Katelyn's point of view

I swung my legs on the edge for the boardwalk, my legs burning and my chest rising and falling quickly. I was tired and a bit glad that Luke didn't follow me.

This wasn't exactly close to the house you know.

I sighed and pulled out the pack of cigarettes again, wanting another one but not wanting to make Jacob mad. I flipped the lid open and looked at them, feeling only a small pang of guilt as I saw a slot open.

I sighed and pulled one out before grabbing the lighter. I struggled to light it, but when I did, it wasn't as big as a problem as it was when I first did it.

I set the pack and lighter in my pocket and then pushed my hair out of the way, sighing as I remembered I still had red dye all over the blonde strands.

I need a shower.

"Katelyn?"

"Go away." I said, not bothering to turn around. I breathed in the smoke and then blew it out, causing the other person to cough.

"You're Katelyn, the girl Jacob likes."

"Who are you?" I asked and he sat down beside me. "What do to want?" I asked the boy with black hair.

"Your fourteen right?" He asked asked me and I nodded. "What are you doing with a lit cigarette in your mouth?"

"Smoking, what does it look like?" I asked and he looked at me as if he didn't expect such behavior from me.

"Jacob said you're sweet as sugar, he must have fucked up his taste buds." He told me and I nodded.

"I was, well I am I guess. I'm just really pissed off right now." I said and he nodded. "What do you want?"

"I'm Kaleb." He said and I nodded. "He said that you had his cigarettes because he needed you to keep them from him." He said and I nodded.

"Indeed."

"He said he wanted to stop for you because he knows knows the smell isn't pleasing and it'll cut his life short a few years, maybe fuck up his organs and teeth and stuff aswell." He told me and I nodded.

"Cute." I said and blew the smoke away from him. "I'll talk to him about that sometime. Right now, I have a feeling I might light one more because they're making me feel better."

"Light another one, I dare you." A new voice pitched in and I froze as Kaleb turned around. "I fucking dare you Katelyn."

"Okay." I said and then pulled the pack out. I smashed the one I had against the thick wooden beams and then grabbed a new one, lighting it quickly and putting it between my lips. "Do something about it." I said.

"What's gotten into you?" Calum asked me and he stood beside me, grabbing my wrist. He took the cigarette from me and Kaleb reached into my jacket's pocket.

"Nothing." I snapped and then sighed as I looked at the ocean underneath my feet. "Nothing is wrong. Don't worry."

"Never asked if anything was wrong love." Calum said and it just reminded me of when Luke and Michael would call me that. It made me mad.

"Don't call me that." I said and he looked at me. "You're not allowed to call me that." I told him and Kaleb set a hand on my arm.

"He's just being friendly and clearly, you know him already. Calm down." He told me as I took my arm from him.

"I came here to relax and get my mind off of things, not to be lectured and reminded." I said to them. "I don't want to hear it." I told them and it went silent.

My phone rang and I pulled it out of my pocket. I saw Luke's caller ID and then pressed ignore. "Not a chance sunshine." I mumbled and put my phone away.

"What did he do?" Kaleb asked me. "Jacob may have mentioned that you had two dads, Michael and Luke."

"They're not my dads." I said and he held his hands up in surrender. "Plus, they're assholes. I wish they never stopped by the adoption center."

"Luke is torn up you know." Calum said and I stayed quiet. "He wants to know what he did wrong, besides for when he yelled at you and took things a little too far with Michael while you were home."

"As if he doesn't know." I said and rolled my eyes. "As if they don't know." I told him and sighed. "I hate them."

"What did they do?" Kaleb asked me and I looked at him. "It can't be that bad love, come on. Hide your make-up? Break your laptop? Forget to cook your dinner?"

"They used me." I said and Calum sucked in a breath. "Yeah you fucking knew about it didn't you Calum?" I asked and stood up. "I'm leaving. Tell Luke not to hold his breath."

"Katelyn wait!"

"No!" I shouted and ripped my arm from his grasp. "Don't touch me. You knew that they were using me, hell, you probably don't even care because you're growing more famous. You're apart of the band, so you don't care.
You just want more publicity, more money. Leave me alone."

Tears blurred my vision and I ran away from him. "Katelyn!" Kaleb yelled and I shook my head. Once he caught up to me, I took the cigarettes and lighter, then I ran again.

That seems to be the only thing I'm good at, running away...

I stopped running after awhile and then I sniffled. I looked around, unsure of where I was. I don't think I've ever been to this part of town.

There were clubs everywhere and an allyway or two. The cars were either really nice or all beat up and then you could smell smoke, the same one Luke had on Halloween.

It was scary but intriguing at the same time.

I wrapped my arms around myself as I walked around the area, seeing multiple people getting kicked out of bars or fighting with someone. There were a lot of small liquor stores and corner markets, aswell as homeless people just sitting outside of them.

I looked down and shivered as and few yelled at me to take my clothes off and to give them a 'good time'. Whatever that means.

I looked around, wondering how the hell I could get out of here and back to the boardwalk, maybe the house because I was seriously afraid.

Maybe.

I walked around and looked at the houses that were small with messy lawns or the houses were falling apart.

It made me sad because how can they live in places like that? They're not nearly enough room for a family or pets. Plus, this seemed like such a bad neighborhood and it worried me to see little kids running around without shoes on, or even babies playing out in the open without guardians to watch them.

I sighed and walked across the streets, my legs hurting and an unsettling feeling in my stomach and a ton of questions filling my head.

Why are such famous and wealthy celebrities trying to make more money for themselves rather than for the people who need it? You have millions, why are you being so inconsiderate and greedy?

Why would people want to live here in the first place? Why are there so many homeless people over here? Why doesn't anyone do anything about the messy lawns and houses that are about to collapse any second?

Why did Luke hit Michael? How did Kaleb notice me so fast? How did Calum find me so quickly? Why is Luke torn up when he knows what he did wrong and doesn't care about me? Why would Jacob just want to atop smoking for me? Why?

Why was I so full of questions right now?

I sighed and came across some kind of club. I looked at it and a specific car caught my eye. It was the one that drove away ftom our house, and I know it is because of the band stickers on the window. It was Michael's car.

I knew I couldn't go in, but I also couldn't just wait out here for Michael to come out. I didn't want to see him, but I needed a familiar face around because I was on the verge of passing out.

I walked towards the car and realized that someone was in there. I stopped as I saw Michael in the drivers seat, his arms crossed on the dashboard and his head buried into them.

His shoulders were shaking and there were bottles of beer in the passenger seat. One or two of the six bottles were empty and a pack of cigarettes laid on top of them all.

I wanted to knock on it and ask him what's wrong, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was supposed to hate him and I was supposed to be at the house with Luke.

In the midst of my thoughts, I didn't realize that he had seen me and rolled the window down. He looked at me and I looked at him.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Running away." I said and he looked at me. "Are you okay?" I asked softly and noticed that he had a nasty bruise on the side of his jaw.

"Get your ass in the car." He said and opened the door. I stood still and he looked at me. "You shouldn't be here."

"I shouldn't." I agreed and looked at him. "Neither should you." I said and looked at him, my mind running and going from thought to thought.

I felt so conflicted as he spoke, saying that this was a bad part of town and I should be at the house. I couldn't concentrate on his words all I could think about was that Luke hit him, they used me for fame, and that pink bag on the floor of the passenger seat was exactly the same as the ones on my desk.

"Get in the car. I'm taking you home." He said and I looked at the bag and then at him. My eyes soon landed on the bottles of alcohol he was moving and I felt so fruatrated.

I got in the car and he started it. "Does it hurt?" I asked since I had been silent for far too long.

"Not as much as my chest." He said blankly before buckling his seatbelt. He wiped his eyes and then I buckled my seatbelt.

I grabbed the pink bag by my feet and looked at him. "It's for a friend." He said and I opened it.

I pulled out the box and then opened it, seeing a bracelet with diamonds and lots of silver little charms with engravings on them.

I closed it and then put it back. "Why are you here?" He asked me after I put the bag in the backseat.

"I told you-"

"Why did you run away?"

"Because I couldn't stand to see Luke." I told him and looked out of the window, wincing sees I saw people fighting and kids crying. It was a nightmare.

"What did he do?" Michael growled and I looked at him. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel and don't think I didn't see the way his jaw clenched and nails dig into the wheel.

"He hurt you physically and emotionally and..." I started and Michael glanced at me. "He hurt me mentally and emotionally." I added and looked out the windshield. "I couldn't do it."

"So you ran?"

"Took the screen out of my window and walked across the roof to the front, then I ran." I said and he skidded to a stop as a light suddenly turned red.

"You walked across the fucking roof? Do you know how high that is? You could have fell and hurt yourself Katelyn." He said and looked at me. "Don't ever pull a stunt like that."

I looked at him and he seemed so upset and like he genuinely cared. "I'd hate to lose you because of something so idiotic." He told me and I felt guitly.

"I'm sorry Michael... I won't do it again..."

"You better not." He said and then pulled me into a hug. "God, I'm just glad you're okay princess. I'd die if you got hurt."

A horn beeped and Michael stuck his arm out of the open window, flipping the person off. I laughed and Michael smiled as he began to drive again.

-

Question of the chapter:

-Kaleb! Is! Here! How so you feel about him finding Katelyn and recognizing her?

Author's answer:

-I have the best chapters planned next because of this man. Hell yeah

Reader's answer: