Early Morning Run-ins (7)

I woke up early the next day, making sure I woke up at least 20 minutes earlier than I usually do and scarfing down a small piece of bread I saw on the kitchen table for breakfast.

But instead of waiting for Adrian as he ordered me to...

I took another route to school.

Now I might sound retarded considering the fact that he could pulverize me once he finds out I'm not there, but I just had to stay away from him.

He's something I didn't need in my life right now...

He brought in too much stress and chaos in my perfectly routine life.

Somehow, that thought left me feeling like a liar but it wasn't a lie...was it?

I sighed in frustration and continued my way down the almost unfamiliar road. I haven't gone here since elementary when the other road was under repair.

This way took longer...about 20 minutes until I would be able to see the school building, but it felt like forever as I dragged my feet, forcing myself to keep on going.

Adrian won't find me.

I found myself chanting it over and over again and I tried to believe myself but I knew... if Adrian wanted something, he'll have it He seemed the type to be fussy over these things.

I started feeling bad about doing this as I thought about the endless possibilities of what the outcome might be, but I kept telling myself that I had to do this.

I had to get him away from my life and keep it that way.

I stuffed my hands in my pockets as my loose-fitting dark green shirt fluttered due to the wind, the cloth tickling my skin.

I tied my hair up into a side ponytail this morning so my hair didn't go all crazy and start whacking my face.

The cold wind wasn't really forgiving today.

My steps were hurried, making me worry about my poor old sneakers but I went on.

I was always glancing around me for any sign of him, and I scolded myself. I was just being paranoid; it's not as if he'll ever find me.

Gosh, I felt like a person running away from a bully or something. It was giving me flashbacks I didn't quite enjoy.

The sound of loud laughing filled my ears and I watched in horror as a group of guys went stumbling around the corner, headed towards me.

The main reason why I, and everyone else for that matter, avoided this route was that it passed through the shadier parts of town, the parts where one woke up in either half-dead or half-doped. It attracted the kind of people one would expect.

There were a lot of men in the group and one thing was very obvious...

They were drunk.

I chewed on my bottom lip as they started getting closer but they didn't seem to have noticed me...

Yet.

I quickly spun around, deciding that facing Adrian's wrath would be better than this until one guy yelled.

I froze, feeling the blood drain from my face.

Oh no.

"Hey there girlie!" A hand wrapped around my wrist, and I was roughly pulled into someone's chest.

My mouth opened to scream but someone harshly slapped a hand to my mouth, my eyes burning with unshed tears and I tried to blink them away.

"Hush red!" A blonde hissed, his words slurred and I tried to swallow the lump that formed in my throat.

I had made a horrible decision.

I stiffened when something cold pressed to my neck and everyone chuckled at me, the noise making my heart pound in my chest painfully.

I knew what it was immediately.

It was a knife.

I made no move to struggle, scared that if I move, I would be a goner. One slice and I would be completely in shreds.

A brunette, looking slightly taller and more intimidating than the others, leaned in close until his breath tickled my nose.

I gagged at the stench of alcohol and I tried to back up but the guy holding me refused to let me, pressing the cold blade to my neck even more.

"Let her talk. Let's hear what that pretty little mouth of hers has got to say. Eh, boys?"

Everyone nodded, not even thinking twice and the guy pulled his hand back and I took a gulp of air.

The brunette smirked.

"Well hello there…red."

I kept my mouth shut, not giving them the satisfaction of hearing my fears even if I was trembling and my face was obviously pale.

They won't be hearing anything from me.

The guy's eye twitched but he remained smirking as he turned to face the other boys.

"Guess she doesn't want to talk!" He bellowed before he backhanded me with a force that knocked me to the ground painfully.

My vision turned cloudy but I remained silent, cradling my cheek with my hand as I glared at them with all I could.

One of the guy's roughly grabbed my arm and he grinned. "Well...let's make her talk."

Just as they were about to close in on me again, having no choice but to watch helplessly because his grip on me was tight, something knocked him over, making him fly over to the nearest trashcan.

It all came so fast.

One minute, they were all standing in front of me, and the next, they were lying on the floor...out cold.

My legs collapsed underneath me as I found out whoever saved me.

His black hair was disheveled as always but his eyes seemed even darker than before yet I knew those eyes.

They were Adrian's.

To say he was mad would be a complete understatement. His fists were shaking beside him but he stood still, staring at me with those eyes of his.

I swallowed nervously, feeling my stomach start churning in fear.

"What were you doing?!" He finally snapped, his glare growing even colder.

My eyes grew wide and I stumbled onto my feet, refusing to look him in the eye. I've been caught!

"I....I..." I stuttered and I heard him make his way towards me.

He leaned in until I could feel the heat coming off of him. "You were avoiding me." He growled under his breath and he didn't sound pleased at all.

"No, I wasn't!" I tried to lie but he saw through it, and he took another step towards me. Out of habit, I took a step back which only served to annoy him even more.

"I told you I was going to pick you up. Do you know how worried I was?" He was on the verge of snapping at me and I knew but...

It only scared me further.

"Adrian. I-I'm sorry." I sobbed out, the tears pricking at my eyes as I realized what could have happened.

Those men...

If I hadn't tried to avoid Adrian, I would've been at school, and… this would have never happened.

Adrian took another step closer and I backed up until my back hit a lamp post.

A look of hurt crossed his dark eyes before he covered it up. "You don't have to be scared of me, Raine."

I stood still, my eyes flicking over to the unconscious men on the floor then back up at him.

How could he just say something like that?

A snarl left his lips and he narrowed his eyes. "They could've hurt you. I had to do that." He hissed under his breath and my eyes went even wider.

He would hurt for me??

But why??

Could he...hurt me?

That thought made me want to choke myself and I felt my heart going overdrive.

He could hurt me.

I immediately went to dash back to my house but before I could pass Adrian, he grabbed my arm but he was being gentle.

"Raine..."

"I have to go Adrian. Let me go." I whispered, shakily trying to pry his fingers from me.

I looked up at him to see him looking emotionlessly at me, his eyes almost pitch black. I prepared for the worst, thinking that he would be furious and demand me to stay and finish this conversation but he nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry, Raine." He apologized but I was already leaving, my steps hurried.

Yet why did it feel like my heart was being wrenched from my chest as I heard those words?

Those words full of hurt.

Why?