Miguel Torres

I took Emily to the waterfall just like I was asked by Ms. Warren yesterday. I didn't know what she wanted or what was going to happen after sunset but I had to keep her there till sunset and that's what I was going to do. Ms. Warren had promised me she'd pay me once her job was done. And I needed that more than anything.

So, here I was walking behind the girl who knew nothing about me except for my name. I watched her as she looked around happily and gave me a smile. She had had a terrible life by what she told me and sometimes I really wanted to help her. But I needed to help myself first. What better could I do to her if my life was falling apart?

And yes, I felt terrible. Lying felt terrible because I had never done it before but I did it so well, she believed in like what- 2 days?

"I have never seen such a beautiful place in my entire life!" she said once we reached the waterfall and sat down on the grass bed.

She looked really pretty and for a moment I felt bad for her. I felt I should tell her the truth. I was desperate for money. Sure, my family was rich and had everything but they never liked me. My father kicked me out of 'his mansion' (as he said it) the second I had turned 18 and my mother didn't say a word. Why would she when all she ever did was drugs?

I had been living at the camp ever since. Ms. Warren found me in the forest one night and gave me everything I ever expected from a loving mother.

The time moved rather slowly.

"Miguel, can I ask you something?" Emily asked nervously, tracing the pattern of her crochet sweater.

"Go ahead."

"Do you like me?"

Shivers went down my spine as the question echoed in my mind. Do I?

"Doesn't everyone?" I said, trying to hold back my nervousness.

"They do but I don't mean it like that! Do you like-" she stopped in between, took a deep breath and said, "Love me?"

"I-" I hesitated. I did. I always kind of did. But I can't say it. I'm not good for her. I lied to her. I'm a goddamn jerk. I should tell her the truth. And with all that going through my mind I looked at her and took her hands in mine as I said, "I need to tell you something first."

"I-Ms. Warren..." Nobody ever told me how hard it was to tell the truth at last after lying for 2 days straight to the kindest soul ever.

And that's when everything started going downhill. I saw Ms. Warren standing next to a tree. It was hard to make her out at first as the forest was covered with trees so much that it felt like night time. The sun was setting. She was looking at me and she didn't seem happy so I did what any other bad guy would do.

I told her I needed to leave for a few minutes and I told her I was sorry.

I really was.

But did it matter?

No.

Was I going to matter to her now?

No.

Tears flooded my eyes as I ran through the forest. I was too scared to look back, too scared to tell the truth, too old to deserve forgiveness.

And that's when I ran into the people I least expected to run into in the middle of the forest. And this time I didn't have the right to tell them what was wrong and what was right.

"Where's my sister?" Sydney asked.

Her words hit me like a shotgun shot in the dark.