Fan Fiction ❯ Run away ❯ Helped ( Chapter 6 )

~~Chapter 6: Helped…~~

She woke in the middle of the night, hearing a metal trash can crash to the ground. She reached for her bag, it was missing. She scrambled around and couldn't find it. She heard some one running and gave chase. I need that bag! She spotted them and ran a little faster trying to catch up. Hearing her footsteps, the thief threw a trash can in her path and she tripped over it and fell. He Ran around a corner and disappeared. She struggled to get up and managed to get to her knees and curled into a ball and began to sob uncontrollably. I have no clothes, no money except for the twenty that's in my wallet on my belt. I'm completely alone; I'm gonna die from either starvation or freezing to death. She sobbed for a few more minutes trying to figure out what she was going to do. She heard more footsteps and scrambled to her feet to hide in the shadows.

Matt walked cautiously, trying to hear where the sobs he had heard earlier were coming from. The crash of the metal trash can alerted him then he heard the person fall over it, and then came the soul rattling sobs he heard moments ago. He searched around the alley and heard harsh breathing. "Hey, are you alright?" he said softly. He reached out his hand toward her and tried to pull her into the light. He felt her flinch and shy away from his hand. "I'm not going to hurt you, I just wanna help you. Come out into light please, I need to see if you're cut or bleeding or something." He felt a soft cold hand reach his and she stood and walked into the light. His jaw dropped a little bit at the familiar young face that peered up at him through light blonde hair with a look of utter sadness. It's her, it's…Andy. What is she doing here? I thought she would have taken the money and gone into a hotel. I didn't know she was still staying around here. "Hey, are you alright? Are you hurt?" he said softly she shook her head and looked down at the ground wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her other hand. "Come on, let's get you home, and cleaned up." She pulled her hand away and took off running down the alley. He just missed tripping over the trash can himself, when he went after her. He caught up to her easily, she was fast, but he was much faster. He grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled making her do a 180 and smacking hard into his chest. He stopped and pressed her to him, trying to calm her down and keep her from running at the same time.

"I wont go back, you can never make me go back." It was soft as if she was saying it for only her ears to hear but he heard them.

"Why? Why don't you wanna go home? Why are you out here all alone?" he tilted her face to look straight into her eyes.

"I ran away. I won't go back." She stated with determination in her voice. "And you don't exactly run away with your friends tagging along, not that I have any, anymore." She pulled for him to let her go. Seeing that she wasn't going to run away any more he let his arms slacken `til they rested on her knees, her bare knees he noticed.

"Not exactly the best outfit for this type of thing is it? What happened to your jeans?" he said eyeing her now tattered clothes and felt her shiver underneath his hands. She shook her head and shrugged before answering.

"It just happened so quickly, he was fine, then the yelling then he left and I took off. I didn't even think about clothes." She crossed her arms to try to keep warm. She closed her eyes to the now very fresh and painful memories. She suddenly felt a large warm cloth on her shoulders and opened her eyes to see him pulling his jacket around her shoulders so she could keep warm. She tried to push it back to him. "You'll freeze."

"Take it, you need it more then I do at this point, c'mon. I'll give you a lift to the nearest hotel so you don't have to sleep out here in the gutters." She shook her head and gave him a look of pure begging. He tossed around a new idea in his head, wondering if she would go for it or not. Give it a try, it's not like anything is going to happen. "Ok, since you don't wanna go to a hotel, I'll take you to my place, it's not far." He helped her stand up as she turned the idea over in her head.

"look, run aways aren't run aways if they're staying at someone's house. I'll be fine out here," she took off his jacket and pushed it towards him. She gasped as she felt him lift her up in his arms, one arm hooked around her back and the other hooked under her knees. "Hey, put me down. Look, I said I'd be fine. Put me down." She struggled in his grasp.

"I'm not gonna have some kid tell me she'll be fine in the dark alleys of the bad part of town, with no money, no food, and hardly any clothes on. Sit tight and shut up. You'll be fine once I get you to the place we're headed." It was a rude comment he knew it, but she did shut up and lay still in his grasp. He got to his car and set her inside, locking the door before he went around to the other side. He hopped in and turned to buckle in his seatbelt. His eyes landed on the passenger beside him. Out cold. He smirked to himself and leaned over and buckled her in. The drive was short and if you could call it, pleasant. When he got to his house he debated with himself whether or not to wake her. He opted for not, seeing it would be easier to have a sleeping run away, rather than a tired pissed off run away. He unbuckled her and walked up the short porch steps carrying her. Since the guest room wasn't made he placed her down on his bed which, thankfully was made. He pulled a heavy quilt over her to try to warm her up since she was previously sleeping outside. He shook his head slightly. I knew she was homeless, but not a run away. I wonder why she doesn't wanna go home. She needs help. She's so skinny, even with the small meals I've been leaving, she doesn't eat much. If she stays out there any longer, she'll freeze to death. He bent over her and placed his hand on her forehead to check to see if she was getting any warmer. He gasped lightly. She's burning alive. She must be sicker then ever. Well, being out in the cold in a tattered sweater and mini skirt will do that to a person. That's it she says here until she is 100% better. He pulled the quilt up around her neck to try to heat her up so she could sweat out her fever. He turned towards the guest room and pulled out the sheets from the closet and began making the bed. Once the bed was done he fell on the bed and passed out. He woke to the sound of birds chirping and the feeling of being watched. He sat straight up and met eyes with his new guest. "Andy. Good morning. How did you sleep?" he questioned as he got up and out of bed still fully clothed but very groggy. She took a step backwards and looked up at him with fearful eyes.

"What are you gonna do to me?" she questioned. He gave her a very confused look.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" He took another step toward her and she stepped back another pace.

"I mean exactly what I said. What are you going to do to me?"

"Nothing. But I will tell you some thing though. You aren't leaving until your fever is gone and you are a hundred percent better. Got me? And once you are you're going to take the money I gave you, if you haven't spent it and, you're going to buy yourself some clothes, namely pants." Her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

"But I thought…" she shook her head and made her way to the living room. He followed her and smiled as he watched her look cautiously around the room. "Look, I can leave; I'm not your responsibility. I mean, it would seriously grate on my nerves if I had to take in some stranger and give up my personal space. I mean, it's no big deal." She turned and looked at him and her cheeks became a bright red at the stare he had pinned on her. He gave her an annoyed look and walked over to her.

"Look, I chose to do this. So sit and rest. You're really sick. You look all pasty and pale." he put his hands on her shoulders and sat her down gently on the couch behind her. She suddenly realized how sick she really was. She lay back on the couch and scrunched into a ball. He walked out of the room into the room she had been sleeping in and came back out with a pair or sweat pants and a button up black shirt. "Before you go to sleep. Here, change into something more comfortable. The bathroom's down the hall if you need to use it." He said as he placed the outfit down on the couch by her head. She looked up at the small pile of clothes, and smiled to herself. It's nice to have help. She stood and walked to the bathroom. Once inside she gasped and her jaw dropped to the floor, I'm so grubby, I need a shower bad! I wonder if he'll mind. She looked at the closed door and walked over to it. She got ready to call to him when she saw him coming down the hall.

"Would you mind if I took a shower? I really need one." He looked up from the floor and smiled.

"Sure, I was coming to tell you if you wanted to you could use the shower." She nodded and shut the door behind her. She stripped down and got into the hot water. Ah, I haven't felt this good since I left home. She watched as weeks of grime and dirt washed down the drain. After letting the hot water soak her skin Andy turned the water off and got out. She dressed in the black shirt and almost laughed out loud. It's big enough to be a short dress. The black shirt alone came to the middle of her thighs, but she slipped on the sweat pants any way. When she walked out to the living room there were blankets and pillows set out for her. She smiled to herself. She sat down and pulled a heavy blanket over her lap, a small smile splayed over her lips at how warm and comforted she felt. Matt walked in with a tray of food and a small cup of coffee. "Hope you like your coffee strong." She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at him.

"How did you know I even drank coffee? Not many people my age do." She said with a small smile still playing on her lips. He shrugged his shoulders mentally kicking himself. Don't let on that you've been helping her.

"I dunno. Just something said you might. If you don't want it I can get you something else." He said with a look of uncertainty on his face. She shook her head and accepted the cup graciously. "So, you wanna tell me what you're doing in the back alleys of the bad part of town?" She looked down at the steaming black liquid in her hands.

"I…um…ran away from home." She said taking a small sip of her drink.

"I know. But why did you run away? I'm sure your family is frantic trying to find you, not to mention your friends."

"I don't have any friends. My only close friend wants to see me dead before she wants to talk to me. And the only other person wants to grope me before asking any questions. My father…he…we'll just say he's not straight in the head when it comes to me." She laughed trying to make the conversation seem lighter than it really was. "I won't bother you with details. You don't want to sit trough my sob story. I got into some fights with my family and friends and had to take off for a while to clear my head."

"How long ago was this?"

"About three weeks ago."

"Three weeks? You haven't been home in three weeks?" she shook her head. "Has anyone come looking for you?" She shook her head again and he saw the shine of unshed tears in her eyes.

"So what about you? You know pretty much all there is to know about me, I wanna know about you." She questioned trying to change the subject. He took the change easily.

"Well, you know my name. I'm currently a part time waiter. I'm twenty, or gonna be next week. I live in this humble a bode you see before you. Anything in particular you want to know about?" he questioned. She nodded her head.

"What about your family and friends? And another thing…what were you doing in that area at that hour last night?" he grit his teeth knowing she was gonna ask that question and dreading when she did.

"Well, my family, I don't have much left, friends that's another story. I have many friends who live all over the area." That was the truth. "And as for being in that area," I was spying on you to make sure nothing happened and so I could be close if anything did. "I was spending the night at a friend's house. We were watching movies until late and I just passed out on their couch. I woke up when I heard a trash can fall and then someone else trip over it. I got up to go take a look and see if anyone was hurt. I didn't think you'd be there. I thought you'd have gotten a motel room or something." She nodded slightly to show understanding. After a few minutes her eye lids began to grow heavy and she snuggled close to the blanket for warmth. He slipped away with the try of food they had casually picked at through out their conversation and the cups that had once held their coffee. When he came back into the room, she was fast asleep, cuddled in the warm fleece blanket. He smiled slightly to himself. At least she not outside freezing to death. In fact, it's rather nice to have someone here to talk with. It's going to be sad when she wants to leave. He shrugged that uncomfortable thought away. He bent low over her and placed his hand on her forehead. Still burning alive. He frowned lightly and pulled her up into his arms and walked to his room. Depositing her on the bed and covering her with the warm quilt, he grabbed a shirt and pants and headed for the bathroom.

He turned on the shower and let the steam fill the room as he undressed. What was I thinking taking her in…she's a minor, I should have told the state or something. But still, her life could have been horribly worse had I done that. No, the best decision was taking her in. She had no where else to go. He stepped into the warm water letting it relax his tensed muscles. His mind slowly traveled over the events of the past weeks, and even more slowly, back to beautiful girl sleeping in his room…in his bed. Could be worse. He thought sarcastically. He washed himself and quickly got out. He dressed in a comfortable grey t-shirt and black slacks. When he walked past the partially open door of his room he heard her soft moans and cries from her dream. He pushed the door open slightly and walked in, stopping by the side of his bed.

"Father…why?...unnn…no…please…father." soft sobs followed her heart wrenching words. He felt his eyes sting with tears. Why am I getting ready to cry? I mean sure its sad but… His mind trailed off as he turned and walked into his living room, switching on the local movie station and booting up his new laptop. He worked on his computer for about an hour until he spied a still groggy Andy waltz into the room.

"You don't sleep for very long do you?" he questioned innocently. She looked down and shook her head.

"Nope. If I'm not dreaming of happy laughing faces, I'm dreaming of my father and he's yelling at me or my friends disowning me. Sleep does not come naturally once you've run away. You're always on alert, in case someone comes around and you have to take off in a hurry." He nodded in understanding.

"So, you haven't told me much about yourself. Please share." He said leaning back in his office chair. Her eyes scrunched together in confusion.

"What do you mean? You know basically everything about me."

"No, I know that you got into some fights with your family, have run away from home, have been living in that abandoned building for the past three weeks. Now I'm assuming, that you are young, too young to be on your own, you have no where else to go, no one to help you, and no money to get to you any where. Now, why don't you correct my assumptions." He said in an official tone. She shrugged and took a deep breath before answering him.

"Well, you're correct about the money, I have none, except the twenty you gave me and what's left of the twenty my father threw at me before he left. You were also correct on the living. I have no where else to go, except that building you found me by. But as for no one helping me, you're wrong." She paused and looked up at him. "I have you, who won't let me grow up and help myself. But it's very much appreciated. And as for the age, I'm fifteen, or gonna be sixteen in about three days." She looked down at the pair of sweat pants she had `borrowed' from him. "It's funny really, have you ever actually looked at a truly happy family? I have. And I want it back so bad…" the unshed tears from before finally fell. "So bad…I can feel it." She hugged herself to try to calm herself down. She suddenly felt herself engulfed in strong comforting arms and let herself be pushed against a warm chest. She cried for what seemed like forever, not wanting to come back to the cruel harsh reality. She was vaguely aware of the comforting things being said to her from the man now holding her. After a few minutes she finally quieted down and her racking sobs became small sniffles until they had finally disappeared. She felt him release her and pulled back coming to a full sit.

"Look as long as need you help, I'm here, there's always a room open for you. But if you stay, you must make some promises." She nodded. "You must go back to school; we must get you new clothes. And last but not least, you must try your hardest to be happy. I know it sounds corny, but being happy is the key to staying strong." She nodded and sniffled down at her hands. She wiped at her cheeks and her eyes until they were finally dry. She laughed lightly before speaking again.

"So it looks like I'm here for a little while huh?" she smiled down at her hands. He cupped her chin and lifted up until she stared him straight in the eyes.

"Looks like it." He smiled down at her and let her chin go. He had to physically strain not to kiss her. That's wrong, she's a minor and she's in a very delicate situation. No matter how beautiful she is or how badly I want to…I can't. He almost stumbled off the couch so he could go to the kitchen, and get away from her. He was reacting to her and she wasn't even doing anything. God…am I that desperate? Or is she just that damn beautiful?