Chapter 8: Questions
"Huh? You aren't missing... What is this?" Charlie mumbled. Terra turned around and started walking away, but Charlie grabbed her hand. She was still shocked from seeing her face in the bar window. She whirled away and said, "Look, Charlie. I can't tell you what you want to hear, but I need you to do me a favor." She saw him nod his head. "Okay..I have not told anyone this, except my mother, before, ever. Okay, if someone from that bar comes looking for me and starts asking questions about me, just lie. Say that you have no idea what they are talking about. Tell Connie and the others this too. And if you do this for me, the next time I see you, I swear that I will tell you the truth...Deal?" She stuck out her hand for him to shake and make a deal. He nodded and shook her hand. He started skating back down the ally and she took off running towards the darkness.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charlie was numb with confusion and worry. He didn't know what to say. She could be in big trouble, and he didn't know how to help her. He should not have made that deal, he should have demanded her answers, but he didn't. He had succumbed to her. The least he could do now, was tell his friends what had happened. He skated towards them. He saw Connie first, and she looked disappointed that he was alone.
"Why..where is Terra? What happened? Did you not catch up to her...wait..Did she give that to you?" She was looking at his hands and the piece of paper crumpled up in his fist. He opened his mouth to speak, but he did not know what to say. "I– uh..well you see...uh–...."
"What is it Charlie? Where is Terra? What happened? Hello..Charlie? Are you there?" Banks waved his hand in front of her face. Charlie said, "No? Not again...?" Connie tuned around and took off running towards where Charlie had came. Fulton had told her that Charlie liked her, she wanted to ask Terra.
"Con--nie! Wait! You can't catch up with her!" She heard Charlie skating up towards her. She dropped the skateboard to the ground and jumped onto it. Charlie grabbed her hand and pulled her off the skateboard. The skateboard kept on rolling until it hit a trash can. Charlie skated over to it and picked it up. By now, Banks, Fulton, and Portman had come up behind him. "Okay, I did catch up to her, but she told me that she would tell me everything the next time I see her. I know it is stupid now, but I was just so..." "Worried?" Offered Fulton. Charlie nodded. Connie was leaning on a wall and said, "What is going on?!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Terra had kept on running, like her life depended on it, and in a way it did. She had finally stopped when she couldn't breathe anymore. She leaned against a wall sucking in air, but it still hurt. She inclined her head back, and slid down the wall. She had no idea where she was, and she only had five dollars. She stretched her legs out in front of her. She should not have run again. She should have stayed with Charlie, but her past demons had made her run. It made her remember her fears. Only her mom had known about them, and she then sent her to this new prep school and many counselors and therapists to make her "get better." She would never "get better" if she kept running away. But she didn't know how to stop.
She should go back. She walked her hands up the wall for support. She moved her involuntary legs to move back the way she came. Out from the shadows came a voice, "Going somewhere, my pet?"