Sorry for the long hiatus, bad case of writer's block!
Chapter 07 – Runaway
It's not hard to find the truth. What is hard is not to run away from it once you have found it.
- Unknown
The next week was a blur to Megan; she kept to herself mostly, not bothering to communicate with Reid, or her neighbor. She barely spoke with her best friend at all during the week.
The same could be said for Pogue, he shunned Kate, who threw a tantrum every'time he did so, even in the middle of the cafeteria at Spencer. He didn't talk to Caleb, Tyler and especially not Reid. He hadn't spoken to Reid about the incident at all. He didn't want to, but he knew he would have to face him eventually.
"So who is this new boyfriend?" Megan asked dully walking from her locker to her car, Kelsey falling in step next to her.
"Jeffrey, he's on the swim team…" Kelsey stated with a hopeful sigh.
"Swim team?" Megan asked with a small laugh.
"Yeah…" Kelsey nodded her head. "He wants me to go to his meet tonight…"
"Yeah, and?" Megan knew where this was going.
"I want you to come with me…" Kelsey stated with a huge grin on her face.
"Why?" Megan asked rolling her dark brown eyes.
"Because I won't have anyone to talk to, I need you…" She pouted.
"What's in it for me?" Megan asked unlocking her car.
"You get to be in good company and watch hot guys in speedos…" Kelsey tried to reason.
"Alright, but I swear to god… if some perv hits on me I'm out of there…"
"Alright I can agree to that…" Kelsey stated with a large grin on her face. "Meet me at my place in a half hour?" Kelsey asked.
"Ok," Megan rolled her eyes and drove off.
Why had she agreed to go with Kelsey? She hated organized sports, especially for school. Especially swimming. Just the water reminded her of her good looking neighbor. She rolled her eyes at the thought. Everything these days reminded her of the long-haired hazel eyed boy next door, either that or his incredibly smooth blonde best friend.
"You're losing your mind…" She told herself.
She told herself that she was done with the two friends, she didn't want anything to do with them any longer, but for some reason, unbeknownst to her she couldn't get her neighbor off of her mind.
She parked her car and ran inside, if she was going to a swim meet with good looking, half naked guys, she would have to dress accordingly. She shoved her key in to the door just as the door next to her was opening. She hurried inside hoping to miss him, she couldn't face him. She didn't even want to look at him to be quite honest.
She closed the door behind her and went straight to her room to find something to wear. After several minutes of shifting through her entire wardrobe she couldn't find something that she wanted to wear. She settled for her favorite pair of loose fitting jeans and a tank top that showed off part of her stomach. She slipped in to a pair of black and white Vans and headed towards her car.
If she couldn't look sexy, she would be comfortable. That was her reasoning. She really didn't want to find anyone, but if she did… he might as well take her for what she was. Shaking her head she noticed the yellow Ducati was gone, she got in to her car and took off to Kelsey's house.
Within ten minutes she was honking her horn loudly waiting for her best friend to come running out of her family's home. Neither of their families were suffering for money, but both girls opted to go to public school. They liked that they could express themselves and not be uniform like the fancy private school, Spencer Academy.
Kelsey came running out of her house moments later dressed in a short black skirt, and a black and white tank top. She flung the door to Megan's car open and slid in next to her. Megan didn't wait for her to close the door before she pulled out of the driveway. She drove the short distance to the school which was only about fifteen minutes away from Kelsey's house.
She climbed out of the car after parking it next to a large black SUV. She noted that it was an H2 Hummer, similar to what Blondie drove around in. She shook her head and linked arms with Kelsey who gladly accepted and pulled her towards the pool area.
"I can't believe I'm actually at a school event…" Megan muttered as they took a seat in the bleachers.
"Well my new boyfriend appreciates the support…" Kelsey grinned as she surveyed the other teams that were there. "It looks like they're swimming against Hastings and Spencer…." She bit her lip. "Spencer's swim team is tough as nails…"
"Spencer?" Megan asked her eye's doe-like. If Hastings wasn't bad enough she had to deal with Spencer too?
"Yeah," Kelsey stated pointing to the navy blue, khaki and white banner hanging above a group of guys standing around in tear-aways and t-shirts. "Spencer Academy, they've won state for the last three years…"
"How the hell do you know all this?" Megan asked her dark brown eyes searching the boys under the Spencer banner for a familiar face.
"Jeff told me…" She grinned.
"You are sick…" Megan stated. "Oh my god…" She whispered. Her search for a familiar face stopped when she found four; two that were very familiar, one that was an acquaintance and one from a brief memory.
"What?" Kelsey asked looking around for something interesting.
"He's here… they're all here…" She whispered.
"Who?" Kelsey asked.
"The hot neighbor and his equally hot friends… you know Blondie and Blue Eyes…" Megan stated her eyes never leaving the small group of four.
"Oh my… awkward…" Kelsey stated. "Ooh there's Jeff, let's go say hi!" She stated getting up and pulling Megan with her.
"That's the last thing I want to do is make myself known…thanks Kels…" Megan muttered as Kelsey nearly tackled her new boyfriend to the ground.
"Kelsey, hey babe…" Her boyfriend, a very good looking dark haired boy with jade green eyes and an awesome body smiled at her. "Who's this?" He asked pointing to Megan.
"Jeff this is my best friend Megan, Megan my boyfriend Jeff…" She introduced.
"Hey," He grinned at her. She lifted her chin up in acknowledgement.
"Meg, baby girl… what are you doing here?" She cringed at the familiar voice, her ex-boyfriend Rhys, a swimmer for the Hastings's swim team.
"Don't call me that," Megan rolled her eyes.
"Who's this?" Jeff asked noticing the rival colors of Hastings High School.
"My ex-boyfriend…" Megan rolled her eyes pushing Rhys away from her.
"Oh don't be like that Megan…" The boy stated putting his arm around her shoulders.
"Don't touch me," She shouted catching the attention of most of the Spencer swim team, she cringed seeing Reid and Pogue look at her. She shoved Rhys away from her and rolled her eyes as he came back towards her.
"We had good times together babe… you can't forget that…" Rhys stated giving her a cool look. He grabbed her arm, looking around to make sure no one was watching them.
"I said don't touch me, Rhys…" Megan stated her eyes narrowing in on the brunette.
Pogue saw the exchanged between his neighbor and the Hastings swimmer, she looked ill just seeing the brunette boy who was trying hard to come off as cool as he tried to get the red head to succumb to his words. Her loud 'Don't touch me' grabbed his full attention, as it did Reid's.
The two teens stared at the two who were inches away from her, Pogue took a step forward when Reid's pale hand grabbed on to his tanned arm and pulled him back. The blonde tossed him a look before sauntering over to the group, the red head's friend and her boyfriend were just watching as the swimmer tried to coax the girl in to something.
"Is there a problem?" Reid asked as he approached them. Megan looked almost relieved to see the blonde, almost.
"Who the hell are you?" The brunette boy asked Reid as he looked at Megan.
"It doesn't matter who I am…" Reid smirked. "I suggest you leave Meg alone before we have a bigger problem than who I am…"
The brunette looked the blonde over and snickered. "Reid Garwin, what the hell do you want with my girlfriend?" Rhys asked.
"On the contrary, Peterson, Megan is my girlfriend…" Reid snickered rolling his eyes at the teenager. "You've been broken up for three weeks; I think it's time you got over it…"
"What the hell Megan?" Rhys asked looking her straight in the eye.
Megan looked at Reid who just gave her a wink, she smirked and looked at Rhys, "Sorry Rhys… but he's telling you the truth…" She shrugged her shoulders and Reid slid his arm around her shoulders.
"Why don't you beat it before I kick your ass…" Reid smirked.
Without saying another word the Hastings swimmer turned on his heel and left, not without shooting a glare in Reid's direction. A small smirk crossed the blonde's lips as he let his arm fall back to his side; Megan blushed slightly as Kelsey and her new boyfriend looked on.
"The infamous Reid Garwin," Jeff stated looking the blonde up and down.
"That's my name…" Reid stated proudly. He glanced down at Megan, "What are you doing here?" he questioned.
"Kelsey here dragged me to the swim meet because her boyfriend Jeff here is a swimmer for our school…" She stated pointing to the couple that was standing across from them.
"Jeff and Kelsey this is Reid Garwin, Reid Jeff and Kelsey…" She introduced.
"I've heard a lot about you," Kelsey blurted out before thinking.
Megan gave her a look that read 'Thanks a lot' and Reid smirked, "You talking about me again Red?" Reid questioned.
"Well Kels is my best friend…" Megan lifted a shoulder, glancing back to see Pogue watching them intently.
"Him and Kate broke up, again…" Reid whispered to her.
"So," She responded flatly, glancing up in to those blue eyes.
"Just thought you'd like to know…" Reid stated with a smirk.
"Thank you from saving me from a train wreck with my ex, I really appreciate it…" She stated giving him a short glance.
"He's wanted to talk to you," Reid stated with a heavy sigh.
"He lives right next door; if he wants to talk he sure hasn't made an effort…" Megan stated giving him a hard look.
"You guys were made for each other," Reid rolled his eyes. "You're both stubborn as hell…."
He gave her a peck on the cheek before walking over to the other three Sons of Ipswich. She gave him one final glance; it was cut short when her gaze fell on the long haired man that was standing next to him. The blonde had received a rough knock in the shoulder.
"Let's go sit down," Kelsey stated linking her arm with Megan's and pulling her to the bleachers.
Megan didn't argue instead she was happy to get as far away from Rhys, Reid and Pogue as possible. She sat throughout the entire meet and was bored out of her mind, the only time Kelsey actually watched was when Jeff was up, and she didn't even ogle any of the other boys.
"I'm surprised…" Megan stated leaving the bleachers following her best friend.
"Surprised at what?" Kelsey asked looking at her oddly.
"You didn't even look at any of the other guys," Megan stated.
"In my honest opinion, Jeff was the best looking guy out there…" Kels shrugged her shoulders.
"He is incredibly good looking…" Megan agreed, but she didn't find him the most attractive guy out there.
No one, she thought was more attractive than Pogue. Those hazel eyes, that long dirty blonde hair. Those muscles. God, she wanted to pounce on him the moment he pulled himself out of the pool after his heat.
She shook her thoughts, leaning against the school's gym waiting for Jeff to come out and see Kelsey. She saw the filter of other kids from the two different schools, and ignored the look she got from Rhys when he walked by to his bus.
Within a few moments Jeff joined them with a good looking guy by his side, dark brown hair, green eyes and a killer smile. Megan cocked an eyebrow up at Jeff and Kelsey grinned.
"Megan this is my best friend Greg, Greg this is Megan…" Jeff introduced putting his arms around Kelsey.
Megan smiled at the good looking guy; she could feel someone staring at her from behind. She took a glance over her shoulder and grinned slightly. Pogue was staring at her intently; she had to act on it.
"It's nice to meet you," Greg started to say.
Megan instinctively pulled him to her and pressed her lips against his roughly. Greg didn't miss a beat though; he grabbed her waist pulling her closer to him, she slid her tongue in to his mouth and the two had a quick make-out session right in front of everyone.
She pulled away from Greg and grinned at him, "It's nice to meet you too…" She stated simply before casting another glance at Pogue and pulling Kelsey to her car.
"What the hell was that about?" Kelsey asked.
"Neighbor boy was staring at me, so I had to give him a show…" Megan stated with a roll of her eyes.
"You are terrible… you know you like him…" Kelsey stated getting in to her car and blowing her boyfriend a kiss.
"I do not like him…" Megan rolled her eyes. "He was just amazing in bed…"
"Why do you always run?" Kelsey asked out loud. She really hadn't meant to open up her mouth and say it, but it accidentally slipped out.
"Run?" Megan asked. "I do not always run, I didn't run from Rhys… did I?" She questioned.
"He didn't give you a chance to run before he was an asshole…" Kelsey pointed out.
"Whatever," Megan rolled her eyes.
"Jason, for instance…"Kelsey pointed out. "You had a perfectly good relationship with him, and as soon as he told you he loved you… you freaked out. You had Geneva spread a rumor about you saying that you cheated on him, just so he would assume you did and it would be easier for you to dump him…"
Megan didn't say anything, Jason was her first real boyfriend in high school, they dated for several months, but the moment he told her that he had strong feelings for her, and that he was falling in love with her she freaked. She grabbed a guy that was considered a "man whore" for a lack of better terms, of the school, and stood right next to Geneva Hollister and went in to detail about their 'affair', though it never happened.
She didn't know how to react, so when he asked her about it she dumped him, and never spoke to him again.
"And let's not forget Eric…"
How could she forget Eric, she really thought things had changed for her when she met the blonde haired, brown eyed babe. He was the perfect 'boy next door' type and he was in a band. She loved that about him. But as soon as he showed too much interest, Megan ran away again.
"Ok, so maybe I have a problem…" Megan stated. "Commitment isn't really for me… just look at my family…"
"You can't use your family as an escape goat, Meg…" Kelsey stated shaking her head.
"I know," She muttered.
"You should talk to him…"
"What if I runaway again?" Megan asked softly.
"Maybe this time will be different, maybe you'll realize that you can't runaway forever…"