Severed Bonds

Ugh! I didn't even get to check myself before I accepted! Damn it!

"Hey." I say faintly.

"Hi!" Lola waves back. Wait Lola is at Justin's?

"Took you long enough." Justin says out of nowhere. AHHH! It's an ambush!

"Oh! Shush! Justin she just moved! You can't expect her to not be busy with her new school and shit!" Lola turns to me. "So? How are you? You have a boyfriend yet?"

"No! And I'm not going to date for a while." I smile nervously.

"Yeah, after the whole Noah situation..." Justin trails off. Thanks, Justin I can always count on you to rub salt in my wounds! "I told you she liked him." He brags to Lola.

"Oh! Shut the fuck up! Justin!" She rolls her eyes.

"You did not!" I defend.

"Yeah, the whole time." He says casually. My mouth hangs open.

"How!" I blurt.

"It was obvious." He shrugs off.

"Then how come I wasn't able to tell?" Lola adds.

"Because...you're oblivious." Justin laughs. Lola smacks him. "Ah! Hey!"

"Say I'm oblivious one more time! And I swear!" I laugh softly. Justin stops and looks directly at me like he knows something. "Oh shit! Guys it's my mom, I'll be right back. Shit! Lola no don't leave me! Soon as she walks out the door Justin sits up and looks at me.

"So what have you been up to Hannah?" He says in his interrogating voice.

"Well, school and unpacking."

"Oh, well you must have a lot."

"Why do you say that?" I ask nervously.

"Well you have a plate on your desk." Shit!

"Oh, that's just for a snack." I let a nervous laugh.

"Really?"

"Mhm."

"I thought you hated food on your desk?"

"Well...." I trail off.

"Unless... you're eating your meals in your room, that's the only thing that would be an exception." He casually adds. I bit my lip.

"Me and my dad are kind of mad at eachother." I sigh. I have to give him something or he will keep picking.

"Why?" He looks concerned.

"Well...he found out I was drinking when I went to a party and now won't let me go hang out with friends." It's partially the truth. He looks at me for a long time as if he's trying to decide whether to believe me or not.

"Oh, how did he find out?"

"Ah...well I...came home drunk." That didn't sound convincing!

"Who drove you home?" He demands.

"Um..." Memories of that night flash back in mind, me running for my life. Getting drugged, passing out...There was someone...screaming, they sounded-

"Hannah?" The memories vanish, and I find myself laying on my bed looking at a screen.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry I've been spacing out lately, I guess I'm not used to Idaho." I play off. Where is Lola? I need her here right now.

"Hannah." Oh, no..."You look tired." I wasn't expecting that?

"Well you know school work and shit." I shrug. Thankfully, Lola comes back.

"Ugh! Sorry guys I got to go." She huffs in annoyance.

"No, it's fine Lola. I got to catch up on school work."

"Bye!" She smiles. I wave back.

"I'll facetime you again when I get the chance." I say to Justin. The door closes.

"Yeah, you better."

"Bye!" I wave. He smiles at me softly. That did not go well...he knows, he knows...something's not right. I wish I could tell you Justin, It hurts for me to lie to you like this over and over. At night, I have nightmares of the hooded man and creepy guys chasing after me. Like the previous ones I'm at the party place. I'm running as fast as I can but my legs are giving out, the hooded man creeps close to me. My heart is slamming against my chest, cold sweat drips down my body. I shut my eyes tight, this is when I wake up. But this time I'm still here! Why am I not waking up? Why can't I wake up! The guys snicker, I walk back slowly my legs feel wobbly. I take off, only to fall on my face. I groan and use my hands to pick myself off the ground, I see the guys coming toward me. I bend my legs in and try to stand on them, but they're too weak to support my body. I begin crawling away as fast as I can, my eyelids are heavy and get heavier the more I crawl. Eventually I fall into darkness, when I wake up I pull off the covers on my bed and pant for air. I look around and take in the sights of my room and my breathing begins to slow. Instead of going back to bed I decide to get a glass of water. I turn the knob and see a hooded figure at my door. I jump back and shriek in horror. "Did you forget?" The voice is sinister and hoarse. The figure walks through the doorway, my breathing hitches and heart starts pounding. "Did you forget?"

"W-what do you want?" The figure continues to get closer. I walk back.

"Did you forget?"

"W-what do you mean by that?" The figure walks closer and closer till it has me backed up against my desk. A hand appears out of nowhere touching the front of the cloak, the fingers grasp the cloak and tug it. I wake up in a cold sweat gasping for air, I turn on my bedside lamp and look around my room. I pinch myself , to my relief I feel a sharp pain. I put my hand on my chest to feel my heart. I can feel it's rapid beating, I take shaky deep breaths. Each time I do this I close my eyes. When I'm finally at ease I take another sleeping pill hoping that it will knock me out hard enough to where I can't dream again. In the morning, I wake up refreshed but a bit shaken. It takes me lots of pep talks and reassurance to walk out my bedroom door