Sex, Chocolate, Rock N Roll

/ / 18. RUNNING AWAY / /

Anything, anything in the closet, Ellie grabbed it and stuffed into her backpack as quickly as she could. Her face covered in tears and her eyes burning from them. She zipped it shut and put it on, tying her hair back as she opened the window and removed the screen. She hated Alex. She hated how he yelled at her, she hated how he hit Matty, she hated how he bossed her around, and she hated how much damage he'd costed her family.

If it wasn't for him, she'd never have had to rob a shop with Matty in the first place. If it wasn't for him, her parents would have never been so mad at her. If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have been humiliated tonight in front of all those people downstairs. She pushed the fire escape and climbed down, dropping to the ground and seeing Adam sitting at the bench.

He looked at her in confusion and to her surprise she looked at him the same, "what are you doing?" He asked.

She sighed, knowing she couldn't make a run for it now, he'd just go back inside and tell Alex.

"I could ask you the same thing." She said.

"I'm enjoying the fresh air, it was getting stuffy inside." He said.

Ellie sighed, "you saw Alex and Matty, didn't you?"

Adam nodded, "yeah...Alex is really angry...he tried to go again but everyone broke it up...Matty left."

"How's his nose?" She asked slowly.

Adam shrugged, "I dunno. He seemed fine...just a little bleeding, that's all..." he looked at her backpack, "you're not running away, are you?"

"Adam, don't try to stop me. If you tell Alex I'll hate you, just like I hate him." She said.

Adam stood up, looking behind him through the glass doors which led back to the house, seeing no one. "Difference is, if you hate me, I don't have to see you everyday...so it won't hurt me as bad as it will Alex."

Ellie rolled her eyes, he was right.

"Where are you going to go?" He dug his hands into his pockets.

She looked off into the distance, the question was quite a good one...she couldn't go to Matty's, it was obviously the first place Alex would go to in order to find her.

"What are you going to eat?" He asked.

"I have money, you know that." She said, looking up at him. He couldn't possibly forget the ways in which she obtained her riches.

He nodded, "right."

There was no sound between them as the wind took over, Ellie's stomach began to twist as she thought about being all alone in the eerie night. She supposed that's what Adam wanted, to scare her...scare her to the point where she changed her mind, but she wasn't going to.

"Wanna see something cool?" He asked.

She nodded slowly, almost positive that whatever it was he planned to show her wasn't cool at all. Nothing could be cool, she was too miserable.

"Well, first lets get out of here, what were you gonna do, climb the fence or something?" He asked.

She laughed softly, "I was just gonna use the door..." she pointed to it.

He closed his eyes, slightly embarrassed as he laughed too.

"Of course...let's go." He made his way out, allowing her first.

"So, why exactly are you running away?" He asked as they walked down the sidewalk.

"Because I hate my brother." She said, feeling angry all over again at the reminder.