Lost (Parrlyn)

Chapter 10

(Forgot to update as usual because I'm forgetful af)

I had no idea how my legs found it's way back to our home. My mind was completely preoccupied with tormenting thoughts.

How did he know my name? Who was he? What did he mean by 'leave'?

I didn't steal anything after all, like I had planned to. Instead of coming home with a surprise fortune, I came home with nothing but a worthless nasty piece of paper threatening me to abandon the people who had given me a home. I was even more hopeless at all of this than Anne....

Stealing took guts. You'd have to have such thick skin that, no matter how many crying people begged you to spare them, you've got to do what you've got to do. Getting caught was a fear that constantly lingered in the air while you did your job. If you got caught your life was as good as over, that was for certain.

I trudged into the house, with my face crumpled into a frown. Everybody looked up to welcome me in but I barely heard what anybody said. My thoughts were speaking louder than anything at that moment. They drowned out their voices, they drowned out the surroundings around me, they drowned out absolutely everything around me. Nothing mattered at that moment other than my thoughts.

I sunk to the ground and pulled out the mask, the gun and the piece of paper. Anne was at my side and snatched up the gun and the mask instantly, giving me a deep look of mistrust.

'And where did you get that?' She questioned, folding her arms. I didn't dare meet her eyes or anybody else's.

'I took the gun and the mask because I thought I could steal something and get us a fortune when instead I gave my coat away to a homeless person and they handed me this.' I indicated towards the crumpled up piece of paper. Anne's look of mistrust vanished as she slipped her arm into mine.

'Nobody needs to steal now,' She said softly, 'Jane went out and pick-pocketed from a snobby rich person. We have enough cash to feed ourselves and pay the rent for at least two weeks now.'

I nodded, giving Jane a grateful smile. She looked at me, encouragingly, and somehow, that managed to ease away the awkward knot in my stomach.

Jane was good at that. She looked like your typical middle aged mum, but really she was so much more. She had a firm side which she used when she needed to, but other than that she was mainly full of good heart and will. She cared the best for all of us, she made us smile whenever we felt done, she made us food whenever we felt hungry. She was doing her best for us all, but was it good enough?

'Anyways!' Anne said cheerfully, breaking the uncomfortable tense atmosphere, 'I'm going out shopping to see if we can get anything good for dinner and Cathy, I insist you come with me.'

'Alright,' I mumbled as Anne helped me to my feet, 'Must you be this excitable?'

'Yes.' Anne giggled and my heart fluttered at the sound of it. It was sweet and girlish, very much like Lizzie's but ten times more cute and hilarious.

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'Look at this bargain!'

'Look how cheap this it!'

'Omg won't the kids love this!'

I had never in my life met anybody this enthusiastic about food shopping. Anne was basically like a small child on Christmas morning. Whenever she saw something that was on a sale or had a small deal, she'd let out a small shriek that would make other shoppers stare, and I would be watching everything, laughing until tears poured down my cheeks. Anne was very funny when she shopped.

When we had paid for our food, we loaded Anna's car full of food and hopped inside. Anne drove (as I didn't know how to) and we chatted and vibed to music along the way.

'So how did you get this fancy car?' I said amicably, peering out of the window.

'Oh Anna broke into a car displaying shop and hotwired the car. Yeah not our proudest moment.' She hurriedly added, after noticing my frown, 'You don't agree with any kind of stealing, do you?'

'No,' I sighed, 'But you have to do it to make a living so I completely understand.'

'Good.' Anne smiled, relaxing her facial features, 'I was scared that you would report us.'

'I would never do that.' I replied back, as firmly as I could. 'I would never never ever do a thing like that.'

We drove in silence for the next few minutes while we listened to the song on the radio. It was a high energy summery pop song that reminded me of what I used to listen to when I was small.

'Anne, I never thanked you for rescuing me off the streets.' I whispered graciously, turning my head to look at her. 'Thank you.'

'It was nothing,' She shrugged, but her cheeks flushed a light shade of magenta and I could tell she was pleased with herself.

She tore her eyes off the road for a split second to meet mine and I could almost taste the chemistry that fizzed between us both. Her eyes bored into mine, but were very much unlike Henry's. They sparkled with hope and freedom and new light, gnawing away my sadness and unhappiness. That one look was enough to send me off to cloud 9, dreaming of a future of just her and me. That one look took all of the words that we needed to say, it showed more than we both could admit, it was one look of passion, a look of hope, a look of fire,

And then I shook it away, determined not to fall under the curse of love once again. Love hurt me more than it benefited me. It put me on the streets, it took away my freedom and it almost killed me. But I couldn't help falling for Anne's natural charm.

A loud honk interrupted both of our thoughts as Anne hurriedly pressed her foot down on the acceleration peddle and then we were off, driving past houses and lanes and avenues.

We spent the remaining of the journey in complete silence.