Wrong Way On a One Way Track
Six days later (Friday)…
Anna POV
Finally. I was starting to worry no one would give me a ride. I climb into the front seat. There are two kids in the back seat. "Thanks for the lift."
The man nods. "Where are you headed?"
"It hardly matters. I'll let you know when we're close to the exit. And if you need to stop before then, don't feel bad about kicking me out."
He nods. I guess he understands that I want to keep my reasons to myself. "Daddy…" one of the kids says from the back. "Why'd you pick her up? You normally just drive right on by."
"Picking up a young woman who needs help is far different from picking up a forty year old man who might've escaped from prison or the psych ward."
I snort. How sexist and ageist. I could be a psychopathic killer just as easily as the man he was just describing. And throw in the psych ward bit… He looks at me questioningly. I just say, "Just thinking of the irony. I'm going to see my psychiatrist." He looks suddenly looks uncomfortable and nervous, so I add, "Suicidal not homicidal, I promise. If you want, you can kick me out now."
He takes a deep breath and manages to calm himself. And he lets me stay in the car which actually surprises me. Of course, he'll probably never pick up another hitchhiker again, no matter age or sex. When I have him pull over, he does look relieved to be rid of me. Before I shut the door, I hear one of the kids say, "She was really weird." And don't I know it.
When I arrive at Dr. Takei's, it's ten after four because of how long I spent trying to catch a lift. She looks relieved to see me. "I was starting to wonder if something was going on. If you weren't just running late."
"Well here I am."
We sit in silence. Finally she opens the conversation with, "Where is Kurama today?" Of course she would ask that.
"Does it matter?"
"Well, since he seems to be tied up in your emotional turmoil, shall we call it, yes, it does matter."
"He dropped me off. Shizuru wanted him to pick up some groceries." It's only this easy to lie because I know what I need to do, and she cannot suspect.
"I see. Now, how have you been the last week? How is your relationship with Kurama?" Now that she knows, she's targeting a specific area.
"I've been avoiding him since Saturday."
"Why?"
Ummm…because if I don't I won't be able to do what I need to do? "I don't know. Just because."
"I really think it would help if you talked about it, Anna."
But then you'd know. And the fewer people who know I'm leaving, the better. I'm already going to need to tell Shizuru. "I…said some things. And I know it hurt him."
"And it is still hurting you that you did that." It's phrased as a statement rather than a question.
"Yes," I say. "And I cannot bring myself to face him."
"Is it possible that your avoidance is hurting him more?"
"No. It's not possible. It's probable." And it is. But I must do this. If I don't…I'll run away again. But I can't face Kurama again until I've faced my problems.
I space out, and I'm not sure what we talk about for the remainder of the hour. At five, I stand to leave.
"Goodbye, Anna. I'll see you next week."
"Bye." But if everything goes according to plan, I won't even be in the country next week.
Well...sorry this chapter was so short. The chapter lenght should start getting longer soon. I know I've been saying that for a while now, but I think it's actually true this time.
Foxgirl Ray: As much as Kurama frustrates me...Anna is worse. She's stupid, stupid, stupid. Sweet...perhaps. I hadn't thought about it like that...Anna being sweet. There's a contradiction.
animegrlsteph: pretty much
joey'sBrooklynRage: No control over chapter length. It ends where it ends, end of story. Sorry.
Angel of Randomosity: mm-hmm. Anna is stupid, stupid, stupid, and she's probably going to continue being stupid, stupid, stupid.
Insanity4Apples: I wish she would too. Anna is a failure.
Sarcastic Nightmare: Yes poor Kurama. Anna is...urgh.