Ricky POV


Taylor needs to slow down! Why wont she? She might be used to it but I’m not.
I sigh and my legs burn. I look up and see another hill.

“Taylor.”

“What?!” She says loudly, looking back and glaring.

I look down. “Never mind.” She makes an aggravated noise and turns back around.

I really screwed up. Two years ago when she first started gong to our church I made jokes on her clothes. My friends laughed so I kept doing it. She immediately hated me but it took a while for me to realize it so I kept making jokes. Then, by the time Lucy told me how much I was hurting her and making her mad, there was no turning back. She already hated me by the time I, never mind, I try not to think of it, hurts to much. Anyway but after that happened I decided to just keep the whole making fun of her as my cover. I never should though, I should have tried to make it up to her.

But I can’t think of that right now, I can’t think of the past. I’m here now with her, and maybe I’ll be able to make it up.

I can’t talk yet, she just screamed at me, but then again if we’re found soon I’ll have run out of time. I speed up a little till I’m next to her. She looks at me and rolls her eyes. I need to learn to bite my tongue every time I think I’m going to say something mean, that could be a good start.

I take out my phone and turn it back on, it should have self charged somewhat. It has one bar. I smile then see Taylor out of the corner of my eye and she’s watching my phone. I yawn and stretch my arms above my head, turning my volume down to silent. If I get anymore texts, especially from Lucy, she’s going to go be sad and probably b****y again.

She looks away, not seeming interested anymore. I quickly look at my phone and see fifteen texts, seven from Lucy. I scan them and then delete them. The others weren’t important, some saying bye cause I texted them my phone was dying in time and the others just in the middle of a random conversation. One though is from Becky, all in caps, screaming, asking if I’m dead. Now that I’m trying to get my head clear of my cover, I realize how annoying Becky is.

“So what, twenty texts?” Taylor says.

“I didn’t get any.”

“Don’t lie to me.” She doesn’t look at me, but her voice is kind of strained and low. Like it’s hard to talk.

I look at her. She’s incredibly conflicting right now. I know she’s strong, anyone would be who can put up with the crap I’ve given and probably more cause Lucy told me no one likes her, she barely speaks to her parents even. But she looks like a wounded dog almost, I mean she has that one scar on her face which she wont tell anyone where it came from, those cuts on her forearms, and just the vibe from her. She’s six inches shorter then me but that’s not the reason she seems so small. I wouldn’t know anything she’s been through, I’m popular, I’m always texting, and I’ve never really been in a fight, except for Taylor.

“Fifteen.”

“From who?”

“Them.”

“Duh.”

“Ok.”

“Whatever.”

Mmm, this is starting out good.

When it’s time for her to put up another piece of my bandana, I take it from her. I want to help her but she takes it the wrong way. She rips it out of my hands and pushes me away.

I’m about to yell, but I remember what I’m trying to do and breath. I step back and give her her space. She pauses and looks at me. “…going crazy.” She mumbles. I’m not sure if she said ‘I’m going crazy’ or ‘He’s going crazy’.

We continue on walking. I check my phone every once and a while till the screen dims and says it’s low on battery. Then I turn it off.

“It’s four thirty.”

“Ok.”

“K.”

Mmm, two conversations and no fighting, great start! I think I can do this. It’s Fall so it wont dim till six I guess.

“We have an hour and a half.”

“Yeah, I know.” She looks at me like I’m retarded.

I shrug. “Just saying.”

“Shut up.”

No way am I losing my streak of no fighting. I try to start a casual conversation. “So when we get back what are you going to do?”

“Why do you care?”

I’m about to say that I really do care about it, but I don’t know how she’ll take it. So I decide so not be all nicety nice, but not a total a** either. I’m going to meet somewhere in the middle.

“Just trying to make conversation.”

“Probably go back to my forest.”

“You’re going back into a forest after this?”

“I wont get lost, it’s-, you know I don’t have to tell you this!” She says annoyed.

I sigh, restraining from calling her a moody b****. “You don’t have to tell me, but I’d like to know.”

“So you can what? Stalk me, rip down my markers, beat me up with your friend, burn down my forest?”

“No. Never mind jeez.”

We’re quiet. This is harder then I thought.