I've been running through
the woods,
I've been running with
the wind,
To get hit by a drop-dead gorgeous calvary!

* * *

“ANGER IS NEVER THE ANSWER JASON,” Rita says for the hundredth time.

She had finished fixing Jason's busted fisted and they all had cleaned up the broken glasses. Rita was now giving him the mother-son talk for about anger management that lasted at least an hour and still counting. Victoria was both scared and impressed. How could someone talk that long? More importantly, why was she still there? She was basically punishing myself. She was sitting behind them sipping a cup of blood-filled coffee. She intentionally sipped it loudly, so as to my Jason, who cringed at the sound.

She had had too much coffee and needed to burn off the energy. She was bored. It was a Saturday night and she was stuck watching a seminar. She just needed to clear head. Head out -for a run maybe? It wasn't like she was escaping anytime soon. She looks at the clock, it was still 6:30. It wasn't that late, she could be back in a jiffy. She had better leave a note or she was gonna get an earful from tantrum Jay.

She walked up the stairs to her room. She opened the wardrobe, staring at all the clothes she had bought earlier in the day. She wears a neon-colored tank top and black sweatpants. She looks into the mirror and ties her curly red hair in a ponytail. She stared at herself. Her face was filled with freckles, like tiny chocolate dots scattered on her face. She knew she was flat-chested, but she wasn't ashamed of it; at least not all the time. She takes a deep breath and leaves the room.

She walks to the kitchen counter, picking up a pen and a sticky note pad. Scribbling words on the paper, admiring her beautiful handwriting. Her fifth-grade teacher had told her she could write like an angel but draw like a chicken. She had said in front of the whole class, making Victoria feel somewhat abashed. She finally finished writing, reading what she had penned down.

Went for a quick run,
Be back soon.
P.S. I am not running away Jason.
- Love Vicky

She was pleased with her work. She tapes the note to the refrigerator. In a manner of minutes, she was in front of the driveway. She studies her surroundings. The street was very quiet and filled with various cars, Most of which were of course luxurious. She noticed that all the houses looked a lot like Rita's. The street lamps made the crushed stones glitter a little, combined with the light that came from the crescent-shaped moon. Giving the environment the appearance of a modern scene in a Cinderella book. She sighs as she speeds off on the stony ground making CRUNCH noises as she ran.

She goes behind a house, going into the forest. It was a tepid, might night. The woods were dark, with fireflies coming in and out of view. It was lined with trees whose lightly leaves branches breathed out scented air. A hot wind comes up, stirring the leaves on the trees.

Victoria liked how everywhere was quiet. She likes the sight of flowers that glowed in the night. She loves the thought of them fading away during the winter, only to be reborn in spring- better than ever. She wanted it for herself. She wanted to bounce back, to be the former Victoria -the better Victoria. She kept on running on the winding path of the forest, drenched in sweat.

She suddenly remembers what Rita had said earlier that day. 'Jason doesn't hate you.' She wanted to believe it so much, but she couldn't. She wondered how a young boy could become so cold and distant. He acted as no one existed around him. The way he had looked at the Aeon dome. He looked like he wanted to rip her apart. She also remembered how he had looked during their journey. He gleaned with so much happiness, though she now knew he was only pretending. Jason's heart was a not of stone, but of diamond- impenetrable.

Victoria had been running for about an hour straight. She sees a path that leads back to the road and follows it. She comes up to a major road which was deserted. It had been so long since she had gone for a proper run that didn't involve sneaking and escaping from a force-field guarded city. She had forgotten how to control her breathing while running. She rests on a streetlight pole. She was hyperventilating like a dog, oxygen rushing into her lungs with full force causing her to cough hard. She continues running hoping to find a place to rest properly.

She finds a park bench which she gladly sits on, breathing and drifting off into her thoughts which kept on looking for her. A bright light shines around her, but she ignores it. She is brought out of her daze by the yelling of a guy.

"Get off the bench!" He yelled running towards her, causing her to get up from the bench.

Get off the bench? Victoria did not understand what he was saying until it was too late. She turns her head to the opposite direction and her eyes widen in shock. A car was heading straight towards her at full speed, it's headlights shining directly into her eyes. As a normal person, your first instinct would be to get the check out of the way, but Victoria just stood there staring at the car, her life flashing before her eyes. And boy, she hadn't done a lot. She was paralyzed staring at her doom...

The car was just a few meters from hitting the crap out of Victoria, when a body slams into her, pushing her out of the way. Her head was spinning and she felt dizzy. The impact with the ground that bruised her hand. She finally had control over her body. She turns to see the red car had trampled the bench, gone into the forest, smashing into a tree. The hood of the car had been removed and smoke rose up from the car. The windows were broken and Victoria could see a bloodied man with his head on the stirring wheel. He must have been drunk. She thought. She would be against that tree, probably dying at that moment.

She felt a pair of hands around her, gripping her tight. She turns her head to see her savior. It was a young guy, probably a few years older than her. He had dark hair, a golden summer tan, and bright grey eyes, like the color, is steel blade glittering in the sun. He had a chiseled face, with slender brows, thick lashes. Victoria laid there on the ground staring into his eyes, hoping the world would pass by. A cough that clearly meant 'stop being weird' made her savior and herself release each other, getting up from the asphalt. He was taller than Victoria and was burly. Victoria thought he was cute and drool-worthy-definitely sexy! He had an awkward expression on his face as he finally spoke.

"Are you okay Miss?" he asks. He had a smoky voice like Jason, but the difference was that Victoria actually liked her savior's better. Though the hot guy's voice didn't send chills down Victoria's spine, it was doing other things in her body.

"Yes, thank you," Victoria says in a high-pitched voice, stuttering a little. "If not for you, I would have by split into a million pieces."

He smiles. "Its okay, but it's not me you should be thinking," He says and Victoria remembers the guy who had warned her. She turns to him. He was definitely a guard; he was dressed in the usual black shirt and pants, with combat boots.

"Uh...thanks" Victoria says to the dark-skinned guy in front of her.

"Don't sweat it." He says. "You should really watch your surroundings though." He turns and walks towards the car to check the unfortunate person, leaving Victoria with her drop dead calvary.

"I'd better get going," Victoria says.

"After what just happened? I'm not leaving your side." He said staring into Victoria's green eyes. He cared. She thought.

What was wrong with me?

"Fine," Victoria surrenders.

"I'm Diego by the way. You are?" he asks giving Victoria a handshake. Victoria looks at his brown leather watch which was a little scratched. It was already past 8. Holy cow Jason's gonna fry me!

"It was really nice to meet you Diego, but now I really have to go. Thanks again." Victoria utters. Diego tries to say something, but Victoria is already running through the forest before he could speak.

Victoria remembers the way back. She remembers the smell of the trees, the way the trees looked. She moved as fast as she could, feeling her bruises beginning to heal. Soon, she reaches the familiar street filled big houses and cars. She sees the ash house and slows down her pace.

She reaches the porch and dust off the dust in her body before opening the door. She closes the door gently, hoping Rita and Jason were asleep. But she finds them in the living room watching the television, laughing as if they were crazy. Something felt out of place to Victoria- it was Jason. He was laughing-happily. Rita finally notices Victoria, giving her a warm smile.

"Finally, you're back." She says.

"I'm sorry I am back late again," Victoria says walking further into the living room.

Jason tries to say something, but Rita glares at him making him silent again. "It's okay. I got your note and knew you would be safe," Rita says

"Really, you're not mad?"

"Mad? Come to sit with us. You really need to laugh a little" She says, causing Jason face to darken.

"Rita!" Jason argues, but Rita just ignores him.

Victoria hesitates at first, but after she looks at Rita one more time, she remembered Rita could easily charm her into sitting. She sits down on a one-seater directly opposite Jason, who by the way, was glaring daggers and other deadly weapons at her. What is his deal?. I have only been here for a few days, and he has already made me his nemesis. Victoria thinks to herself.

"I smell blood," Jason says. "Don't tell me you killed someone."

Victoria wasn't in the mood for his comments. "Unlike you, I am not a coldhearted sarcastic idiot. I tripped and bruised my arm." There was no way she would tell him what happened. He'd probably start yelling again.

"I'm not sarcastic. I am just intelligent beyond your understanding." He responds. Did he want to play dirty? Victoria would give him dirty.

"Don't take yourself seriously, no one else does." Jason remains silent, turning crimson. Victoria smirks at her victory.

They watched comedic shows. It really was what Victoria needed. For the first time in weeks, she actually had a reason to laugh. Victoria laughed so hard, blood came out her nose. They were still watching, when Rita turns off the TV.

"RITA?!" Jason and Victoria shout in unison, glaring at each other before turning back to Rita.

"It's a Saturday night and school start on Monday for you two." She says Victoria thought she was going deaf. Had she heard correctly?

"School? I am not going to school." Victoria argues.

"I can't go to school with her," Jason states, glaring at Victoria.

"Yes you are, and, yes you will." Rita was serious. "Victoria you have to go to the mall tomorrow to buy your things, and Jason you have training which means you're both getting up early."

"Great, more places for you to be stupid," Jason says coldly.

"You know you don't have to be a dick?" Victoria asks, irritated.

Jason smirks. "Oh, I have one of those, " He says in a drivel manner.

"I would have said you should use your brain, but its so unfortunate that you can't use what you don't have," She comebacks and turns to Rita. "Rita, can't I just drop out of school?" Staying in Jason's house was enough, but going to his school was a whole different type of crazy.

"Since you will be staying with us until... further notice, you will be going to school. That's final." Rita says firmly.

"Anyway, I'm going to bed," Victoria says, getting up from the couch "G-night."

"Good night," Jason and Rita reply. Victoria knew Jason was doing this to get to her.

She turns to face him. "I wasn't talking to you,"

"Technically, it was a general statement so..." he says letting the sentence hang.

Victoria mentally face-palms herself. "Whatever," She says and runs up to my room.

Getting to her room, Victoria strips off her clothes and goes for a shower. The bruise had healed, leaving only a faint mark of its presence. She showers and wraps herself with a towel, going to the wardrobe to pick something to wear. After dressing up, Victoria jumps on her bed, punching the pillow a few times to make it soft to her liking.

She laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't help but think of her handsome calvary. She hoped she would meet him again.

She really hopes so...

* * *

Author's Note

There it is, your new chapter. Remember to vote and comment. Thank you all for over 200 reads! It might not seem like much compared to other stories but it does to me ❤.

#Joaquin.