Runaway

.04

I parked in her spot. It's been three weeks since the dinner party; three weeks since she's been gone. When I got out, Vera stared at me like she knew, but I didn't dare look at her any longer than I had to.

Vera and I didn't get along. To put it mildly, she hated me and I could care less. Vera was boring with her boring brown eyes and boring, frizzy, brown hair and her biggest fault was blaming everyone else for her problems. She was someone that Savannah wouldn't want in her life but...they got along for some reason. God, I couldn't wait for Vera to graduate.

Some people need attention even if they don't deserve it. I'm not saying Vera's one of those people so don't look at me like that.

I felt like she died but since there was no funeral, I knew that she hadn't. Maybe we should have a funeral. The Savannah that everyone knew was gone now and I knew that better than anyone. But the fact was no one had accepted the fact that she was gone. They all kept thinking she was just going to reappear like nothing had happened and when asked, she would smile and say "I was gone?" then give that knowing smirk that killed.

Savannah was a drug. I didn't realize how addicting she was until she was gone. Not getting to see her was like a major deprivation from your favorite high. But she wasn't like those toxic drugs that ruined you over time. Hell, she made you better like she was some sort of medicine.

I was scared, you could say. Without my medicine, without Savannah...I was going to become sicker than a dog.

"Hey Oliver," Farrah greeted as I sat down in my usual seat. She'd taken to sitting beside me as of late. Maybe it was her attempt at making me "feel better".

I nodded as my signal of greeting and got out The Great Gatsby from my book bag. There was hardly a time that I ever read because reading was so boring, but I was reading this book and trying to find out why Savannah loved it so much. She hadn't even left it behind, her torn up copy full of notes.

"How're you doing?" Farrah asked.

I looked at her then at Ivy, trying to figure out what was going on. Then I rolled my eyes and opened my book before asking, "Do you want me to lie or be honest?"

Ivy piped up, "Be honest. It helps the process."

I chuckled at that. There was no process. Even though I had been the one to give Savannah up, I was not over her even a year later. So no, there was no process for getting over the sudden disappearance of her beauty.

"I'm doing pretty shitty then," I said before starting on the chapters that were assigned for the day. They took the hint easily, but the dipshit behind me put his hand on my back as if that was supposed to comfort me.

I stood and hit him.

Jason didn't get up.

*

I got off with one day of in school suspension for punching Jason but two weeks of doing everyone's chores. Father was downright pissed that I hit Jason without actual cause besides the fact that her "touched me". Mother knew I'd been waiting for years to beat the asshole into submission but agreed with Father.

I knew what I was doing the moment I did it. God, it felt good. The punishment even felt good. Nothing was going to make me regret hitting that ignorant ass.

The punishment gave me time to read actually. I'd finished Gatsby within an hour of being stuck in my room without any of my electronics so I could read her journal. The answer was in here whether people believed me or not.

I flipped to October 18, 2014's entry. We'd had a date that night. It was the first time she'd taken me out to see her farm. We'd eaten a picnic in the bed of the old beast just like I'd planned. Savannah wouldn't let me drive out in my pickup and even though I had begged, she'd refused to let me drive the old Dodge.

I never thought I'd actually enjoy spending time in Mansfield. It isn't a fun town, but Ollie made it fun tonight. He made me forget all about the putrid bullshit that came from Mansfield. It was the most amazing feeling ever. I've never been so happy.

But, I still think New York is the best city in the world. There're so many different lights, so many different faces, and so many coffee shops. The best part is: no one knows every bloody thing about you. And despite Ollie's love for small towns, he'd love to see New York.

I'm going there someday. I'm going to be the most amazing thing to ever enter the city and everyone's going to wonder who I am. They'll never know. No one will ever know.

And I knew I'd had it. God, I can't believe I forgot about her talking about NYC! Savannah loved that damned city more than she loved anything, more than sunsets, more than kisses, more than photography, more than Xbox, more than books! Someone could take all of the things she loved and pile them together and it would be touch the amount of love she had for New York.

"Hey Ollie?" she asked. I turned down the radio and looked at her. The streetlights on Main Street light up her face and danced on the sparkles in her scarf. "Have you ever thought about traveling?"

Savannah looked at me then, her eyes wide with wonder. I frowned and looked back at the road. Her thumb ran over mine, making me think about everything. Traveling was the last thing I thought about. Normally my mind was on school, work, and her so there was hardly ever a time to think about anything else.

"I guess not," I replied and turned down onto Lincoln Street.

Why would she be asking about traveling when we were about to go eat with my parents?

Most girls would be absolutely nervous to be eating with their boyfriend's parents. But this was Savannah Acker. She didn't get nervous unless it was one of her singing performances and that was a touch and go nervousness.

"That's stupid. What are you going to do after high school, work?" She sounded absolutely baffled by the idea. I shrugged in response, wondering what was wrong with that. "Ollie, you know what you lack?"

I laughed, "No but you're going to tell me anyways."

I didn't feel like we should show up at the house right away, but she gripped my hand as we neared my driveway. It wasn't a nervous thing. Savannah was just making sure we actually showed up to supper on time.

"You lack wanderlust. You lack ambition. You lack..." she sighed and I looked at her to see what the problem was. Savannah was staring at me with her eyes narrowed like she was looking the word on my face.

I turned into the drive with the only free hand I had because I knew if I let go of her hand that it would settle somewhere else on me. Savannah constantly liked touching me whenever she could and I didn't mind. I loved touching her too.

As I killed the engine, I looked at her and kissed her fingers. Savannah wasn't going to let go until she was done talking. I smiled at her.

"I'm not staying here, I hope you know that," she started. I nodded, knowing that Mansfield was not the place for her. "I'm going to the best city in the world and never look back. You'd be smart to do so too, but find your favorite city so I can have my own stomping ground."

Then she let me go and got out of the pickup.

Her stomping ground is New York City.