Chapter 11: Walk Away

It was Zelda who found Grim lying on the floor curled up in a ball. By the time anyone cared enough to look for her, she was done crying. She just laid on the floor tracing the swirls in the wood. Why does she feel the need to ruin everything with David? He wasn't nothing but good to her since she met him. She can see now that he truly cares about her and she had to blow it. She had a chance to have a happy life with someone but that's all gone.

David stood outside the lodging house. He's been standing out there for a while because he couldn't make himself move. He couldn't bring himself to leave Grim completely but he didn't want to go back upstairs and see her crying knowing he can't do anything to make her stop. Everyone stayed away from him after they saw how he looked when he came downstairs. He didn't want to be bothered anyway unless it was Grim. He would go to the ends of the world for her if she told him so. He can understand that she's having a hard time dealing with all these new feelings and he wants to help her through them but why does she have to be so damn stubborn? He was able to show her his feelings. Why can't she show him hers?

"What did you do to her?" he heard Crutchy behind him.

"I didn't do anything to her. She told me to leave and I did." David answered.

"Zelda found her on the floor and she's not talking to anyone. What happened?"

"I don't know. I was all ready to take her out then she started crying. I don't know what to do, Crutchy. I don't know what to do anymore with her. I get slapped, pushed away, yelled at and I still come back to her. She's the one who wanted me to come by tonight and now she doesn't want anything to do with me. I don't think I can do this anymore." he explained.

"Just go back up there and talk to her. She's just nervous. I'm sure this is just some kind of …misunderstanding." Crutchy suggested.

"Misunderstanding?" he laughed lightly, "Misunderstanding. What misunderstanding? It's not that complicated, Crutchy. I want to be with her. What's the misunderstanding?"

Crutchy didn't say anything. David knew he means well but David isn't in the mood for this. How can I be with her when she won't let me in?, he thought. He looks up at the bunkroom window. He knows Grim has been crying. He couldn't hear her but he could feel it inside him. It breaks his heart to feel this.

"It's not too late, David." Crutchy suddenly said.

"I have to go. I can't stay here anymore." David said as he began to walk away.

"David," he heard Grim from the doorway.

He turned around to find her standing on the top step. Her eyes were red and her dress was wrinkled from her being on the floor. She still looked so beautiful to him. Crutchy quietly slipped back inside which made David feel grateful for so could be alone with Grim but it also made him feel angry because he didn't want to see her. David stood in the middle of the street and waited for Grim to make the first move. After a few moments of silence, he knew he had to go first.

"What do you want from me, Grim? You want me to come back? I'm done playing games with you."

"I have never played games with you, David, and you know that." she jumped in.

"I don't know anything about you. All I know is your mother was a whore. What about you?"

"I told you about myself. I was raised in an organization that travels with orphans."

"I know all that, Edna." he nearly yelled then he sighed, "I mean Grim. I know all of that but I don't know you."

"You want to know who I am?" she began walking down the steps, "Okay, I'll tell you. My favorite animal is the tree frog. My favorite color is yellow. I'm afraid for small dogs and being in front of large crowds. I always wanted to go to Rome. My mother is French and my father, as I was told, is Irish. Oh, I also hate myself."

"Why do you hate yourself?"

"I can't be normal. I can't be a normal girl. That's what I want most in the world is to be a normal girl with normal feelings. I know you don't care about any of that but I do. You know, it's different when you grow up with family and friends. You know the correct emotions. You know to cry at a funeral and to laugh at a joke. I don't know any of that even though it's common sense." she explained.

"I guess I don't know. You won't tell me these things. Instead, you start fighting with me. I don't think I can keep doing this with you." he said.

"You're abandoning me?" she asked, suddenly feeling very scared.

"I'll never abandon you but…I need time to think. I have to go, Grim." he said. He kissed her cheek then walked away.

Grim stood in the middle of the street and watched the love of her life walk away from her. That was the one thing she never thought she'll see. He can me if he wants, she thought, I'll be fine. But will she really be fine? David opened the flood gates to her emotions and she doesn't know how to stop them. She looked around and found that she was completely alone. I never should have came here, she thought. If she just had went to a different city, she would never have met David and she would never have fell in love. She watched him as he turned the corner and disappeared.

"I'm a walking punch line." she said quietly to herself then she slowly went back inside.