When We Crashed

Trust

Ella's pov:

Do I trust him?

Will I trust him?

Should I trust him?

That has been my thought process from last night, up until this moment.

Pulling up to the mall, I look down at the list I made myself just so I would remember what I needed.

Which pretty much was sweatshirts, t-shirts, leggings, and fuzzy socks.

I normally don't like to go shopping, I find it easier just to log onto Amazon and go from there, but I felt like all I did this past week was stay inside.

I am honestly proud of forcing myself to actually use my legs to move other than walking to the kitchen or the bathroom.

Walking through the mall, it was pretty crowded, mostly because school was starting back up way sooner than I would have liked it too.

As much as I tried to forget about it, there were too many things that reminded me that my friends would be starting there senior year of highschool.

As much as the Wells family has offered me, food, a place to sleep, I knew that there was a limit on what they could provide me.

I wasn't there daughter, I would need my real parents to enter me into the school system.

Even if I didn't see them anymore, or haven't communicated with them for this long, they still controlled my life.

But my way out is only a couple months away.

The big eighteen.

I feel like I have been waiting for the moment my whole entire life.

Ever since my parents changed for the worse, when they started to become who they are today, I have been wanting a way out.

I always hated how my mom would always say how much girls would kill to have my life.

The money, the house, but if I could trade that for a family like Julie's, I would do it faster than a snap of a finger.

Shaking my head, I lose my train of thought.

I am here to shop, not to think about all these negatives.

I am here to search for the next clothes I'll be wearing for the next couple of weeks straight.

I mean, it really wasn't a search at all, what store doesn't sell the most basic clothing items of all time?

The fuzzy socks though might be a little more tricky, but when I get the chance to wear them, I will soon appreciate the time spent trying to find them.

Looking through the rack of sweatshirts, I try not to tempt myself into buying every single one of them.

This store wasn't particularly crowded, but enough people to accidentally bump into from time to time.

I was looking through a certain brand of clothing when I started to feel like I was being watched.

It was like an uncomfortable feeling that settled in, but when I would look around, all I saw were other shoppers.

No one stood out.

Except one.

But before I could react, or turn away, I was noticed.

"Ella?!" I watch my mom as her jaw drops.

I knew why I didn't recognize her.

She was different.