She didn’t have a say in writing her own story, so she decided to make stories of her own.
She got out of the house at 7 am and started running like she never has before, she didn’t care if her lungs sucked and she literally had to heave her way out of the neighborhood, she didn’t care if the cold was making her tremble, she just ran on. She ran across the streets, which were starting to get busy with the usual city noises, people rustling back and forth to get to work or school or wherever the city led them to. She ran until she reached the empty spiraling streets near the country clubs, where people rarely passed by in the morning.
She wanted to run as far as she could, until she could leave her life behind, until she could leave all the bad and tiring parts and just be free to chase her dreams and be wherever she wanted to be.
“Buzz, buzz.” The vibration of her phone made her motivation pulsing playlist pause. She ignored it and kept running. “BZZZZZZZZ, BZZZZZ.” Longer vibrations, more pausing, she knew it was a phone call, and she had no choice but to pick it up. “Hello?” She answered the phone call as quiet as she could hoping the person on the other end won’t hear her. “Where are you? Why won’t you reply to my texts? What’s wrong?” the husky male voice on the other end bombarded her with questions, now if this was a normal girl’s life where she had a normal problems, that guy would have been her overly-concerned boyfriend who could not stand a moment without her, but no, this was no average life with average problems.
“Can you answer me? Hello? Look Gwen, I didn’t want to call but unfortunately we’re short of staff today. Come over as soon as you can will you? People are starting to pile in. HELLO?” It was Daniel her boss, “Pete’s sake, what is wrong with this kid?” or more like ex-boss since she quit last night. Darcy hung up the phone and cursed under her breath. “Unfortunately my ass, ugh damn it, so much for freedom and chasing my dreams.”
Gwen has a feeling that he just doesn’t want to hire new people as long as he could always summon her back, since Gwen was conveniently Daniel’s step sister. That’s why he’s been intentionally putting off hiring new staff even after Taylor Gwen’s ex best friend and some other staff quit over the summer holidays after working at the shop for 3 years, since first year of senior high.
While she dragged herself unwillingly back to the house to get changed, sweating from her supposed-to-be-30-minute-but-reality-called-and-broke-it-up-fitness-run. She can’t help start reminiscing all the fun times she used to have with Taylor, who always made her feel that it was okay to settle down into her mediocreness which she seemed to be doomed into since her dad left the family and went AWOL.
That was until Taylor decided to screw Gwen’s boyfriend who she’s been dating for 2 years, so much for having her back. Apparently they enjoyed each other’s company so much they started hanging out, alone, in Joash’s bedroom. That was how she found out, opening the door to his apartment to return some reference books that she borrowed from his sister. And instead of an empty apartment since Joash was supposed to be at the gym and the rest of the family was away for the weekend, she was welcomed with scattered clothes on the floor leading to Joash’s room. She could hear a loud creaking noise from the end of the corridor, his door was wide open and she could see Joash’s body on top of Taylor’s petite figure. He was moving rhythmically which made Taylor moan.
Gwen stood there for a second, contemplating whether she should scream and slam the door or just leave and pretend she didn’t see anything. She decided that the latter was more practical because her emotional capacity is a size of pea and she cannot afford to breakdown in front of the two people who she thought she knew so well and ended up betraying her. But on her way out she bumped into the wooden cabinet on the corridor causing a commotion. And Joash ran out naked, flushed and trying to explain things. “Hey I’m sorry …. I….I didn’t mean to do anything…to hurt you.” He blurted while trying to stop her from leaving. She just left without hearing him out.
The rest was history, she never talked to the pair again. She never felt betrayal that deep since her dad left her. She wasn’t sure she could hold out if she forgave them and it happened again. She didn’t want to go back to that place where she couldn’t trust people and felt like she herself was the only person she should trust.
She sighed while leaving the house, hoping that she would start to see silver linings in the clouds and really find happiness. Even though the closest thing to happiness she had right now was saving up enough money and flying out to England to fulfill her thirst of travel, and maybe, just maybe, leave her mediocorness behind. Meanwhile she’s got to continue living this tiring life of raising her GPA by day and working her ass off at random jobs at night. Freedom is a privilege that she didn’t have.
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