Fighting to Be Free

Mark laughed. "Yeah, sure," he agreed sarcastically. "Want to dance?" he asked, raising one eyebrow.

I shook my head in rejection. I just needed to go home now too, I didn't want to be here without Jamie, there was no point in me waiting for Stacey and Paul, my night was ruined already so why string it out for another hour? "No thanks. I think I'm just gonna get a cab home." I pushed myself away from the table and headed over to Paul again, gripping his sleeve. He smiled down at me.

"Hey, I think I'm just gonna get a cab home. Tell Stacey I said bye, okay?"

He frowned and shook his head. "Jamie would have my balls if I let you leave here on your own.

You know what he's like," he countered.

I smiled reassuringly. "He won't know if we don't tell him. I'll be fine. See you Monday. Tell Stacey I'll call her tomorrow." I patted his back and headed off quickly before he would have a chance to stop me. He was right, Jamie would be seriously pissed if he found out I was leaving on my own.

He was very protective like that. As I walked through the crowd I slipped on his jacket, immediately engulfed by his smell. I sighed and stepped out of the building, opening my little clutch bag as I headed over to the same wall we'd sat at earlier.

I pulled out my cell and dialled the local cab firm, but the lady told me they didn't have anything for an hour. The other number I had stored in my contacts list, just rang continuously. I debated calling my dad and asking him to pick me up but it was already eleven and he was probably in bed already.

I tried the second cab company again, but to no avail. The way I saw it I had two options: one, go back inside and wait for the dance to finish so Paul could drive me home. Or two, walk home. It was only about thirty minutes and it wasn't too cold tonight.

I sighed and pushed myself away from the wall, I didn't want to wait anymore; I wanted to just go home and get this day over with already.

After about three minutes of walking down the street, car headlights lit the road next to me, a car pulled up behind me, keeping pace with me. I gulped and walked a little faster, trying not to look, silently wishing I hadn't decided to walk. This was an okay area, but it was late, and dark, and I was in a stupid little dress. I should have put a sign over my head saying 'defenceless, slightly drunk teenager, please feel free to attack me' . My stomach started to ache as I thought about all the things that could possibly happen to me. My God, I was stupid! The car horn blasted making me yelp and flick my eyes to the car. It was too dark for me to see properly, plus the lights were on full, hurting my eyes. I turned back and walked a little faster, praying that there would be a cop car parked at the end of the street or something.

I pulled out my cell phone, getting Jamie's number up on the screen ready to call him. I knew he would help me, even whilst sick he would race here and pick me up if I called him and told him I was frightened. I snuck a glance at the car to see it was still following me, just about three feet behind me, slowly creeping along.

"Oh shit," I mumbled. I quickly stopped and slipped off my heels in case I needed to run. In my mind I planned out where I would go. The school was the closest place to me; I could cut down the next street, double back and run back there. Hopefully the person in the car wouldn't jump out and grab me and force me into the sex slave trade or something else horrifying like that.

My cell phone buzzed in my hand, Ridin' Solo started blasting from the speaker. I frowned, that was the ring tone I still had on there for Mark, I'd forgotten to change it after we broke up. I started walking again quickly, like a half run half walk, my shoes knocking together in my hand.

"Mark?" I answered. Maybe he could come and meet me if I told him I needed him to come and get me.

"Yeah. Ellie, will you stop walking? Why are you ignoring me?" he asked incredulously.

Ignoring him? What was that about? "Huh?" I mumbled, sneaking another look at the car, but it hadn't started up again; it was just stopped where I had stopped seconds before to take off my shoes.

"Ellie, just get in the car and stop behaving like a drama queen. You shouldn't be walking home in the dark," he replied.

"Car?" I mumbled. Without easing up on my run-walk, I looked at the car again and squinted through the glare of the lights to see the car was black, and sleek, and expensive looking. I felt my body relax as I realised that it wasn't some deranged axe murderer that was following me and honking at me, it was Mark! I laughed and disconnected the call, sprinting to his car and throwing open the door. I had actually never been gladder to see him in my life. "Oh God, you scared me," I scolded, climbing in and punching him in the arm.

He laughed and rubbed his arm, looking at me like I was crazy. "I honked you. You forget what my car looks like already?" he teased, shaking his head at me.

I sighed and rested my head back on the headrest. "I couldn't see, it's dark!" I protested, smiling because my heart rate was starting to slow down to normal pace again.

He laughed and put the car into drive. "Put on your seatbelt," he instructed, pulling out again and heading in the direction of my house. We didn't speak through the ten minute drive, I sat there uncomfortably, hugging Jamie's jacket around myself. When he pulled up he smiled at me. "Think I could use your bathroom? I need to pee. Drank too much coke I think," he said, already taking off his seatbelt and killing the engine.

I frowned but nodded anyway. I didn't really want him to come in, but after he'd just driven me home I couldn't exactly say no. He followed me inside and he headed to the downstairs bathroom, while I went to the kitchen to see if there was any food for me to snack on. Thankfully my parents were already in bed so I wouldn't have to put up with my mom shooting me a thousand questions about me and Mark and if we were back together or not. She really needed to give it up too; there was no chance of that happening.