I paced my room. My black hair fell over my shoulders as I walked. I tried to keep my sorrowful,purple eyes away from my desk,but I looked over to see the small,black and red tin and the small note lying there. I strode over to my handmade,maplewood desk and lifted up the handwritten note:
Bella-
Meet me tonight at midnight in the run-down park behind the old highschool.
Love Always,
Gerard
P.S. Bring your most important belongings.
I thought about it. Though the note didn't come out and say it I knew what he was talking about-running away. 'If we go I will live happily. If I don't my parents will.'
After thinking I had decided I quickly started packing my important items in my old,crimson suitcase,given to me by my mother. I lugged it over to the window and set it on a limb of the tree outside. hadn't noticed until now that it was storming quiet badly. I climbed down and walked over to my dog,Oliver's doghouse. "Oliver,come here,boy." I whispered. The small Dalmation puppy came out wagging his tail."Come on Olie,let's go." I put him in my purse and let him stick his head out. I passed by two of my friends' houses and tears started running down my face as I thought of never seeing them again. My black eyeliner stained my face as I walked through the rain towards the park.
I could see the park after about ten minutes of walking but Gerard was no where in sight. I sat down on a wooden bench and glanced at my watch, 12:03, it said. I took my book 'The Catcher in the Rye' and began reading. Oliver began growling shortly after that. I set the book down and looked towards the diresction where Oliver was growling. A dark shape began forming and I heard a faint whispering,
'It was a many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,' I smiled and relaxed I knew it was Gerard.
'That a maiden there lived whom you may know by the name of Annabel Lee,' I recited. I smiled, he was saying my favorite poem 'Annabel Lee' by Edgar Allen Poe. He memorized it because my full first name is Annabel and my middle name is Leigh. I kissed him gently while his arms wrapped around my back.
"So,why have you brought me here?" I whispered compassionately in his ear.
"I'm not sure. You tell me."
"When must we leave?"
"Now,if you would like."
"That's perfect." I said. He grabbed my luggage and began walking. I grabbed Oliver and followed.
"Don't you have anything?"
"It's already at the apartment."
"How far away are we going?"
"It's about two days away. In New Jersey. I've got us a ride." He said walking closer to a back alleyway behind the highschool.
"A ride?"
"Yeah. Here it is." he said pointing to a black motorcycle that was parked on the side of the alley.
"Get on. Put your stuff in the side car." I followed his directions and put Oliver in my lap.
We drove,silently,for hours, down streets that I had never heard of and some that looked like no one had driven on in years. After driving straight for what seemeed like hours we turned down an alleyway.
"Where are we going,this is a dead end." I said kind of loudly. I was getting nervous because we were heading straight for a wall and he was speeding up.
"You would think that." he said right before he made a sharp turn into a tunnel right before hitting the wall.
"Where does this go?" I asked," How did you know about this?"
"I have had to use this tunnel a few times before."
"Why?"
"J-just because!" he started getting touchy as Hell. I dropped the conversation. We drove silently for a few moments until the tunnel opened to a large,damp room.
"Here's where we'll stay tonight." he said while parking the motorcycle.
"Is this far enough away?" I asked while looking at my watch it was 5:37 AM.
"It's far enough. Now sleep we have a Very long day tomorrow." he said while adding emphasis to the words 'very long'.
I layed down on the concrete floor of the building and put Oliver next to me.
"I love you." I said as I kissed him.
"You,too. My beautiful Annabel Lee." he said while kissing me back.
I fell asleep quickly followed by a dream that happened to be a flashback of a few nights before:
"Bella,I told you I do not approve of this 'Gerard' kid. He is two years older than you and he just doesn't seem good enough for you." my mom said as we were eating supper.
"But that's it mom! you don't know any one of my friends and you think they are bad! You judge them before you even know them! Just because they may be a little 'different' or there is one,just one, thing they do that you do not approve of you think they are awful people!" I yelled at my parents as I stood up,slamming my fists down on the table.
"Now,Bella you settle down,okay?" my father grumbled as he was finishing chewing his food.
"No I will not settle down because you have no right to judge any one of my friends! Mom,tell me why exactly you don't think Gerard is good enough for me?"
"b-because.well he's-" she stuttered.
"See? you can't think of anything! You just think because he wears that black leather jacket and he wears black shirts every-now-and-then that he's awful! You don't know him! He is the sweetest guy I've ever met. I believe I am the one who isn't good enough for him."
"Annabel! You have no right to speak to your mother in that tone of voice!" my father yelled at me.
"well she has no right of judging anyone she doesn't know." I said trying,but failing,to calm down. I pushed my chair back and jumped lightly when it tumbled to the floor. I started walking towards the stairs and my father yelled after me.
"Annabel! Where are you going?" he said in a rage,pausing and waiting for reply,which I didn't.
"Annabel! answer me," he bellowed,while standing up.
"I am going to my room!" I yelled loudly,and ran up to hard-wood steps.
I jerked up as I awoke to something clammering to the floor. I heard Oliver barking at something. Gerard was still asleep. I looked down at my watch-I had only been asleep for 35 minutes.
"Oliver what is it boy?"
He kept barking.
"Gerard. Gerard,honey. I believe there is something or one in here,Oliver's barking. Please Gerard wake up." I said nervously,while pushing his shoulder length black hair out of his face.
"Huh? What is it?" he said tiredly.
"there's something in here. Oliver's barking at something."
"okay-I'll check on it." he said while pushing himself off the ground.
He walked over to Oliver.
"what is it boy?" he asked while lifting him off the floor. Oliver growled at a hole in the wall. I heard a quiet squeak and Gerard laughed. He turned on a light,as he walked toward me;Oliver followed.
"This is what you were scared of." he said,smiling,and putting his hand out towards me. There was a tiny,white mouse in his palm.
"oh." I said kind of embarassed at my skiddishness. "I'm sorry for waking you for such a minor thing."
"It's fine." he said smiling. He put the mouse on the floor and it scampered back towards the hole in the wall," Let's go back to sleep. We have a long drive tomorrow."
Oliver layed down beside me as I started to fall asleep. I didn't remember what my next dream was about,but I had some feeling that I didn't want to know.
"Bells? Bella,wake up,babe. it's time to go."
"what?" I looked at my clock-it was 7:26-,"why this early? give me a few more minutes." I said while lying my head back on the floor.
"You never were easy to wake up. Come on. We have to get an early start." he said smiling. he bent down and picked me up off the ground.
"Come on." he said while lifting me. He carried me over to the motorcycle and placed me on the back.
Gerard placed my black and purple helmet on my head and put the red and black one on his. He got on in front of me and started the bike.
"Wait! Where's Olie?" I yelled before he took off," Oliver come here Olie." I waited a moment,until Oliver came running over to me. "come here-I took him in my arms-okay we can go now."
Gerard took off and went through the tunnel. In a few moments we were in another alleyway,lit by the morning sun.
"How long are we driving?" I asked after hours of riding.
"Until we get there." He answered.
"Where are we now?" I questioned.
"Can't you just sit back there and enjoy the ride?" he said,sort-of loudly. I didn't answer him. He was getting touchy again.