21 Sneaky Friday_21

<< ANAH's P.O.V >>

The name flashing on my screen is the person I need the most right now, I don't care anymore. Without hesitation, I swipe right to attend the call as tears trickle down my cheeks.

"He-hello," I say with my broken coarse voice, followed a sniff. I give my best shot at speaking, my throat dry and still hurting from earlier.

"Anah?!" I sense confusion and worry, but that voice makes me feel something, somewhat like desperation. I need that voice to hold me; I need that person to hold me through this; I need to it to steal me away from this house, from this pain seeping down my face right now.

"Can you come and get me, Quillion?" it is a desperate cry for help, I know it will get through to him. There is a hint of embarrassment, I am about to re-think and take my words back, but I don't. Despite my muddled mind, gripping my chest in anxiety of getting rejected by my last hope, I keep my hope intact and trust the man on the other side. Although knowing the little I do about Quillion and the trust I put on him, the abrupt shuffling and rushing footsteps on the further end catches me off guard.

"I am on my way," the seriousness cannot cover up the concern in emanating from his voice. His direct and without hesitation reply makes me wish I had met him earlier in my life, a friend who honestly has my back. Despite his wall harshness, his softness, his good intent, and his meaning behind his actions, I see it all. It is like his wall of harshness becomes transparent enough for my heart to see through.

"Stay with me till I get to you," his voice comes again, although I am sitting cold on the ground, those words echo in my ears, clouding away my mother's slap, is now warming up my longing heart.

"Mhm," I reply, standing up I decide to change into some dry clothes and pack a blanket. I take out my favourite dark bluish-green hoodie from the back of my simple, less neat and more messy, wardrobe. You see, I usually keep it hidden because I cannot really wear it outside. Unfortunately, it is considered culturally inappropriate in my family. Without hesitation, I grab my comfiest joggers from within my old white Almari, hastily and quietly change into them. Grabbing my disney, black and red mickey blanket from under my folded duvet, I stuff it into my mini backpack and open my room window. It is big enough to fit a person, luckily there is the living room roof under it to support my planned but never attempted runaways. First goes my right foot over and out, following that my right, and before completely going out, I grab hold of my bag.

Like a ninja, on my tip toes, I walk across the roof to the end that's when I hear Quillion's bike entering our lane. I had asked him to stop in front of the house beside mine and surprisingly he didn't question me. He is still on the phone with me, but he hasn't said a word since I started getting ready.

"Oh shoot. Okay, Anah, you got this. it's not that high, you need to make a soft landing. You got this," I whisper to myself after looking down. The jump looked at little more dangerous than I thought it would be, I did calculate everything and the distance between the mid rooftop and the ground isn't as large at the main rooftop.

Tightly closing my eyes, I take the leap but instead of falling on the bottom I fall into someone's cold arms. Surprisingly, I am a perfect fit, swiftly opening my eyes, I find those familiar rough hazel eyes watching me attentively. They had a pinch of softness in them...

We can't seem to stop looking at each other, our eyes stuck in time – our world stuck in time, until a dog bark from nearby interrupts our trance. I quickly jump down, but my right hand still strongly held by Quillion, he doesn't let go.

"Hi. Should I use that pick-up line now, 'Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?'," he has a smirk on, and his eyebrows lifted to give volume to his attempt to make sure I was really okay.

"Please don't," I cringe at that, a smile plastered on my face at his silliness, following it I softly smile and lightly squeeze his hand to reassure him I am better now that he is here

"I have never done this before," I inform him, hinting 'Lets get going before I get cold feet'. Without another word, he drags me to his bike, and we ride off to I don't know where, yet neither did I ask. All I know is that I don't want to be near home, I don't want to be in that house tonight.