My Psycho Best Friend

Chapter 13

            I woke up a few hours later still exhausted. Ian was haunting me in my dreams. I dreamt that he was trying to get to me and hurt me because I escaped and got him in trouble with the law. I get out of bed and head downstairs. Ryder and his dad were in the kitchen making breakfast. I walked in and sat myself at the kitchen counter on a bar stool. Ryder brings me a cup of orange juice and I take it happily. I have never been much of a coffee person. In the time that we had hung out at school, Ryder learned that I loved orange juice as I had it every morning at school.

            We made some small talk till Ryder was done making breakfast. We all ate quietly. I thanked Ryder for the breakfast. Ryder clears his throat and now I know, he is about to ask about what happened to me down in the basement. They both look at me in a serious way. Now they ask, “What happened that he finally let you go to the hospital?”

            As soon as they asked, I started to get nauseous. I took a deep breath and said, “Well, I am pregnant. I was very sick and could not keep anything down including water. I got so sick that I was very weak and could not get out of bed. He got worried about me. So, he took me to the hospital. I passed out on the way there. I woke up in a hospital bed and I saw that Ian was asleep. A nurse walked in and I was afraid of Ian hearing me and hurting me, I wrote the nurse a note. Then the nurse called the authorities.”

            They looked at me shocked. I think more about the news that I am pregnant then how I got to the hospital. I decided to tell them the whole story. The more they know, the more they can help protect me. I said, “He wanted me to have a baby. He thought if I got pregnant, then I would permanently be his. I did not have a choice in getting pregnant. But even so, I feel a bond with this baby.”

            It is like their mouths drop open. They are silent so; I am guessing they do not know what to say. They are making me nervous. I keep thinking that they are judging me. I walk up stairs to pack my things but, realize I have nothing. I head back down the stairs and head towards the front door. I have tears running down my cheeks.

            I open the door when I feel a hand grab my shoulder. It is Ryder. He has a sympathetic expression and asks, “Why are you leaving? You do not have to go. You can stay here with me.”

            I want to accept his offer, but I know I cannot. I start crying harder knowing I must leave my hometown. Everyone will judge me. Mainly, for not wanting to get rid of my psycho best friend’s baby. I must go far away. Where nobody knows me. Where Ian cannot find me. I look at Ryder and say, “I have to go. He will find me. I must get far away, where I know no one. And the look ya’ll had on your faces said it all. Everyone will give me that same look. I cannot handle how they will look at me. I have to leave now.”

            Ryder pulls me into a hug and says, “Well, if you are going to leave, let us leave together. I will go pack a bag and we will find somewhere new to go to.”

            I smile knowing that he has my back. I never thought Ryder would be the type of guy that would help me out in such a big way. I always thought I was not that important to him. I am glad that I was wrong. I wait for him at the door. Ryder comes down with a duffle bag in hand. He tells his dad everything and gives him some money to help us out. They hug and we walk out the door. We get in his car and Ryder asks me, “Well, where do you want to go?”

            I think for a moment. I do not know where to go. So, I decide to say, “I do not know where to go. Why don’t we keep driving, till we like what we see? “

            Ryder smiles and says, “yeah, I think that sounds like a plan!”

            We started driving. We drove for a few hours then decided to stop and go thrift shopping for some clothes for me since I had none. We get a couple shirts and a few pair of shorts and underwear. We then grab something to eat. Then we get back on the road. We take turns driving. Before it is too late, we stop at a cheap motel to stay at. We get showered and go to bed. The next morning, we check out of the motel and go grab some breakfast.

 For the next two days, we follow this routine. Eat breakfast, drive, eat lunch drive, eat dinner, drive till it gets late. Then we find a cheap motel and stay for the night. I am so tired of driving. Hopefully, we will find somewhere to stay soon. A few hours later, I start seeing palm trees. I know we are getting near the beach and will probably run out of road. I do not think I can go much longer. So, I get Ryder’s attention and say, “Let us just stop and stay put in the next town. I cannot go further. I am so tired of being in the car!”

He agrees. Once we get into town we check into the bed and breakfast. We go to our room and relax for a bit and take showers. We eat dinner at the local diner which is near the beach. We go for a walk on the beach. I decided moving was not enough change. I convince Ryder to walk with me to the store and I grab some hair dye. So instead of being a brunette, I will be a blonde. Hopefully, it turns out good.

The rest of the night, I dye my hair and take another shower. The dye turned out pretty good if I say so myself. It is the first time I have ever dyed my hair. We watch a movie and fall asleep.

The next morning, I wake up and Ryder was not there. I start freaking out. I am thinking a million things. Like maybe, Ian found us and is trying to kill Ryder again! I am pacing around the room when Ryder comes in with a tray with plates of food. I hug him almost knocking the tray out of his hands and say, “I woke up and you weren’t here. I thought he got to you.”

He hugs me back and sets the tray of food on the little table in our room. He says, “I know you were tired so, I went and got breakfast from downstairs. You have nothing to worry about. He will never find us. We are hundreds of miles away.”

I know I am acting crazy, but I cannot help but be paranoid. So, while eating breakfast we come up with a plan. Today we will go asking around for jobs. I am going to start with the diner by the beach that we ate at last night. Ryder is going to look around for maybe something like an auto shop.

After we eat, we head our separate ways. I walk to the diner. It looks busy. I walk in and ask for the manager. I introduce myself as Bethany Williams, aka my new identity. I ask if they have any opportunities for jobs. They tell me that they do as a waitress. I think this is the perfect opportunity. They give me the job and tell me to start tomorrow morning. I am so happy I got this job.

I go back to the bed and breakfast and go to my room to wait for Ryder. I just watch tv till he shows up a few hours later. He tells me he got a job at a tire shop in the next town over. He starts tomorrow, too. Looks like things are going well with our plan. Now all we have to do is stay at the bed and breakfast and save money till we can find our own place.

We relax for a bit and decide to go grocery shopping since eating out can get expensive. We buy easy things to make as we only have a microwave and fridge in our room. Mainly sandwiches and microwavable soup. We eat some dinner and take showers. We are pretty tired, so we go to bed early. I am so ready to start my new job tomorrow and have the freedom to have my own money. I go to sleep with a smile on my face.