Young Writers Society

Just an idea I've been toying with. Help is welcomed.

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"Death's just another milestone in my life...Nothing to be worried about."

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Running.

I used to love it. Love the speed and exhilaration it produced. Love the wind that caressed my face and blew my hair out behind me, like a goddess or some awesome kick-ass heroine. It made me feel graceful, though pounding through dirt and grass isn't exactly the picture perfect definition. Dirt or no dirt, I felt top of the world, like I could out run anything and everything and do it with a song in my heart and a smile on my face.

Not so much the case now. There was no smile. There was no song. There was only an ear splitting siren screeching somewhere behind me as I ran for both my mothers and my own sanity. If I came home escorted by the cops, especially at this time of night/morning, Mum would throw a major cow. There would be yelling (probably at saliva-spat-in-the-eye level) and a hell of a lot of disappointment, which would therefore drive me crazy.

My heart thumped erratically in my chest, my breath coming out in short gasps, a burn starting to claw at my legs. The street Adrian and I were running through had no street lamps leaving us bolting through pitch black, only able to see a few metres in front of our own feet.

Whose stupid idea was this again?

The siren echoed louder and I was sure I heard a tire squeal nearby. A high-pitched squeak left my lips and I pushed my feet harder into the smooth concrete of the road, picking up the pace as fear gripped at my chest.

“Adrian!” I shrieked, risking a glance behind me for any sign of a police cruiser. Only black. Somehow, that was less comforting than being able to see the flash of blue and red. “Where the hell did you park your car?!”

“It was up this road somewhere! Just keep going.”

I suppressed a groan and pumped my arms and legs faster.

My hair didn’t flow like goddess anymore; it whipped at my face violently and stung my cold skin.

Why do I let myself get talked into these things? I thought to myself. Adrian had sent me a text message: 'Party 2nite U in?' And I, being the idiot I am, went along with it because I had a stupid crush on a guy who is way too old for me.

Next time (not that there is going to be a next time), I’m going to completely disregard the surfer boy hair, the ocean blue eyes and cute little freckles that settled over the bridge of his nose. Adrian was just so...

Someone, please, slap me now.

A glimmer of yellow shone up ahead and I felt relief. The concrete turned a lighter grey and Adrian came into clearer focus a few metres in front of me.

“It’s just up here Rilz,” Adrian yelled back over his shoulder, using the nickname he made for me. I hated it with a passion that could burn holes into the concrete at my feet. My name was un-nickname-able. April: Ape, Aprilla, Pril, or Rilz- all horrible, all disgusting. I don’t know what my mother was thinking!

“Thank the Lord,” I murmured when I spotted Adrian’s crappy second- hand Ford parked at the corner under the lamp light, my chest loosening with immense gratitude. Once we were in the car, we could get as far away from this place as possible and then I could sneak back inside my room and put this whole mistake behind me.

Adrian and I skidded to a stop at the car. Puffing wildly, sweet beading at his hair line, Adrian tried to get the car key in to unlock his door with panicked fingers.

“Come on, come on, come on,” Adrian muttered to himself, wisps of smoke protruding from his lips with each breath. I leaned against the side of the car, breathing hard, face burning even in the cold still air. My throat felt like it was on fire and that I couldn’t get

oxygen in quick enough.

The door opened with a loud crack that seemed to resonate under the single light. Adrian jumped in and reached across to open the passenger side door for me. I followed his lead and hopped in immediately, slamming the door shut.

The car started with a grumble and soon we were off down the street, heading for the main road where we would become just another of many vehicles.

Adrian chuckled to himself breathlessly, tapping on the steering wheel as he manoeuvred through side streets. I closed my eyes and let my head hit the head rest, pushing a hand through my damp hair. Adrian woot-ed, throwing his head back, relishing in the adrenalin that pulsed through his veins. Idiot.

“Never, ever again,” I sighed, opening my eyes and pulling my seat belt on. I felt as though I’d been stretched till I was a fraying piece of cloth.

“Aw, come on Rilz.” My jaw clenched. Now that we were in the car I could afford to react to the stupid name. “It wasn’t so bad up until the running bit.”

“’Wasn’t so bad’?” I echoed. “I didn’t really expect to see you getting marijuana off that buck-toothed ass while I was there,” I pointed out angrily. I hadn’t had time to hit him about it before everyone had started high-tailing it out of there when a random had shouted, ‘Cops!’

Adrian rolled his eyes, shaking his head. Obviously I was ruining his adrenalin buzz. “What did you expect from a drink-up, April? Use your head.”

Though he used my actual name, his words still felt like a slap on the face. I suddenly felt very young and naive, vulnerable. I didn’t like being made to feel that way, and my only reaction was for my defences to go up.

What had I expected? All I was thinking about was Idiot Adrian wanting me to go with him. My anger at my own stupidity was re-directed at Adrian, the closest target.

“Use my head?” I snapped. “Ha. That’s funny considering you’re the nineteen year old here.”

Shaking his head, Adrian retorted in much the same attitude, “I didn’t force you to come. You’re sixteen; you make your own decisions.”

“Well, you’d think you’d have a little more sense.”

“I’m not your keeper!” Seeing me open my mouth to bite back he cut me off, “Do you want to walk home?” That shut me up straight away. The cold seriousness in his eyes told me that he wasn’t joking. I crossed my arms over my chest, sinking into my seat and glaring out the windscreen at the street lights.

Ass hole. Good looks or not, this was the last time I’d be doing anything with this jerk.

The rest of the drive passed in icy silence- at least on my part. Adrian made a few pathetic attempts at conversation, as if threatening someone to ditch them on the side of the road was normal, friendly behaviour.

When he finally pulled up a block over from my house it only took me a second to have my seat belt unhooked and the door hanging open. Before I could take that extra second to get out of the car, Adrian’s hand was around my wrist, holding me back.

“Rilz,” he said, cajoling. “Are you really going to stay angry at me over this?”

“Yes,” I said simply, tugging my wrist free from his fingers. He let me go and I practically jumped out of the car.

“April.”

“Piss off.”

I headed swiftly towards my house, hugging my arms round myself to retain some heat.

“I thought you were cooler than this, April!” Adrian’s voice followed behind me from the car, sounding like the sore losers last spiteful message to make himself feel better. I didn’t turn around, just held out my arm as I walked with my middle finger up and proud.

‘Cooler than this’- puh-lease. Whoever thinks drugs are cool is at the top of the Stupid Pyramid.

There were no lights on in the house, which I was grateful for. I had tried that one before. Mum was in the lounge up late reading. Yeah, don’t want to go there again.

My room was, unfortunately for my mother, easy to get in and out of. The bedroom window wasn’t the most secure thing in the world and the little half metre garden wall beneath made a nice step, up.

I used my nails to get into the small crack between the glass and the window pane to slide the window open. It made a tiny squeak as it did so, freezing me in place. After ten seconds of continued quiet I carefully lifted my leg over the window sill, holding my breath as I shifted the other in after.

My feet touched the floor softly with the lightest of pressure. I slid the window shut slowly, trying to avoid- no luck, the window squeaked again.

I waited another few seconds, straining my ears and eyes in the dark for any sound or shift of movement. Only the rattle of my breath broke the hushed night.

Safe!

I tugged my shoes off and dropped them by the mirrored wardrobe. I caught the dull reflection in the mirror, cast into odd shadows and sickly tones by the moon shining through the window. I looked like complete crap. The sandy brown hair on top my head was stringy and damp with sweat. Uneven black smudges fell from the lines of my eyes.

The reflections nose scrunched at the sight of me. I had to agree with its reaction. No wonder Adrian wanted to kick me out of his car.

Click.

I whipped round towards the door and my heart skipped a beat. Bright light framed the edge of my bedroom door...