Runaway

Michigan.

March 23,2019 3:00 AM.

Destani:

I checked my phone and sighed. My parents had been fighting for hours. It was 3:00 AM. I took out my phone and texted Josh.

Josh, wake up.

Destani. It is three in the morning. What's up?

My parents.

Fighting again? How long?

Yes and three hours this time.

Do you want to come over and sleep with me??

No. Do you wanna do something crazy?

What is it?

Get what you need. We are running away.

Are you crazy?

Yes. Did you need to ask??

No, I didn't. Okay. Be careful. Don't get caught.

I won't. They probably won't even notice I am gone, because they don't love me.

They don't have to love you, because I do, Destani.

I love you too, Josh.

I sat my phone down and grabbed my duffel bag and the box that is in my closet and opened it. Food, Water, First aid supplies, Money, and clothes stared up at me like they were waiting for me to need them. Josh and I put these in my room the day my parents started fighting and beating me after he put a lock on my bedroom and bathroom door. He put one in his room too. I checked my phone as I am putting my chargers in the bag. It is 3:08. I checked to make sure I had everything and tossed the bag out the window. I jumped after it and landed with a muted thud. I waited in the shadows until I heard Josh's muttered cursing. I grabbed him and pinned him behind me. "They're gonna hear you, "I said. He moved so I was under him and whispered in my ear.

"Did you get caught?"I shook my head. He sighed.

"Let me turn the location off on your phone," I said and he handed me his phone. His background was the same as mine: us on the fourth of July. He had one arm around my waist and a hand in his pocket. His password was Destani with a zero. 23840. I went to his settings and turned the location off. I did the same to mine. My password is 52530, Josh with a zero.

"Let's go," he said. I nodded and followed him. We walked for a while until we got to an empty parking lot. Josh picked a car and popped the hood.

"Really?" I asked.

"I thought you wouldn't object to Grand Theft Auto."I nodded. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that it was my dream car. I looked at him. Our eyes met and he winked. He got into the passenger seat and started the car.

"Wait, you're not driving?"I asked.

"It's your dream car, not mine."I nodded and got into the driver's side.

Josh:

Destani is a very good driver, for only having her license for four months. I have had mine since school started and she drives better than me. She looks beautiful sitting behind the wheel, her hair flying in the wind, singing to the radio. She has a good voice. It's not long before we have to stop for gas. We are in the middle of Madison, Wisconsin. We are at least two miles from the college we both planned to attend, The University of Wisconsin-Madison. Our goal is to make it to North Carolina and settle down. We might not make it, but we'll manage with what we have. I might get a job when we settle somewhere. My phone went off. It was my brother, Kaleb, asking where I was and promising not to tell Mom or Dad.

I can't find your location and you just left me with them. Did you go somewhere with Destani? Because her parents are freaking out because she's gone.

They aren't worried about her. They're just worried that they'll get arrested for beating her and letting her run away.

So where are you?

I can't tell you right now.

Okay, whatever but be careful.

We will.

Destani came running back, pale as a ghost. I ran up to her. "What's wrong?''I asked and she broke out in tears.

"These two men grabbed me as I was going to go to the register. They wanted me to go with them, but I broke free and ran."all I saw was red.

"What did these two men look like?'' she was shaking in fear, me in anger.

"One of them had red hair, hidden under a baseball cap. The other one was bald. They both had beards. The redhead had on a New York Yankees shirt and cap. The bald one had a black shirt on. Their names were Sam and Wesley. They used them when they were talking to me."I nodded and set her in the car, locking the doors and walking back into the store. I walked in cool, trying to act calm. I saw Sam and Wesley immediately, recognizing them from the description Destani gave me. I waited until they had their backs turned and grabbed them by the collar of the shirt.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" the bald one said.

"Do you remember the girl that came in here just before me? Yea, she is my sister." the redhead shrugged.

"So? She wasn't anything but a nasty whor-"I punched him in the nose. We were on the ground, me on top of him, punching away, the bald guy forgotten, when I heard the click. I heard the shot and felt the pain, then saw nothing.

Destani:

I heard the shot and screamed, trying to get out of my seatbelt and out of the car. The two men walked out unharmed, except for the redhead, who had a broken nose, blood running down his face, and cuts on his lip and eyebrow. Josh did not leave the store. I finally got the door open as the ambulance pulled into the gas station parking lot, a cop car behind it. I went running into the store but the clerk held me back.

"You don't want to go in there, child." but I did want to go in there.

"Sir, but he is my best friend,'' I said, tears running down my face and blood on my hand and wrist. I don't remember getting cut trying to get out of the car, but dismissed it when they brought Josh out on the stretcher. I screamed and tried to get to him. One of the police officers walked up to me and hugged me. She was a very nice lady.

"Do you know this man?" someone asked me.

"Yes, I do. He is my best friend. Please let me see him. He got hurt trying to protect me.''I said. The police lady looked at me with concern.

"Who was he protecting you from, honey? There is nobody here but us and the shopkeeper."I shook my head.

"They're not here anymore. They left. Their names were Sam and Wesley. They tried to take me with them and I told Josh and he went in there to deal with it." I said, accepting the cup of coffee someone handed me.

They let me ride in the ambulance, making me promise that I would tell them everything later when I made sure Josh was okay. I couldn't stop looking at him. He looked like he was in pain, and when he finally became conscious, his eyes met mine.

"Thank you for protecting me, ''I whispered.

"Anytime," he said and winced. He passed out again and I kissed his forehead.

"I love you, Josh, 'I said into his forehead.

Josh:

I died. I swear I did, but Destani's voice, screaming, and crying brought me back to life while I lay on that cold, bloody floor, bleeding to death. When they picked me up to put me on the stretcher, I passed out. I woke up again to Destani singing in the ambulance. She gasped and knelt beside me. When I passed out again, I swear I could feel her lips on my head and her whisper

"I love you, Josh." I love you too, Destani I thought.

Destani:

Being in the hospital waiting room, waiting to hear if your best friend was going to live through surgery, is like being in traffic. You have no idea what is going to happen next, or who you are going to cuss out. I was getting a snack out of the vending machine when the doctor called me in to see him. I stopped at the door and the doctor left telling me that if I needed him, he was just down the hall. ICU is scary. Seeing your best friend laying in a hospital bed unconscious is even scarier. The beep of the heart monitor helped me walk over and sit on the bed beside Josh, the heart monitor made me look at him, laying there with all those wires hooked up to him, the IV dripping a clear liquid that I assumed was Morphine. I fell asleep laying beside him, listening to the steady beep of the heart monitor that was becoming my friend.

Josh:

I woke up with Destani asleep beside me. I reached over and smoothed her hair. Pain shot up my side and I groaned, waking Destani up. She gasped and started making sure I was alright.

"I am fine Destani, but you need to get that hand looked at." she shrugged.

"It's nothing compared to yours," she said, indicating the bullet wound. I shrugged and more pain shot up my side. I tried to hide it, but I couldn't. She looked at me with a worried look. She rang for the nurse and put her hand on my forehead. The nurse gave me something to help me sleep, and I fell asleep to Destani singing. I realized with a start that it was the same song she was singing in the ambulance.

Destani:

I think I love Josh more than just my best friend. I have known him my whole life and I think our relationship has developed into more than that. The nurse stuck her head in an hour later to make sure Josh was okay. I said he was and that we didn't need anything. She left. I smoothed Josh's hair away from his eyes and he reached for me in his sleep as he knew exactly where I was, where I would always be. I held his hand as tight as I could without waking him up or hurting him, to tell him I am right there, and that I am not going anywhere. He squeezed my hand in return. I started crying and fell asleep.

Josh:

I woke up feeling awful. I felt like I had been sat on by an elephant and run over by a truck. Destani was still beside me, a hand on her heart, asleep. I just looked at her until the doctor came in.

"So mister Bryson, it says here that you are seventeen yes? So since you are a minor and have received a very major, very life-threatening injury, we contacted your parents and they are on the way."I sat up with a start, waking Destani up.

"Josh, what is it?" she asked, looking at my face.

"My parents are coming here. You need to leave for a while."She sat up and left the room after kissing me on the forehead and promising to be back after they left. When my parents and Kaleb got to the hospital, my mom started crying.

"Who did this to my baby?" she said, kissing me on the cheeks.

"I don't know mom," I said and looked at my dad, who was shaking his head at me with disappointment.

"Where is she?" he asked. "Who? There is nobody here darling." Mom said, brushing my hair out of my face. Kaleb came over and hugged me, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Where is Destani? I know she was involved with this. You two are always together, two peas in a pod, her convincing you to run away, that little witch. She has done nothing for you, nothing to help you in school and improve your grades. She never came to any of your games. She is just trying to be popular, convincing you that her parents are beating her and arguing all the time, but has anyone seen the bruises? So where is she!? Where is that Liar?! "he yelled. I stood up, wincing as the IV came out of my arm. Mom tried to separate us, but I punched him in the face. We were cursing at each other and Mom was screaming for the nurses. I was on top of him, even though I had a bullet in my side and he was bigger.

"If you ever talk about Destani like that again, "I said, panting and sweating. "I will do more than just mess up your face. If you want to know, she has been to every one of my games, unlike you. She has helped me in every class. Her parents are beating her and argued all the time, and I have seen the bruises and the marks. I sat with her while she cried for hours after they beat her. She has never lied to me, and if she did, it was for a good reason and she told me afterward. So you have no right to talk about her when she has done none of those things. She has cared about me all these years, more than either of you has ever done."I stood up and walked out the door, Mom crying and Dad looking as mad as ever.

Destani:

I was so worried…what if they took Josh home with them? I got my answer when they both came storming out of his room and down the hall, Josh nowhere in sight. Then I heard him behind me, whispering my name.

"Destani, where are you? I can't see you," he said and I stepped out from where I was hiding. He grabbed me and pulled me into a hug, squeezing me tight.

"No breathing. Josh, you need to get back in your hospital" he kissed me before I could finish my sentence. Our kiss lasted a few moments and then ended. Our eyes were wide when we separated. "Josh, "I said and he pulled away.

"Are you okay? I am so sorry that I just did that, it was my fault." I hugged him.

"We were both caught up in the moment."I made myself say just that, to get us through the night as friends.

Josh:

Destani's eyes lit up with excitement and shock after we pulled away from the kiss. I thought she had wanted it as much as I wanted it. But the way she said my name after she pulled away, made me think differently. Maybe she just doesn't want to ruin our friendship. I don't either, but I love her more than that. Perhaps she just doesn't see that. We went back to my hospital room, with all the doctors and nurses busy looking for me. "He's back!" someone yelled.

"Sir, you can't just leave your room. We thought you were gonna leave without paying."

"Paying?"Destani asked, a worried look in her eyes.

"Yes. For the treatment that we gave him. It's even $2,000.`` That was the rest of our money for North Carolina. Destani looked at me and I nodded, her handing him the money and we left.

"Now how are we gonna get to North Carolina?" she asked.

"Destani, I think we should just call this whole trip off and go home." She looked at me.

"What happened to start a new life together? You're not gonna give up now, just because you got shot and we're out of money are you?"

"That's the reason I am quitting. First, I get shot. Next, my parents show up and try to bring me home and turn you in. Now we're out of money. What are we gonna do Destani? How are we gonna get money? I can't get a job like this. I love you, but we need to go back to Michigan." tears were running down her face, and she turned around and crossed her arms. I could see her silent sobs as she got into the car. We were silent for a little bit, and then she fell asleep. I stopped on the side of the road and watched her. She was very peaceful in her sleep. I moved her hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. I love you, Destani. Nobody or nothing can change that.

Destani:

I can't believe he wants to go back. When I woke up, I felt bored. I pulled out my phone and ignored the missed calls and messages from my parents, and played a game. I was almost finished with my level when Josh pulled the car to a stop in the middle of the road. He turned towards me and pulled me into a hug. "We can go back if you want," he whispered into my hair. I was confused. What made him change his mind, after all of this time? I asked him and his reply was "I want you to be happy. going to North Carolina is making you happy, besides the fact that I got shot. I want to settle down in North Carolina and start a family, just us against the world." he said. I nodded and he started driving back toward North Carolina.

Josh:

After an hour, Destani volunteered to drive because I was falling asleep at the wheel. When I woke up, she had tears running down her face. "What's wrong?"I asked her.

"Nothing," she said, wiping the tears away. "I'm just happy that we finally got away from Michigan." I nodded and she turned back to the wheel. She started humming our song. Now I remember the song she was singing in the ambulance. I started singing the words as she was humming, completing the song, and looking at her as it ended.

Destani:

Six hours later, we made it to the North Carolina borders. I sighed.

"Can you grab the wheel for a minute?"I asked Josh. He nodded and I climbed halfway out the window, him grabbing the wheel and my hoodie so I wouldn't fall out, and yelled out the window. "Hello, North Carolina!" I yelled. Cars started honking their horns in response. I laughed and climbed back into the car and grabbed the wheel. I pulled over at a gas station and got gas and some snacks with some money we had earned helping an old lady carry her groceries in South Carolina. She had paid us well because she had a lot of groceries and we had $60 left after gas and snacks. We pulled into the parking lot of a hotel and sat there for a minute before going in. When we were in the lobby, the hotel clerk took one look at us, dirty and bloody, and let us have a free room for the night. We thanked her and went up to our room to take showers. I let Josh take a shower first since he needed to rinse all the blood off his clothes and body. I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling until he got out. He took a little while, and then it was my turn. I got my shampoo and conditioner and clothes and got in the shower. I stood there, just letting the hot water run over me until it started to get cold. I washed my hair and body and got out. Josh was sitting on the bed when I came out of the bathroom, towel drying my hair and my PJs on.

"How was your shower? I thought you had fallen asleep in there, I was about to come and get you out," he said and I playfully hit his arm. He grabbed me and threw me on the bed and started tickling me. I was screaming and laughing and trying to get him off of me without hurting his side. When he finally gave up, hands raised, I attacked him. I jumped on top of him and started tickling him. "I forfeit!" he yelled and I got up.

"I win, "I said and sat down in the nearest chair. He sat up on the bed.

"You're right because I forfeited," he said. I shrugged and pulled out my phone to play a game when I saw the texts. They were from my parents, all of them worse than the last. There were about 100 of them, all space within a minute of each other. One of them said:

We know that you left with Josh, you traitor. We gave you life, and when we find you, we will take it back, you undeserving brat. We have provided you with everything you have ever needed, and you left us for a BOY.

I wanted to text back, to explain to them why I had left, but I couldn't make my fingers touch the keys on my screen. I left the messages on reading and blocked them. Tears were running down my face and I wiped them away before Josh could see them. The last thing we needed right now was for my parents to come and take me back, so I didn't tell him. I fell asleep thinking about how my parents were probably scouring the country looking for me, but I was safe in North Carolina with Josh.

Josh:

Kaleb texted me that night. I didn't want to talk to him but I read the message anyway.

Are you okay? I know you pulled some stitches when you tackled Dad. I'm sorry about that by the way. If you or Destani need anything, just let me know.

I will thank you for everything Kaleb.

You're welcome.

I feel like Kaleb is someone that I could trust, besides Destani. But I don't trust him enough to tell him that I and Destani are in North Carolina.

Destani:

The next week went by fast. I got a job and Josh started recovery, doing deliveries for anything when he felt good enough to drive. We got another car, so I could drive to work and he could do his deliveries. After a week, we settled back down to a normal schedule. We got a small apartment with the money from our jobs. I was so excited to be in North Carolina, that I forgot my parents and their threat. But the messages came, more threatening and dangerous every day. Some came to like, We miss you, please come back. But others were more like, If you don't come home right now, we will file a report on you and Josh. You ran away and Josh went with you, that can be counted as kidnapping since he’s seventeen and you’re sixteen.

In that instant, reading those messages, made my anger rise to the surface. I was sitting in a chair with my phone and a book in my lap. I picked up the book and threw it at the wall, tears running down my face, and sunk to the floor. Josh walked in, took one look at me crying, and asked what was wrong.

"My parents have been sending me messages, threatening to kill you and me and report us, "I said into his shoulder. He stood up and walked out the door, slamming it behind him. He didn't return until later that day, his eyes swollen and his knuckles red and busted. He had used his fake ID and fought someone at the club, he said. I went over to where he was standing in the living room crying, and wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my head in his shoulder. We didn't say anything for a while, me just standing there, holding him while he shook with those silent sobs.

Josh:

Not long after my fight at the club, Destani's birthday came. I was planning a surprise party for her with cake and ice cream and music. I bought her a necklace with her name engraved into it. I had a very different surprise for her birthday as well, but I always kept it hidden in my pocket in case I got the chance to do it early. On the day of her birthday, I made her breakfast and sat on the bed, waiting for her to get up. When she woke up and saw me sitting there, she started crying. "I can't believe you did this for me, Josh," she said.

I shrugged and kissed her forehead. "I just wanted to see you happy on your birthday, Destani. You know I always celebrate your birthday."I said.

She nodded. "Yeah, you always do." I got off the bed and left the room, waiting for her to go to the bathroom and turn the shower on before I started setting up her party. She always took exactly 26 minutes in the shower, so I had that long to set up. When I had finished setting up, I sat on a stool in the kitchen and waited for her to get out. When she did and walked into the kitchen where I and the cake and ice cream and balloons and presents were sitting, she cried again.

"Is all of this for me?" she asked.

"Yes, Destani. All of this is for you." I said and she ran to hug me. We just stood there for a minute before she broke away.

"Wait, is that a present?"I nodded. She went to get it and when she opened it, she gasped at the necklace inside. "It's so pretty Josh! I love it!"She gave me a big hug.

"I also have dinner planned for you tonight at Applebees. I know it's not much, but I wanted to celebrate with you today."I said and she nodded and went to get some cake and ice cream. She came back with her face full of cake and covered in icing. I wiped it off with one finger and gave her a soft kiss on her lips. She gasped and leaned into the kiss, holding onto me until we broke apart, both of us breathing deep and fast.

"I love you, Destani, "I said into her hair.

"I love you too Josh," she said.

Destani:

My dinner with Josh was more than I expected. Instead of going to Applebees like he said we were, we went to a private courtyard where a table and chairs had been set up, candles burning, and white string lights around us. White rose bushes were all around us, the lights and the roses blending to be so beautiful. When he took my hand and led me to the table, I sighed. This was the first birthday when I was fully, truly happy. When we were eating dinner and the wine glasses were almost empty, he got on his knees. "Destani, the day that I met you, I was so captivated by you, I couldn't resist you. You have changed my life in ways that other people have never done before. You are my best friend, my other half, and my soulmate. I know everything about you, and you know everything about me. I love you so much, and I never want to be away from you. So, Destani, will you marry me?" There were tears of joy running down my face, and when I said yes, tears started running down Josh's face also. He kissed me, more tender than the one before and we watched the sunset and the stars and watched as the moon came up.