I woke up and could feel my back aching, any movement of mine not helping to ease the pain I had felt. I would just have to push through this, at least the physically pain was more bearable than the emotional one. I took in a breath and carefully began to move from the chair that I had been sleeping on, the cover now on the ground. The cool air made me shiver for a brief moment, my arms reaching down to pick up the cover. Once I stood up I wrapped it around my shoulders, walking back towards my room. I cleared my throat, then stopping at the doorway. ¨Vivianne.¨ I said while opening the door, poking my head in to discover that she had left.

I pushed the door open wider and began to walk in, going to check my phone. Maybe she left a text? It wasn’t like her to just leave without an explanation. I picked up my phone, a few texts and emails alerts appearing at the top of my phone. My eyes scanned the first few alerts, finding hers towards the bottom. I tapped on the alert and then typed in my passcode, now reading over her message. ¨Going to get flight tickets, I’ll be back around 12.¨ I couldn’t help the small smile that formed on my lips once reading that text for the second time, it seemed to official now. I was actually going to get away. A few moments after reading the text, I walked out my room and called her from my phone. I listened to the ringing while going through my fridge, looking for anything to eat for breakfast.

¨Hello?¨ I heard a very excited voice say, I couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm.

¨Someone is excited for it to be this early.¨

¨Early?¨ She said questioningly, ¨It’s almost noon.¨

¨Are you serious?¨

¨Yes.¨ She hummed out. ¨Anyways, I got the tickets. We leave tomorrow, all the flights were booked for today¨

¨I’m excited, but I still need to pack.¨ I knew that there would no way that we could leave today on such a short notice. I’m surprised that she even got tickets for us to leave tomorrow morning. ¨When you get back, we’re going to the store. ¨

¨Well I’ll be there in ten minutes, Be ready as soon as I get there.¨ She had a teasing tone underneath her voice, which caused my to laugh quietly.

¨Okay, mom. Bye¨ I said in return, the same teasing tone laced within my voice. I hadn’t thought twice about the words. Although it had pained me slightly to say that, it was all meant as a harmless joke. I still couldn’t help but feel something tug at my chest. I was pulled back into the conversation once I could hear the other female laugh once again.

¨Bye,¨ She said in between her laughs, then hanging up the phone. I shook my head and then sat my phone down on the counter, going back to the juice box that had been in my hand. A smile stayed on my lips, watching as I poured the liquid into my cup. Once it had been filled to the top I sat the cup up, placing the lid back on it so I could sit it back in the fridge. I sat down in chair that had been in front of a small table, taking out my phone once again not knowing anything else to do. I slowly began to sip on my drink, the aching in my back slowly going away.

I stared at my screen, trying to think of anything to do to pass a few minutes before I would get ready for when Vivianne would be back. I soon tapped the news tab at the bottom of my phone, wondering if anything about my father had showed up yet. I took in a deep breath as I watched the page load, the spinning dial making me more anxious. What if they did say something? What would everyone think? I didn’t want to think about what everyone would do, soon enough I would be away from all the peering eyes that would bombard me with questions. As soon as I saw a picture of the news station’s logo appear on the screen I directed all my attention to the phone in my hands.

My hands shook slightly, making it difficult for me to focus on the words that had been in front of me. I closed my eyes, my hands clenching around my phone tightly. ¨1...2...3...4...5.¨ I counted slowly under my breath, trying to calm myself down for a few moments so I could at least look over the website. Once I opened my eyes I looked down at the phone, my fingers slowly beginning to scroll down the page. Each time I got closer to the bottom, I felt my hope grow more and more. Nothing had been there. I let out a breath, mingled with relief and satisfaction. I began to push myself up from my table, turning off the screen and bringing it back to my room. Although nothing had been posted yet, I knew that there would be something soon. That thought alone was stressful enough. I reached up and ran my hands down the sides of my fest, letting out a sigh. ¨You’ll be out of here soon enough.¨

Vivianne hadn’t taken long to arrive, getting here around noon, like she said she would be. I went and opened the door for her, already ready to go. She walked in carrying many bags, causing me to frown slightly. ¨I thought you were going to wait so we could both go together.¨ I crossed my arms and stepped out of her way, slightly annoyed that she didn’t wait for me.

She looked at me and the placed all the bags on the floor, letting her arms hand at her sides. ¨Is this really that big of a deal to you?¨

¨Well, no. But still. You know Let’s just forget about it.¨ I took in a breath and then smiled slightly, moving next to her so I could pick up some of the bags she had. I walked away from her, never hearing her say anything in return. When I turned around to look at her she seemed sort of lost. She seemed like she didn’t know what to do, I then frowned and sat the bags down, ¨I’m sorry.¨ I said quietly to her and smiled slightly, hoping that what had happened was not as big of a deal as I seemed to make it out as.

¨It’s nothing. Stop apologizing all the time, you didn’t do anything wrong.¨

¨If you say so.¨ I said quietly and then picked the bag back up and walked towards my room. I already had a few items laying across my bed, with my suitcase on the other side of the bed. I heard her walking quietly behind me, she still seemed mad but I wasn’t going to keep pushing the subject. Once I sat everything down and looked at the doorway, the room very tense and awkward with our silence. I cleared my throat and then sat up so I could say something about the trip, ¨You know, I’m really excited.¨ I said with a small smile on my lips. Beginning to fold up the clothes I was going to take, ¨I’m meo excited because you’re going with me. Remember when we would always plan the perfect vacation.¨ I laughed quietly and then glanced over at her, seeing that her posture had suddenly changed to a more relaxed pose.

¨I remember that.¨ Her voice seemed very quiet, like she didn’t know what to say. ¨And now that’s reality.¨

¨What’s wrong?¨

¨I don’t think I should go.¨

I frowned and looked at her, letting my arms hang at my sides, ¨What do you mean by that?¨ I asked quietly. Maybe this was a joke, or maybe even a dream. Even if it was a dream, I wouldn’t be so aware of this. ¨Please, I don’t want to go by myself.¨ I wanted this to be enjoyable. She seemed all for the idea when I first asked her about it, and now it seems like I’m talking to a completely different person. I wondered about why she didn’t want to go anymore, did news actually get out about me yet?

¨My mom. Aella you know she’s sick. She needs me.¨ She said quietly and then let out a breath, ¨She needs me more than you do right now.¨ She looked at me and then slipped her hands in her pocket, pulling out a small box. She walked over and then smiled slightly, holding out the box.

I reached out and took the box from her, looking down at the shiny silver paper. I shook my head, although she had been right I didn’t care. I wanted her to be there, but her mother did need her. I nodded slowly and then looked up, ¨I’ll see you whenever I get back.¨ I said quietly and held up the small gift box, expecting her to leave soon.

¨I know what you did, Aella. I know everything.¨ She looked up at me with a confused expression on her face, shaking her head. ¨Why did you do it?¨ She asked in the same tone. A motherly one, she sounded like she was trying to scold me. I never thought she would figure it out, this wasn’t supposed to happen. This messed up everything, the whole trip, and most definitely out friendship.

¨Vivi...¨ I started off, beginning to grip the box in my hand with force. I was going to continue until she had interrupted me.

¨Don’t. I don’t want to hear your excuse. Killing someone isn’t okay, especially your own father.¨

¨Keep your voice down! He hurt my mom, Vivianna, I didn’t have a choice.¨ My brain went fuzzy, just like it had when I killed my father. I felt the box slip out of my hand as my eyes began to try and focus on the girl that was in front of me. ¨I didn’t have a choice,¨ I repeated quietly, trying to get myself to focus on the face in front of me.

¨That’s not an excuse, if you think he killed your mother don’t you think he would have gotten locked up.¨

¨So now you don’t trust me?¨

¨Not anymore. I can’t trust you. I can’t seem to trust anyone anymore.¨ She said while turning away, beginning to walk towards the door.

¨Vivianne, wait. I didn’t want you to leave. I didn’t want to be by myself.¨

She then stopped and turned around, which began to fill me with fear. She slowly began to walk towards where I was standing, her slowly steps making me fill with dread. I didn’t know what she was going to do, and that was what scared me. ¨Maybe you deserve to be alone. All this time all you’ve done is hurt people. This time...you can’t fix it. I knew my mom was right about you. She’s always right. I never should have talked to you, Aella. Every since that day in the park, something was telling me to not get involved with you.¨ She paused and let out a breath out, her hands beginning to raise up and point at me. ¨You ruined my life and I couldn’t even realize it.¨ She then began to leave my house. The anger still rolling off of her in waves.

I stood where I was, very shocked at everything she had said. My eyes still locked on my closed door, my hands beginning to shake and tears already beginning to form. I knew I should have expected it. I made a mistake by trying to trust someone again, this was the last thing I thought would happen. But maybe that’s what I deserved, to lose the last person that cared for me. I let out a breath and began to pull on my hair gently, I couldn’t stay here. For all I know she could be going to the police and telling them everything, including where I was going. I moved back towards my room quickly, packing everything that I thought I would need, and also my journal. THe one thing that she had against me was not going to stay accessible to her. I tossed it in the bag and then looked around, my eyes landing on the box she had given me. I leaned down and picked it up, pulling gently on the string that had been holding it together. Once the string fell to the ground I slowly opened the box, anxious to see what had been at the bottom of the bow. I had a good idea of what it possibly would have been, the tickets. Maybe she had still gotten them, I don’t know what she would but it was still a possibility.

My eyes finally looked down into the box, it seemed like I stopped breathing momentarily. There had been a variety of things in the box. I sat down on the edge of my bed, staring at all the memories the box had held. The thing that first caught my attention was the necklace that sat on top on a thin strip of paper. I reached down and picked it up, a small chuckle escaping my lips. This was when we first became friends, I remember us splitting the cost of the friendship necklaces. It was childish that at that age we had been wasting our money on the cheaply made jewelry. I know everyone had thought so when we wore them the next day to school. I laughed quietly thinking about the past memory, slowly beginning to put the necklace back. I sighed quietly and then tilted my head back, my eyes looking directly into the light located over my head, why am I wasting time when I still need to get ready. Now that someone had known where I was planning to go, it would make the target on my back even bigger.

I stood up and then moved everything out of the way so I could pick up the piece of paper that was folded up and put in the corner. I put the lid back on the box and then sat it on my dresser. All my attention being put on the paper now. I slowly unfolded that paper, not wanting to accidentally rip a piece off. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the paper, and I didn’t want to. This moment could be what would determine if she was giving me the ticket. Once I got the paper unfolded, another piece fell out. I leaned down and picked it up, I flipped it to the right side so that I could read what had been on it. My name was scribbled across the side, and also a seat number. I knew what had happened, she had give me the ticket. Why?

I shook my head and began to pace the room, none of this made since. What if she was trying to hurt me? Anything seemed possible with what she had just done to me. She was too confusing for me to try and comprehend. I knew that I needed to stop jumping to conclusions and just ready the note that it had been folded up in, but I don’t think that I would be able to handle the harsh words that could be inside the note.

¨You have to look at it.¨ I said quietly to myself. By then my feet had stopped moving, and my hands went up to hold onto the paper firmly. I slowly began to lower my eyes to the paper, taking a deep breath as I let my eyes read the paper.

¨I didn’t want to believe what I read in your journal, Aella. When I read that entry I thought that you would try to hurt me. What you did was wrong, and know that you will get what you deserve very soon. I already had a ticket, I couldn’t return it, I just want you to do one thing; keep my name out of this.¨

I read her short note over and over, maybe she wouĺdn’t say anything because she wanted to keep herself safe, or maybe she would tell them everything in exchange for her safety. At the day I knew that I could only trust myself, and right now I needed to get away from here.