I ran away from home.....
-Chapter 7-
Later, I would be embarrassed of crying like that in front of them all, but now, I didn't care that much of anything but getting home to my dad.
They guys glanced at each other, and then at me. Why did I get the impression that they could communicate with one another without speaking a word? But I brushed it of as nothing. Me and some of my friends at home - while I still had some - had been able to understand each other at times. Even if that didn't go for whole conversations such as what the guys seemed to have. Maybe I shouldn't hope for much, though, since - well, after all, I kind of was their prisoner, right? And you didn't just let those come and go however they pleased, did you? The answer is no.
Suddenly, I was ripped out of my thoughts by Cole, who was slightly shaking me.
"Melody? Mel? Are you OK?" What kind of question was that? I thought irritably. Didn't he just see me leak a lake?
"Yes", I said, smiling weakly up at him. My God, he was huge. Even sitting down he must have been double my height.
"You were spacing out", he said, excusing him shaking me, nearly giving me the whiplash.
"No, I'm OK", I said, though, obviously, it was a lie. Cole didn't seem to buy it either. He raised an eyebrow at me.
"We're going to take you home. Where do you live?"
I named the address.
"Isn't that in Monroe?" Darren asked, sounding confused.
I nodded. "That's right."
"But how did you get all they way out here?"
I grimaced. "Ran, mostly."
He gaped.
"You ran all the way out here? You must have been at it for days!"
"Hence all the sleeping", Blade said, like finally figuring out the answer to a question they'd all been brooding over. He seemed to be in one of his better moods at the moment - but maybe that only was because I was so depressed. Or maybe I was really mean to think so in the first place?
There was a short silence, then:
"Just - please, let me go home! I promise I won't tell anyone you're all here!"
They just looked at me, confusion clear on their faces.
"Why would we not want anyone to know where we are?"
I blushed, which just seemed to intrigue them even more.
"Well, no offense or anything, but it does seem very suspicious, you know, with you all living out here in the middle of nowhere. For all I know, you could be thieves or murderers - or worse. I thought you were kind of on the run or something."
They chuckled, and Blade asked:
"Do I look like a murderer to you?"
Wow. I so wished he hadn't been the one to ask that question. I blushed even deeper as I glanced at him. Unfortunately, he didn't miss that brief glance, and at the corner of my eye, I saw his eyes grow wide as he stared up at me.
"You think I look like a murderer?!"
"Well", I said, quick to defend myself, "your just so angry and brooding all the time, and you always glare at everyone and everything. I'm sorry, but--"
I didn't get to finish before the front door slammed shut behind him. The hallway seemed to echo with the silence he left behind, and I looked apologetic up at Darren and Cole.
