"H— hi Carlie," Mark stammered as he walked over to me, still surprised that I was there. He gave me a brief hug before asking me, "When did you get here? Are your parents with Mimi and Roger or something?"
I had been so happy to see Mark that I'd forgotten for a moment everything that had happened. My stomach plummeted before I answered, "Um………I got here………just now. How's Lauren?" I asked, referring to his girlfriend and trying to change the subject.
"She's fine," Mark answered giving me a funny look. "She's in DC this week presenting her art show— but Carlie, where are Collins and Angel? Are they downstairs?" asked Mark, bewildered. "Did they just send you here by yourself? Or— oh," he said, looking me over and realizing that I didn't have any bags with me. "Carlie, do your parents know that you're here?"
"Well………not exactly," I replied, not meeting his eyes. Mark gave me a very skeptical look. "No," I said.
"Oh G-d," said Mark, before walking into his room, muttering to himself. He came out a minute later with his glasses on and then went over to the phone.
"Don't," I told him suddenly. Mark looked up at me with an exasperated look. "Don't call them."
"You don't know who I was going to c—"
"It was either my parents or Mimi and Roger, and I don't want any of them to know right now," I said to him.
"Carlie, you can't just expect me too just let you stay here without telling anybody………" Mark said to me with an apologetic look.
"I don't," I replied. "But— just, not right now, okay? I just need to sit. I don't want any questions."
"Carlie, your parents are probably worried sick. They need to know."
"No, they're not," I muttered.
"Huh?" asked Mark.
"Nothing," I said to him. "Just give me some time, okay? Please Mark?" He sighed. "Thanks," I answered, before going over to the couch and sitting down.
Mark went back into his room and shut the door, still muttering to himself. Once he was inside, I breathed a sigh of relief. For now, at least, I was okay. I expected myself to sit there, still running things over in my head, but I didn't. I'd only been sitting for a few minutes when I felt myself slowly drift off to sleep.
--
"So she just showed up here? In the middle of the night? And you didn't even tell us? Or Roger and Mimi? Or even, I don't know, her Angel and Collins?"
"Well, it wasn't exactly the middle of the night………more like fourish………and she told me not to tell you guys………she said she didn't want any questions………"
"Mark, she's only thirteen years old. When she runs away, you have to fucking tell someone. Do you have any idea what Angel and Collins have probably been through in the last twenty four hours?"
"Honey bear, will you quiet down? She's going to wake up if you keep being so loud."
"Give me a break Maureen, okay? It's not I have a lot of experience with kids or anything………and it's not like you do either………"
I slowly opened my eyes. For a second, I didn't remember where I was, or how I'd gotten there. With a sudden jolt, I remembered. Mark's apartment, buses, running away, yelling………
I looked over to my left. Mark, Roger, Mimi, Maureen, and Joanne were all standing in the kitchen area, talking about, of course, me. I considered pretending to stay asleep so that they would keep talking about what they were planning to do with me, when Roger caught my eye.
"Uh, guys?" he said to Mark, Joanne, Maureen, and Mimi. "I hate to break it to you, but she's awake."
"Never mind," said Joanne, exasperatedly. Mimi and Maureen both rushed over to me as I sat up.
"Carlie, what are you doing here?" asked Mimi with a concerned look. We called Angel and Collins, and they were very happy to here that you were okay, and now they're coming here now, but they wouldn't tell us what happened."
"You told them?" I asked, glaring up at Mark. He gave me another apologetic look.
"Honey, of course we told them," said Maureen. "They need to know. And they were really worried about you." That, if anything, made me feel worse; after all that I'd said, my parents still loved me. "They're on their way here. But really, what happened? Your parents wouldn't tell us anything."
"I— I don't want to talk about it," I answered, feeling my stomach and jerk around, and not meeting either of their eyes.
"Are you sure, Carlie?" asked Mimi.
"Mm hmm," I murmured, determinedly staring at the duct tape on the couch. Mimi sighed, and she and Maureen walked back over to Mark, Roger, and Joanne, giving the three of them 'we tried' looks.
I saw Mimi give Mark an 'I'm sorry' look before turning to the group and saying, "I'm sorry guys, but I have a hip hop class to teach in about twenty minutes, so I really have to go."
"Yeah, I have band practice," said Roger. The two of them both left before Joanne and Maureen both turned to Mark.
"We have to go too," Joanne said to him. "We'll come by later though, okay?"
"Yeah that's fine," muttered Mark. I knew that he wasn't that happy to be left alone with me; he wasn't sure how to act.
"Bye Carlie," said Maureen, and she and Joanne both walked out the door.
Mark looked helplessly at the closed door after them before turning to me. "So," he said, clearly having no idea what to talk about. "Umm………"
"What time is it?" I asked suddenly.
"Around two," Mark answered. "Mimi called your parents around one, so I'm guessing that they'll get here around four………"
"Great," I answered sarcastically.
"Carlie, are you sure you don't want to tell me—"
"I'm sure," I said sharply. Mark gave me a sad look. "It's just, Mark, it was really bad. I can't tell you."
"That's all right," he answered with a sigh as I sank back down onto the couch. He stood next to me, awkwardly, for a second, before telling me, "Carlie, listen, I'm really sorry, but I have some errands to run, and I'm showing a new film today, so………"
"Don't worry Mark, I'm not going to run away again," I said, even though the thought had briefly crossed my mind. "I'll just stay here until my parents get here. Don't worry about me."
"Umm………ok," said Mark reluctantly. "If you need anything, just call my cell."
"I'll be fine," I assured him. Mark said good-bye and walked out the door. I breathed a sigh of relief; I'd wanted to be able to collect my thoughts before my parents got there.
I walked over the kitchen table and sat down, thinking if I should eat something. I was hungry, but my stomach still felt queasy, and I didn't think I would be able to hold anything down. Also, the persistent lump in my throat didn't want me eating either.
I rested my head in my hands and tried not to think about what was going to happen in less than two hours. But that was impossible. I was going to see my parents, and either we were going to act like nothing had happened, there was going to be major yelling, or— or what? I wasn't sure.
Over the next hour and a half, my stomach would flip every time I though about my parents, and then I'd check my watch, dreading that another minute had past.
But, of course, time didn't feel the need to slow down just for me. So, at 4:13, I heard two pairs of footsteps coming up the stairs. My stomach dropped one more time before I heard the footsteps come closer and closer to the door, and then it opened.
I automatically stood up and turned to the door. There were my parents, staring at me with relieved-sad-worried looks on their faces. We looked at each other for a few moments, until I finally did what I had needed to do more than anything in the past day. I burst into tears.
Now I'm thinking that there might be nine chapters, because I had thought before that I might go a little further with this chapter. But I changed my mind.
Anyway, you know what do! cough cough review cough review review cough cough