Total pages in book: 11
Estimated words: 10371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 52(@200wpm)___ 41(@250wpm)___ 35(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 10371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 52(@200wpm)___ 41(@250wpm)___ 35(@300wpm)
I look up as I come to the end of the sidewalk and enter the crosswalk. At the same time, a car pulls up beside me. I know better than to talk to strangers, but this isn’t a stranger. The car is a blacked-out SUV, and I only know one person with a car like this.
The passenger side window rolls down, and Lucca’s face greets me. “Hey! Get in. I’ll drive you home.”
I’m tempted to take him up on his offer, but then I remember his face when he saw my bruises. He’s going to ask questions. I know he won’t let this go, just like the counselor at school.
“I’m fine. I always walk home.” I don’t slow my steps, and Lucca keeps driving slowly beside me.
“Claire, get in. You ran away the other day without answering me. Now, you don’t have an option. I’m not leaving you alone until you tell me what happened to your arm.”
I knew it.
“I told you, I fell.”
“Claire, get it,” he commands, his voice dark. The intensity of it makes me shiver.
“No.” I shake my head and tighten my grip on the strap of my backpack. I don’t say anything else as I make a sharp turn into the park and away from the road.
“Claire!” Lucca yells after me, which only makes my feet move faster.
I can’t let him get to me. I can’t let him find out what’s going on. It will only make things worse. My dad might actually kill me this time. He’s worried about Lucca, who he is, and what he’s doing. He doesn’t want me talking to him or being near him, and I don’t want to get beat again, so I’m going to do what I’m told. Like I should’ve done from the beginning.
I’m so caught up in my head that I don’t even pay attention to where I’m going or who I’m running into. All I care about at the moment is getting away from Lucca.
Too late, I realize my mistake.
“Look who came to hang out with us boys. Little Red,” someone snickers. I turn my head to where the voice is coming from, and my eyes connect with Daniel’s dark gaze.
Daniel live in my neighborhood and goes to high school. I think he is old enough to graduate but got held back a few years. The guys he is surrounding himself with are younger, but they all have one thing in common. They are bad news.
They are known as the troublemakers around school, and right now, that’s exactly what they look like, trouble. I count five of them, and immediately, I feel even more helpless. Five to one. As if one of them couldn’t easily overpower me.
Circling me like sharks, they surround me in seconds. My heart starts beating so loudly, I’m sure everyone in the park can hear it slamming against my ribcage.
“I need to get home; my dad is waiting for me,” I lie.
“Sure, he is. By home, you mean under the bridge?” Everyone chuckles, and Daniel grins mischievously. “Is he going to take you to the mall and buy you some new clothes?”
The group starts laughing, the sound hitting me like a wave of nausea.
“Maybe he’ll take her to the homeless shelter, where they eat the food that we threw out last night,” one of the guys says.
Ignoring their verbal assaults, I try to leave. Ducking in between two of them, I move quickly, but they cut off my way.
“Why are you trying to go so soon? It’s not like you have any place to be. We could buy you some clothes and food, you know?” Daniel suggests.
“Yes, we’ll take you to the store and let you pick whatever you want. You just have to do some stuff for us.”
“No,” I shake my head. I don’t even want to know what kind of stuff they would expect me to do.
“Why not? Don’t you want a new pair of shoes?”
“Let me go.” I try to leave again, just to be cut off a second time. Hoping to catch them by surprise, I spin around and run the other way. Unfortunately, I don’t get far. Someone grabs my wrist and pulls me back.
“Stop!” I try to pull out of his hold, but his grip is like an iron shackle. Someone else grabs my other arm, and they both start to pull me away from the park’s path.
Panic wraps around my throat, making it hard to breathe.
What are they planning on doing to me?
“Please,” I beg, digging my heels to the ground. My desperate plea only seems to make them more excited as they keep pulling me away.
This can’t be happening. I can’t let them hurt me. I have to fight or do something… scream. I suck in a deep breath, about to let out a cry for help when I see a large shadow move beside us.