tell a single soul you're out here.  Pinky promise," I said, extending out my closed hand with my pinky sticking out.  Harry stared at me uneasily for a moment, before sighing and interlocking his grimy pinky with mine.

     "What do I got to lose?" he muttered, mostly to himself as I disappeared back through the weeds to Aunty's house.  I quietly rummaged through the fridge for a water bottle and some food that she wouldn't realize was missing, which was hard because Aunty practically kept inventory on her food.  Finally giving up, I just made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  If she asked, I would just tell her that I got hungry and made one for myself.

     I returned to Mr. Tree, the sandwich perched precariously on a plate and the water bottle in my other hand.  I frowned when I didn't see Harry.  "Psst," I whispered, searching in the darkness.  "Harry."

     Finally, I saw Harry peek cautiously from behind Mr. Tree.  "Did you tell anyone?  You better not lie to me, kid," he mumbled. 

     I shook my head, and he stepped out fully from behind the tree.  "Of course not.  I told you, as long as the stars stayed out while I was gone, I'd be back.  And look.  They're still there."

     Harry looked at me strangely, then grabbed the sandwich and the water bottle.  "Thanks, kid."

     I nodded, then plopped down in the dirt.  Harry soon joined me, gobbling down the sandwich.  "You liked it?" I asked, grinning at him as he finished the sandwich.

     "You kidding me?  The only thing I've been eating for the past week is Twinkies and Saltines.  This is like a gourmet meal," he raved, making me giggle.  Harry smiled at me slightly, and I could see the slight indentation of his dimples in the moonlight.  "Didn't your parents ever warn you about strangers?"

     I shook my head.  "No.  They're dead," I stated matter-of-factly, and his smile quickly disappeared.  "I live with my Aunty now."

     "Well, didn't your Aunty ever warn you about strangers?"

     "Yeah, but you're not a stranger.  You're name is Harry Styles, and you were unhappy with where you were, so you left.  Which I think is very smart," I explained, brushing my blonde hair out of my face.

     He looked at my thoughtfully.  "What's your name, kid?"

     "Autumn.  Like the season."

     "Well, Autumn, like the season, I think you're very smart," Harry said, before opening up the water bottle and chugging most of it.  I smiled at the compliment.  After he swallowed, Harry continued.  "You should head back inside soon.  Your aunt will notice that you're gone."

     I shook my head.  "Aunty doesn't notice anything.  Sometimes I feel like I could just disappear completely, and she wouldn't even notice.  She's always drinking her special juice.  It's called al-co-hal, or something."

     Harry snorted.  "Sounds like your aunt and my parents should get together and have a drink sometime."

     I smiled.  "Is that why you left?  Your parents drank too much special juice?"

     Harry frowned.  "It's complicated."

     "Why does everyone keep saying that?" I sighed.  Harry chuckled.

     "'Cause it's true," he said, ruffling my hair slightly.  Despite the fact that I wanted to stay out here talking to Harry, I yawned loudly and could feel my eyes drooping slightly.  Harry smiled.  "You should go in, kid."

     "Are you sure you're gonna be okay out here?" I asked sleepily, rubbing my eyes.

     He smiled again.  "I'm sure."

     "Okay, then," I said, hesitantly.  Standing up, I brushed the dirt off my pants and slowly made my back to Aunty's house.  Suddenly, I turned around and raced back to Harry.  "Oh, wait!  Are you gonna be here tomorrow, too?"

     Harry thought for a moment before replying.  "Yeah.  Yeah, I will."

     "You promise on the stars?"

     Harry reached out his pinky, a light smile playing on his lips.  I grinned as I wrapped my small pinky around his large one.  "I promise on the stars," he said.