Lunar's POV

After about a week or two in the cast, I finally got used to having it on, flexing my arm. I laughed with Mathis as we lay in the park. We were cloud-watching again, "What a stupid way to break my arm."

"You could always say you got attacked by a hawk, that'd be an awesome story." She shrugged nonchalantly as if that wasn't weird to say.

I scrunched my face and looked at her, "Why would I get attacked by a hawk?"

"Because you were trying to steal the eggs."

"What the fuck?" I cackled as she started giggling, sitting up and looking down at her, "You're wild, Matty."

My face went pale as I looked up, swallowing at the familiar black Cadillac. Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Hayes sat in it watching me quietly. Mr. Lincoln motioned me to come over to them, casually waving me over but in a slightly stern way, "W-We should get going."

"Are you alright, Lune?" Mathis asked with a cock of her brow, sitting up and looking where I was staring, "Come on, Lune. You can't avoid them forever!"

"I can sure as hell try," I murmured more to myself than her, a lump in my throat tightening as we both stood up.

"If you won't talk to them, I will," She huffed with her arms crossed, my face getting whiter as she started heading over there. My feet froze where I stood as I watched her come over to their Cadillac, stopping and bending down to them. She was always more confrontational than me, especially with drama or fights. They spoke back to her, getting her to run over to me, "They would like to speak to you, Lune. They said it'd only take a moment and then we can go back to goofing off."

I shook my head vigorously as she grabbed my good arm, pulling me but failing to get me to budge. I put all my weight into my feet, digging them deep into the dirt and pulling my arm back, "Mm-mm, not happening! I have no intentions to speak to either of them, I do not care who they are."

I could hear the doors of the Cadillac slam shut, hearing the frustration from how hard the doors slammed. Getting my arm free, I gunned it down the hill, Mathis trying to stop me, "Lune, come back here and talk to them!"

Taking a very deep sigh, I walked into the pond, lifting my arm so the cast wouldn't get wet and heading to the center of it.

"Lune, what the fuck are you doing?!" Mathis yelled at me with a small laugh, "Get out of the pond! You're going to ruin your cast and get bit by snapping turtles!"

I crawled onto the little island that was in the center of the pond, hugging my knees as I looked at her with Mr. Hayes and Mr. Lincoln, panting quietly. I could see the humor in this, but I wasn't about to be cornered.

"Please, come back?!"

I vigorously shook my head, hugging myself tighter as I stared at them. I wasn't going to go anywhere near them, I didn't care if I had to live on this stupid little island!

"What are you? Chicken?"

I nodded, hollering back confidently, "I have a much tighter vagina than you! It's so very tight and I'm proud!"

She facepalmed, saying something to them both that got them to chuckle as she huffed, "Get over here or I'm calling your mother!"

"What the fuck is that going to do?!" I yelled, throwing my arms in the air chaotically, "Prove my vagina is even tighter than hers?! I live here now, thank you! Next, please!"

"I will tell her you're gay!" She'd never, it was just to get me to laugh and come off this damn isle. A failure.

"That's not going to get me to come off this island any faster! That'll just make me stay here for !" I spat with a laugh. Laughing was the only thing I could do to keep from crying. My body was shaking, and I couldn't tell if it was because I was afraid or because I was cold from the water. I hated that looking at all three of them all I could see was annoyance...they were probably just worried, but my brain made it all look different, at least that's what I hoped.

"I'm going to kill you!" She groaned loudly as she started to pull off her hoodie, stopping as Mr. Lincoln put his hand in front of her before removing the jacket of his suit. He pulled off his tie, rolling up his sleeves before beginning to step into the pond. He didn't seem to give two shits that his entire attire was expensive.

Standing up, I started backing up, earning him to yell sternly, "Sit the fuck down!"

I kept moving, cruising faster as Mr. Hayes started jogging, trying to beat me to the other side. Making it before him, I ran as fast as I could, ducking through the trees, "Get back here, Lunar!!"

I ran faster and harder, not looking back as I ran. I didn't dare to look back; I was too afraid...too ashamed. I really just wanted to hide, to escape.

You're not the only one who can run fast, Mathis.

Mathis caught up with me, jogging next to me as she gave a flattered smile at my surprise, "Didn't think I'd catch up, huh?"

I shook my head admittedly, slowly coming to a walk, panting as she did the same, "I-I can't see them, Matty. I just can't. I don't want to work for them anymore. I'd rather my parents be disappointed than work there. I'd rather be outcasted or shamed, I don't care because it's better than being so fucking afraid."

Those words made her heart break, I could hear it in her voice, "L-Lune--"

"I-I'm sorry," I whispered, going back into a run as soon as I heard the twigs snap behind us. This time I didn't stop running, running faster and harder until I knew for sure that I had lost all three of them. I dropped to my knees, panting as I looked down the open hill I was on. I had run out of my town and to my uncle's town. My comfort, my safety. My throat hurt. My lungs burned. My legs felt like jelly as I stumbled down the hill, making it slowly to my Uncle's home. It took everything in me just to keep standing as I knocked on his door.

"Lunar, what are you doing here?" He answered in shock as he opened the door and looked around, "Did you walk?"

"I-I just need to stay here for a few...," I whimpered out, talking and moving hurt, "J-Just for a bit, pl-please."

With a slow nod, he allowed me inside, my body collapsing onto his couch and passing out. My body ached and screamed when I moved. The house was dark but outside my Uncle's campfire burned. He always loved burning a campfire and making s'mores. I limped out to him, weakly sitting in the seat he had waiting for me, looking at me with concern, "Why'd ya run away from home, Lunar? Your parents must be worried sick."

I stared at the fire, watching the flames dance with one another, staying quiet. I just wanted to disappear, but my silence only raised more questions.

"Did somebody hurt you? Is somebody after you? If you're in trouble we can help you, but you've got to talk to us," I shook my head, tearing up and turning my face away, wiping my cheeks with my wrist. A sigh left his throat, "You're hurting, Lune. Please, talk to me."

I hesitated but gave in, telling him everything. It took an hour or two and not once did he interrupt. Not once did he belittle me or shame me. Once I was finished talking, he pulled me into a tight hug, "I've got to call your parents, Lune. I won't tell them anything that you told me, but you do need to go home."

He took me inside, having me rest in the guest room. I couldn't sleep, though. As the sun began lighting up the darkness outside, I could hear a car pulling into his driveway. I groaned from the soreness, peeking outside. I hid immediately in the bathroom, fully prepared to escape through the window after locking the door. The car that had pulled up was the black Cadillac.

A knock at the bathroom door caused me to start opening the window, Mr. Hayes' voice on the other side of the door as he spoke, "Please, come out, Lunar. We're taking you home."

Climbing out the window, I backed up, the aching in my body vanished as I was prepared to start sprinting again. I spun around as soon as I ran into something, going pale as Mr. Lincoln stood with his arms crossed, "Get in the fucking car, Lunar. You've run enough."

I turned to dash, skidding to a halt as my Uncle stood, blocking my path, "You need to go home, Lune. Running away isn't going to solve anything."

I turned in a 90, prepared to fly in that direction, skidding to another halt as Mr. Hayes stood in that spot. Swallowing, I backed up against the wall, my face going pale as I looked at them. My throat was tight, it felt like my lungs were about to collapse at any moment. My uncle went to grab me. I ducked under him, taking that opportunity to start racing all over again. However, this time I didn't know where to go, I just wanted to escape, and I didn't care where.

Running into the city, I dragged my body around, looking around frantically. People looked at me as I trudged around, making faces but I didn't care. I hid in one of the alley's ducking behind one of the trash cans as I heard the familiar sound of the Cadillac driving by.

Sleep consumed me soon after.

***

Lunar's POV

I shot onto my feet as a little girl screamed in my face, "Mommy, there's a man here!!"

Stumbling, I fell to the ground, wide-eyed and terrified as I crawled away from her.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

My heart was pounding like a thousand running horses as I kept backing up, my body running into a pair of legs. Arms threw me over the person's shoulders as a small bag of quarters was tossed at the girl, Mr. Lincoln chuckling out, "Thanks, Kid. Have fun!"

I flailed around, hitting and kicking but I wasn't let go, just held tighter, "L-Let go of me!"

Mr. Lincoln sat in the Cadillac, shoving me forcefully into his lap as Mr. Hayes started the car. I didn't stop struggling, causing Mr. Lincoln's grip to constrict until I could hardly breathe as he pulled the seat belt over the both of us. My heart pounded harder and harder as Mr. Hayes began to drive, Mr. Lincoln's hand holding my head tensely to his shoulder as his arm held my body tightly to his.

Neither of them spoke as we drove and my heart kept booming within my chest, it felt like it'd explode any moment. I closed my eyes tight, trembling. Mr. Lincoln's arms slowly loosened after about thirty minutes. It was then that I had noticed his heart had also been racing. He was hiding it, but his hands were shaking. I could feel them quivering as they rested on my hips, his face buried into my neck.

"W-Were you running from me?" He mumbled, his voice barely audible as his grip on my hips tightened, breaking at the end of the question. It was like he couldn't tell if the question or my answer was more terrifying.

"I-I was running from everything," I whimpered quietly, trembling as I watched the passing trees and homes, "I-I just wanted to be free. I-I'm scared all the time...I-I just wanted to be free."

He caressed my cheek, kissing my temple as he let out a shaky breath while watching out the windshield, slowly cupping my chin and making me look at him, "Don't ever run from us like that again, do you understand?"

I looked down at my cast, picking at it as I avoided eye contact, "Y-You know I can't promise that."

"I know," He sighed as we pulled into their driveway, caressing my thigh delicately as he exhaled and calmed himself.

My mother and father stood waiting with Mathis at the steps, standing up as soon as they saw, Mathis running towards us. Mr. Lincoln allowed me to get off of him, letting me stand up in front of Mathis. She smacked me hard, my cheek burning as I felt the handprint forming, "I-I deserved that." Another smack, "Th-That, too." Instantly I covered my groin when she went to hit, my irises wide with panic to protect my jewels, "M-Maybe not the nethers!"

She hugged me tight, getting into my face, "If you ever do shit like that again, I'll kick your ass!"

"Y-You promise?" I smiled weakly, trying to lighten the mood as I held my pinkie towards her, hoping the humor would cool her nerves. She was acting this way because she was worried and probably blamed herself. She had a weird way of showing she cared sometimes.

"Promise," She latched hers with mine, jumping into my arms and clutching me tight, "Don't you ever do shit like that again or I'll be a lot scarier than these two."

I laughed into her shoulder, "Y-You already beat them at that a long time ago."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She stuck out her bottom lip, making me chuckle as I set her down, her foot stomping, "What do you mean by that, Lune?! I demand to know!"

"Th-They haven't seen you in P.E.," I rolled my eyes at her with a shake of my head.

She became a giggle-fit, waving me off with embarrassment, "I was kidding! I wasn't going to hurt anybody!"

"Then why'd you chase the teacher with a weight bar?" I cocked a brow with a chuckle, "For an hour?"

"Go see your parents, Lune," She huffed, defeated because she had no argument.

Hesitantly, I walked over to them both, shuffling my feet. I tensed as they pulled me into a group hug with them, relaxing and burrowing into them, "...I-I-I'm sorry for running away. I-I'm a big dumb-dumb."

Ma cupped my face, making me look at her, a stern look on her face, "If you ever, and I mean ever, pull this shit with me again, I will strip you bare and whoop your ass. I'll pull out the ol' leather belt all over again, do you goddamn understand me?"

I looked at her wide-eyed. She rarely ever cursed. That got me instantly to nod, "Y-Y-Yes, Ma'am. U-Understood, I-It won't happen again."

"Thank you so much for driving and picking him up! I'm sorry he caused so much trouble," She stepped over to Mr. Hayes and Mr. Lincoln, my face burned as she yanked my ear, "What the hell do you have to say for yourself?"

My face lava-ed more as smirks tugged at their lips, amused by the scene, "I-I'm sorry for c-causing such a fuss. I-I didn't mean to be troublesome; it-it won't happen again."

"It's alright, Mrs. Floid," Mr. Hayes chuckled as she let go of my ear, "He's a good kid with a troubled past, the least we could do was bring him home for you. Take him home, get him cleaned up."

She smiled, heading over to my father, Mr. Lincoln grabbing my wrist delicately, "Sneak outside by midnight sharp, we'll be waiting for you in the driveway."

He let go of me as I looked at him with furrowed brows, allowing me to hop into the backseat of my father's car next to Mathis, her voice a hushed giggle as she raspberried at me, "Looks like somebody's getting spanked tonight."