Easier to Run chapter Eight
"Have you seen Harry lately?" Cloe asked, concerned. "I haven't seen him for days."
Draco shook his head. "He's not home. I just tried calling him.... He hasn't been home for a week." He scowled as he flipped the top of his laptop down. "Maybe he just needed a break."
"From what?" Cloe asked skeptically.
Draco shrugged. "Life. Maybe he just needs time alone to think."
Cole watched Draco carefully as he lay down on the couch and buried himself in a book. After several long minutes, he looked up at her curiously.
"Don't pretend nothing happened, Draco," she said softly. "I saw what you did. I know what happened."
"I don't want to talk about it," Draco muttered, turning back to his book.
"Why did you do it, Draco? You know he's in a difficult situation already, without you pressuring him!" Cloe exclaimed.
Draco rolled his eyes and folded the page down in his book. Then he tossed it aside and sat up. "You want to know why I kissed him? Fine. I did it because of you."
Cloe looked confused. "What the bloody hell are you talking about?"
"When you pulled me aside at lunch. You made me Ithink/I I liked him. You made me dream up fake feelings for him! So I thought that when I kissed him, I meant it. But now, a week later, I realize what an idiot I am for believing it. Now I know I like him as a friend, no more, no less."
"Don't you Idare/I pin this on me!" Cloe protested.
"I'm not," Draco replied simply. "If someone tells you to rob a bank, or trash a house, and you do it, then whose fault is it?"
Harry slammed his car door shut and leaned against the hood, staring up at the small, pathetic building. The windows were cracked and the shudders were hardly hanging off their hinges. The entire building was covered with dust, and looked as though a tornado had just swept directly over it. A broken and rotting wooden sign sat next to the door, the text illegible.
"So this is it," he whispered, crossing his arms over his chest. A slight smile played on his lips. He closed his eyes as a cool breeze created twists of dust around him.
He moved slowly to the thin screen door, stretching his legs, and peeked inside. Several polished tables were scattered around the medium- sized room. Leather chairs and couched sat against each wall, and in front of a small, empty fireplace. A large desk sat at the opposite end of the room. A tall, fairly plumb lady with long, straight dirty blond hair sat in front of the desk, holding a magazine up to eye-level.
He opened the screen door and walked to the desk.
"Excuse me, the lady at the gas station told me that this is the nearest hotel," he said politely.
The woman closed her magazine and sat it on the desk, smiling warmly. "Yes, it is," she replied kindly. "Would you like a room?"
Harry nodded. The woman pulled a slip of paper out of a drawer. "How long will you be staying with us?"
"One night."
The woman jotted something on the paper. "That would $97.00. How will you be paying for this; cash, check or credit card?"
Harry pulled out his leather wallet and handed her his Visa card. She slid the card through the credit card machine and handed it back to him. Then she turned the paper around to face him and handed him a pen. "Just sign on that bottom line there. And I'll need to see some ID."
He pulled his driver's license out of his wallet too, and scribbled his false name sloppily on the thin black line.
"Follow me," she smiled. She walked to the left of the room and opened a door. She passed ten different rooms before stopping and inserting the key into the lock of the last room.
"Are you vacationing for England?" she asked as she pushed the door open.
"No, I just moved to L.A. from Surrey," he replied.
"L.A.? You're a bit far from home."
"How far am I?" Harry asked. "I haven't been keeping track."
"Well, you're right on the boarder. You're in Oregon now."
Harry raised his eyebrows. "Really? I didn't think I drove that far."
"Oh, I know that feeling." She nodded and smiled, handing Harry the key. "I know this place isn't much, but the beds are comfortable, the water's cold and the food's the best you'll ever eat. My name's Shannon. If you need anything at all, just let me know."
"Thanks," Harry sighed as he walked into his room and closed the door behind him. He sighed heavily as he let himself slip onto the firm spring mattress. He couldn't get Draco out of his mind. He was so confused. What was he supposed to do?
After seven days of continuous driving, Harry could only come to one conclusion: /I Drive. Leave. Get as far away from Draco as he could. Hell, he'd drive to Canada or Alaska if it meant getting Draco out of his head.
He kicked off his shoes and closed his eyes. He was so tired... he had nearly fell asleep while driving, so he pulled over to the nearest stop.
He smiled as he drifted off to sleep. By tomorrow morning, he would have another name, and yet another life.
A/N: Hey! I wrote this in one day, and I like it more than I liked the last two chapters! That's a good sign. Maybe I'm falling out of my writer's block... at least on this story. I'm still working on the rest! Still tough!
TTFN, Deathdragon4
"Have you seen Harry lately?" Cloe asked, concerned. "I haven't seen him for days."
Draco shook his head. "He's not home. I just tried calling him.... He hasn't been home for a week." He scowled as he flipped the top of his laptop down. "Maybe he just needed a break."
"From what?" Cloe asked skeptically.
Draco shrugged. "Life. Maybe he just needs time alone to think."
Cole watched Draco carefully as he lay down on the couch and buried himself in a book. After several long minutes, he looked up at her curiously.
"Don't pretend nothing happened, Draco," she said softly. "I saw what you did. I know what happened."
"I don't want to talk about it," Draco muttered, turning back to his book.
"Why did you do it, Draco? You know he's in a difficult situation already, without you pressuring him!" Cloe exclaimed.
Draco rolled his eyes and folded the page down in his book. Then he tossed it aside and sat up. "You want to know why I kissed him? Fine. I did it because of you."
Cloe looked confused. "What the bloody hell are you talking about?"
"When you pulled me aside at lunch. You made me Ithink/I I liked him. You made me dream up fake feelings for him! So I thought that when I kissed him, I meant it. But now, a week later, I realize what an idiot I am for believing it. Now I know I like him as a friend, no more, no less."
"Don't you Idare/I pin this on me!" Cloe protested.
"I'm not," Draco replied simply. "If someone tells you to rob a bank, or trash a house, and you do it, then whose fault is it?"
Harry slammed his car door shut and leaned against the hood, staring up at the small, pathetic building. The windows were cracked and the shudders were hardly hanging off their hinges. The entire building was covered with dust, and looked as though a tornado had just swept directly over it. A broken and rotting wooden sign sat next to the door, the text illegible.
"So this is it," he whispered, crossing his arms over his chest. A slight smile played on his lips. He closed his eyes as a cool breeze created twists of dust around him.
He moved slowly to the thin screen door, stretching his legs, and peeked inside. Several polished tables were scattered around the medium- sized room. Leather chairs and couched sat against each wall, and in front of a small, empty fireplace. A large desk sat at the opposite end of the room. A tall, fairly plumb lady with long, straight dirty blond hair sat in front of the desk, holding a magazine up to eye-level.
He opened the screen door and walked to the desk.
"Excuse me, the lady at the gas station told me that this is the nearest hotel," he said politely.
The woman closed her magazine and sat it on the desk, smiling warmly. "Yes, it is," she replied kindly. "Would you like a room?"
Harry nodded. The woman pulled a slip of paper out of a drawer. "How long will you be staying with us?"
"One night."
The woman jotted something on the paper. "That would $97.00. How will you be paying for this; cash, check or credit card?"
Harry pulled out his leather wallet and handed her his Visa card. She slid the card through the credit card machine and handed it back to him. Then she turned the paper around to face him and handed him a pen. "Just sign on that bottom line there. And I'll need to see some ID."
He pulled his driver's license out of his wallet too, and scribbled his false name sloppily on the thin black line.
"Follow me," she smiled. She walked to the left of the room and opened a door. She passed ten different rooms before stopping and inserting the key into the lock of the last room.
"Are you vacationing for England?" she asked as she pushed the door open.
"No, I just moved to L.A. from Surrey," he replied.
"L.A.? You're a bit far from home."
"How far am I?" Harry asked. "I haven't been keeping track."
"Well, you're right on the boarder. You're in Oregon now."
Harry raised his eyebrows. "Really? I didn't think I drove that far."
"Oh, I know that feeling." She nodded and smiled, handing Harry the key. "I know this place isn't much, but the beds are comfortable, the water's cold and the food's the best you'll ever eat. My name's Shannon. If you need anything at all, just let me know."
"Thanks," Harry sighed as he walked into his room and closed the door behind him. He sighed heavily as he let himself slip onto the firm spring mattress. He couldn't get Draco out of his mind. He was so confused. What was he supposed to do?
After seven days of continuous driving, Harry could only come to one conclusion: /I Drive. Leave. Get as far away from Draco as he could. Hell, he'd drive to Canada or Alaska if it meant getting Draco out of his head.
He kicked off his shoes and closed his eyes. He was so tired... he had nearly fell asleep while driving, so he pulled over to the nearest stop.
He smiled as he drifted off to sleep. By tomorrow morning, he would have another name, and yet another life.
A/N: Hey! I wrote this in one day, and I like it more than I liked the last two chapters! That's a good sign. Maybe I'm falling out of my writer's block... at least on this story. I'm still working on the rest! Still tough!
TTFN, Deathdragon4