Song: Pretend It's Home By Beth Crowley

I wake up all alone in the lumpy bed. The cool morning breeze coming through the open window gives little goose bumps down my body. I look around and Kade is not in here...I wonder where he could be. I sit up slowly letting the wool blanket fall to the hardwood floor.

 My feet hit the floor and it's actually feels good against the bottoms of my feet. I walk to the bathroom and do what I need to do. I look towards the tub and think about taking a shower however I don't seem to see a towel anywhere in the room, much less any shampoo or body wash. When I'm done peeing I pull my jeans back up and go to wash my hands in the sink. Above me I see my reflection in the old peeling mirror.

My hair is a mess...bed hair is what my mother would call it. I think back to when I was in my early teens...

"Sophie...you are not going to school like that." She fussed throwing her hands up in the air.

"What does it matter...no one cares what I look like." I snapped back at her.

"Dear Lord...Sophie just hurry up and either take a shower or brush it out. You gonna keep on and I will cut all of it off."

"Fine...I will brush it out." I remember rolling my eyes at her.

Now I stand in front of this mirror and think maybe it would be best to wack it off...it's not like I care about my hair...and I'm sure Kade could care less.

"You still thinking about cutting it off...uh..."I look over and see that Emily is standing behind me.

"Maybe...what do you think?" I hold my hair up to show her what I would look like with short hair.

"I think you will regret it...however a different color would be fun you know."

"I don't have any dye...matter of fact I don't even have any scissors so looks like I'm doing neither."

"You are pretty the way you are anyway."

"Well I think she should cut it all off...hell be wild girl."The voice comes from the other side of me and it's Ava. She comes around every now and then. She loves trouble.

"Ava...it's been a little while." I turn to look at her.

"Yeah...you seemed not to be needing me much...however I'm here if you need me. I have never really left you, you know."

"I know."

"So this guy...Kade...what is he like?" She moves her eyebrows up and down and gives me a wink.

"I don't know really. I don't know why he brought me here or why he thinks he needs me."

"I'm sure you will find out soon enough. I will say he is not bad looking."

"I haven't really noticed."

"Seriously...how could you not. Girl if you don't want it I'll take it."

"The only thing is...is that he can't see you...so how are you going to have any of it." I smirk back at her.

She cackles... "Oh Sophie...you're killing me. I think he is waiting for you. Maybe you should go find him."

I glare at her momentarily and roll my eyes. Only Ava would think that Kade looks fine. I head out of the bathroom and down the small hallway to find him in the kitchen.

"There you are good morning, did you sleep well?" His voice breaks the silence of the place. A nice deep voice that I am actually a little attracted to.

Stop looking at him Sophie..."Ehh. So what are you doing?"

"Waiting on you to see what you want for breakfast."

I look in the fridge only to find it empty because we didn't buy any fresh goods or things that needed to be refrigerated. I look through the one bag and hold up some breakfast bars. "Looks like we are having these."

He shrugs his shoulders and takes one.

 "So...what are your plans today?"

"I think we should go fishing. I found a few poles out back and there is a lake not too far from here."

"I haven't been fishing in forever. The last time I went was with my father."

"Did he teach you how to put the bait on...and how to take off the fish or was he the type that did it all for his little girl?"

"Yes he showed me how...but it's been like forever."

"Well then, finish up eating and we will get out of here."

I take the last bite of the breakfast bar and then throw the wrapper in the trash. As we are heading out the door I grab a pole along with him. We walk a trail that I assume must lead to the lake. The walkway is all dirt, a small little trial winding this way and that way through the trees. I swipe away a few of the flies that buzz around in my face, not to mention the one bumble bee. I have to watch where I am stepping so that I don't trip over any tree roots and believe me they are everywhere.

Suddenly the lake comes into view and we make our way down and sit on the embankment. The view is breathtaking. The small lake is surrounded by trees, very secluded. I look out into the water and no one is around...it's just the two of us. I move a few rocks around to look in the dirt to see if we can find any worms at all and to my surprise we actually find a few. He watches me when I put the bait on the hook and throw in the line. I watch him do the same and we sit there enjoying the quietness of nature...

There are several flying insects all around us and I hear other living things nearby like a few birds, crickets and even bullfrogs in the distance. The sun shines down on us and my body starts to warm up. My line gets a sharp jerk and I reel in the fish. I watch as it flops around in the water and then in mid air as I continue to reel him in begging for me to set him free.

"Nice one...he will be yummy to eat later." Kade holds out his fist to give me a fist bump. I actually smile back at him. Maybe he's not as bad as I thought him to be.

"So Kade...why did you jump in my car. Why me?"

"I watched you go into the store and then back out. You just looked...I don't know...lonely, like you could use somebody or a reason to escape."

"So you took the incentive to bring it on yourself to help me."

He nods his head. "Look I needed a ride and you looked like you could use a friend...so here I am. Let's make the most out of it while we can."

"But I have school and what about my meds."

"I don't think you really like school...do you...so why go back to a place you can't stand?"

"It's not that I don't like it...it's just it's so freaking stressful and my mom thinks I should make straight A's but it's not that simple you know. I can't help if I'm not smart."

"Your mom shouldn't be so hard on you...so what are you studying?"

"Nursing...well the nursing field...but honestly I don't even know how I got in and it's not what I want to do...it's what she wants."

"Ouch...so what do you want?"

"I love writing...I want to be an author but she says writing doesn't pay the bills. She says that is just a hobby...not a career."

He cackles, "What like one of those famous writers...like King, and Dickens...hell even Shakespeare. I could go on all day if you want...your mother doesn't know what she is talking about. Are you any good at it?"

"I want to say I am...but apparently I'm not...really it's just a waste of my time day dreaming about it, it's not like its ever going to happen anyway"

"I think you should do it...You should get out one of your notebooks and just start writing...hell write about our adventure here at this cabin."

"I don't know...maybe. So what do you do?"

He reels in his line to find the bait gone so he has to put another worm back on. I watch as he throws his line out and then wait for a nibble. "I was in a band...we had words so now I am out on my own again. But don't you worry...I will find my way again you will see. When we get out of here I plan on starting another band. I just needed a break, you know."

"Guess we all could use a break every now and then. How did you know about this place?"

"Oh...this place...I booked it a few months ago. The owners posted it on Craigslist and I sent them the little money I had. I just needed a way out here...and that's when I spotted you. I needed a ride. I have it for the month actually so we shouldn't really be disturbed by anyone, however you just never know."

"True..." I think about my phone that is on the side of the road miles and miles away. My mom had a tracker on it. I bet she is looking for me and I wonder if she found the phone already. Then I think about my car. Without insurance that my mom put on the car, I know that I can be traced. Any moment now I have a feeling that she will be here.I am lost in thought and don't even notice him staring at me.

"What you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

"You don't have to lie to me...what were you thinking about?""My phone has a tracker on it and it's somewhere between here and the store...my mom will be looking for me you know?"

"I know..." He gets a nibble and brings the line in to take off another fish. "Is there something else you are not telling me?"

I nod my head. "The car has a tracker...my mom worries about me with my condition and all so she likes to keep tabs on me."

"Oh...got you." He is about to throw the line back in when it dawns on him. "Wait...you have a tracker on the car...we have to get rid of it...like now."

"Seriously...no. We will need it when we leave."

He stands up and grabs his stuff and then my hand. "Come on let's get back we need to get rid of the car."

I follow behind him. I try so hard to keep up and avoiding the damn tree roots...then just as I am almost caught up to him, I fall flat on my face. "Ouch..." dropping the fish out of the bucket.

He stops and turns around to see what happened? "Shit...are you ok?" he bends over and holds his hand out for me to grab. That's when I see the softer side of him. I reach up and he helps me back into standing. He helps me chase after the fish that are flopping all over the ground in search of water.

He takes my hand and this time I follow close behind him.When we get back to the cabin we drop off the poles and the bucket of fish and then walk to the car. He asks me to drive and I do. I have no idea where we are going. I take the windy gravel road out of there. I drive a good mile away and then he has me pull into a forest of trees.

"Get out...help me cover the car up so no one can see it."

"Are you serious...how are we getting back to the cabin?"

He chuckles again...and looks down at his feet. "We have these baby...get what you need and let's get back before it gets too dark."

I look in my car and leave all my stuff...well except for the one notebook. Maybe I will write a story after all. We cover the car up with as much tree branches we could find and it's starting to get late.

 We head out back on the road...on our two feet. The sun is starting to set behind us and all I can think about is getting back before it gets too dark. It's not that I am afraid of the dark...but what is lurking in the dark. We don't talk much on the way back and once I do get back I am all sweaty and in dire need of a freaking shower.