I stumbled into a mall after an exhausting walk downtown.

I don’t know how long I had been walking until I looked up at the mall’s clock.

“2 and a half hours…”

So what do I do now?

My stomach grumbled and I unconsciously reached for my pocket. I pulled my wallet out and it was empty. I then breathed a huge sigh before turning my phone on. I turned my phone off a while ago when Saya started blowing my phone up with angry texts and voicemails.

“Fuck…”

As I expected, Saya was enraged and still sending abusive texts one after the other. With a sprinkle of lovey dovey stuff.

A chill ran up my spine as I read through some of the messages.

“Such a yandere…”

I ignored Saya and texted my ‘dad’. I was expecting to receive some money, but nothing came. I saw the read on the text, so for whatever reason he’s not going to send me anything.

Did Kenzie talk to him?

“Tsk! Whatever.” I turned my phone off and placed it in my pocket.

Well, I guess I’m broke. This whole running away thing isn’t going so well.

I wanted to wallow in my sorrow, but I didn’t have the energy for it. I decided to instead walk around the mall. It’s a great distraction and maybe smelling the food will fill me up. Maybe.

As I walked past an Asian food stand that I couldn’t pronounce the name of, I heard loud yelling not too far away.

“What the fuck is that?”

The screaming sounded like arguing and they were going at it. I don’t know why, but the yelling sounded very familiar. Uncomfortably familiar...

I thought about just letting it go, but I don’t have anything else going so.. why not?

I started walking towards the direction of the yelling and an arcade came into view. Despite the loud blaring of the video game machines and people having fun, the yelling of the people arguing to still come through.

I walked inside of the arcade and noticed a crowd of people standing around a racing game.

“What the hell?”

I made my way through the crowd and got the chance to see what all of the yelling was about.

There was an all too familiar golden blond haired girl sitting right next to an all too familiar mocha latte tanned skinned girl with black hair and exotic green eyes.

“You stupid bitch! Fuck you!” Vanessa turned her wheel and rammed into Gabriella’s car, causing her to spin out.

“You’re the bitch!” Gabriella quickly gained control of her car and rammed into the back of Vanessa’s.

Vanessa and Gabriella were having an intense game of racing. And when I say intense, I mean screaming in each other’s faces, barely paying attention to the game, crashing, and proceeding to pop in more quarters to continue the game. Much to the crowd's amusement.

“Ah you fucking cunt!” Vanessa abruptly stopped her car, which caused both of them to spin out.

The crowd made an audible Ah! at the sight.

“Why does this keep happening?!” Vanessa and Gabriella shouted in unison.

This… is going viral right?

“Y-“ Like a sniper, Vanessa’s eyes suddenly rolled to me and grew to the size of saucers. “You morherfucker!”

“No fucking way!” I screamed and the crowd around me moved out of the way. As if they could feel that things were about to go left. “There's Like a hundred people here!”

Gabriella turned to see what was going on, and had roughly the same reaction as Vanessa.

I didn’t stand around for much longer as Vanessa and Gabriella both stood with feral glints in their eyes.

I bogarded my way through the crowd and ran as fast as my legs would take me.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

I came to a stop and looked both ways before I heard their shouting coming from behind me.

I jumped a few times before making a left. I bust out the door and almost knocked a woman over with her kids. To which I promptly apologized. I am not a monster.

I must have wasted too much time apologizing, and not running, because Vanessa and Gabriella caught up to me in almost no time.

I rounded the corner and ended up in one of the parking lots. I felt a tug at the back of my neck, and was quickly made aware of what it was when my back hit the wall behind me and hands grabbed the collar of my shirt.

“You little son of bitch!” Vanessa screamed in my face. The veins on her forehead bulged, and spit flying from her mouth.

“This is your fault!” Gabriella bumped against Vanessa and now both were shouting many obscenities directed to me.

“I can’t be near my boyfriend because of you!” Vanessa suddenly shouted.

“My boyfriend.” Gabriella cut in, an extra layer of malice and possessiveness in her tone.

“Bitch you want to go!” Vanessa mashed her forehead against Gabriella’s.

“I’ve been ready!” Gabriella responded by shoving her head against Vanessa’s.

They continued arguing and screaming at each other. While I just had one question that kept floating around inside of my head.

“Why were you two hanging out?” They’re like fire and water. Or rather fire and fire. Both trying to devour one another.

“Mind your fucking business!” They screamed in unison.

Vanessa and Gabriella went back to arguing, complexly ignoring me. Or so I thought…

I was promptly pushed back against the wall after a failed attempt of slipping away.

Stolen novel; please report.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” Again, they asked in unison. And kind of creepy now.

“What do you want?!” I shouted with extreme exacerbation.

“For you to disappear!” Gabriella screamed.

“You keep getting in the way of me and my guy.” Vanessa cut in.

And they’re back to arguing over a guy that doesn’t want either one of them...

Seriously… Jason. Fuck you. You lucky, unlucky bastard.

I finally had enough of them arguing and couldn’t contain myself nor wait for them to finish anymore. “Jesus Christ! I apologize! Just leave me the hell alone already!”

Vanessa pointed her finger in my face. “I want more than just an apology!”

“I… are you fucking serious right now?!” I literally did nothing! Except for existing!

Vanessa just stared at me, not wavering whatsoever.

I rubbed my temples. “Besides me disappearing, which I obviously can’t do, what do you want?”

“Simple.” Vanessa said, with a slight smirk on her lips.

“Convince Jason to be my boyfriend.” They both said in unison, both glaring at one another after finishing.

What do they take me for? His caretaker? He’s his own man!

“How… How would.. How would I…” I could barely process the absurdity of their question.

I was going to tell them how crazy that sounds, but I know it won’t make any difference. It’s like Jason has cast a spell on these girls and nothing I do nor say will break it. “Sure. Whatever.”

“I’m not joking.” Vanessa spoke bluntly, a deep frown marring her face.

“Why are you two even so hooked on this guy? I genuinely don’t see it.” I asked, flabbergasted.

Vanessa and Gabriella both blushed down to their necks.

After being flustered by my question, Gabriella looked to properly process my question and scowled. “Of course you don’t. You’re just another generic male. No. Below average. Low value.” Gabriella slowly spoke, as if to add extra emphasis to every word.

You know what…“He doesn’t want either one of you.”

“..What?” Vanessa and Gabriella blinked in response, frowns feeling on their damn near perfect faces.

If they want to live in the land of delusion,that’s fine. But, they’re not dragging me down with them! “Matter of fact.. I’m not even sure if he likes wo-“

“Shut your mouth!” Gabriella threw a right hook that cut the inside of my mouth.

The taste of iron filled my mouth, and my adrenaline started pumping.

“Fucking bitch!” My hand shot forward and a second later a slap landed square on Gabriella’s beautiful face.

Vanessa’s eyes nearly popped out of her head and Gabriella stared at me in shock.

It’s not like it matters anyway. I’ve pretty much failed on all fronts at making a harem. I might as well give these bitches and this world some payback.

“I'm not in the mood.” I spoke slowly and meticulously to get my point across. “All of you can go to hell!”

Gabriella's face morphed into a rabid animal and I could feel my approaching doom, but I didn’t care. Why should I?

“Stop!”

We all turned to see where the voice was coming from.

“I-I have it all on video!” A shaking figure dressed in all black was just a few feet away from us. She had a full body hoodie that nearly covered her entire face. She was holding up a phone pointed directly at us. “A-and I’ll show Jason if you don’t stop!”

That voice…

A sliver of blue hair fell out of the hoodie and then I knew…

“Hannah?” I muttered.

Hannah jerked in response, but didn’t acknowledge what I had just said. Still shakily holding her phone up.

“Hannah?” Vanessa repeated, brow furrowing in contemplation.

Gabriella started walking towards Hannah, with bad intentions in every one of her steps. “Not if-“

“I have it backed up already!” Hannah squealed as she backed away.

“Oh yeah…” Gabriella was upon Hannah before she could do anything.

“No!” Hannah clutched her phone as if she was a starving man and her phone was the first bit of food she had encountered in days.

“You little bitch!” Gabriella picked up Hannah, and violently shook her. “Give me the damn phone!”

“Hey!” Another voice came behind us.

Gabriella promptly dropped Hannah, and Hannah quickly backed away from her.

An overweight security guard with a thick top mustache, dressed in a white dress t-shirt and black pants and into view. He looked ready to say something, but seemed confused as to what was going on. “What the—“

“Run!” I grabbed Hannah and started sprinting away before anyone could do or say anything.

It didn’t take much for us to get away from the overweight security guard. And I found myself outside in a nearby park holding Hannah’s hand. Luckily Vanessa and Gabriella went their separate ways, seemingly having the same idea as me.

“Are you okay?” I let Hannah take a seat as she struggled for air.

“Yeah.. I just… have… asthma… just give me a second..” Hannah struggled to say, letting her hood down and inhaling copious amounts of air.

I took a seat right next to Hannah, waiting for her to catch her breath. “Where have you been?” I waited for an answer, but Hannah didn’t answer. “Why did you stop coming to school?”

Hannah looked at the ground, only shrugging her shoulders in response.

I was going to tell Hannah to return to school, but the fact that I myself am dropping out, I fixed the words back into my mouth.

“What about you?” Hannah suddenly asked, still looking at the ground.

“I…” Like a bad taste, the events that led to me running away came to the surface once more. “I kind of ran away from home.”

Hannah looked up, her eyes growing to the size of dinner plates and her lips parted in confusion.

“I fucked up.. really…really bad.” I mumbled, a bitter aftertaste filling my mouth.

After a long uncomfortable stretch of silence, Hannah spoke up. “So what are you going to do?” Hannah looked at me with evident concern in her eyes.

“That’s… a great question.” I have no fucking clue. “Maybe I’ll hop on a train or something.”

I saw it once in a movie. Riding a train around the country doesn’t sound too bad. Who knows? Maybe I can hit all of the mainland states before the world ends?

“You could stay at my house.” I had to do a double take once I heard those words leave Hannah’s mouth. She was red face and could no longer look at me. “I mean.. if you want to.” She mumbled underneath her breaths “I live in a seperate part of my house. And my family doesn’t bother me as much…anymore.”

As enticing as an offer that is. I can't take advantage of her kindness. That would just create problems for her. “I… don’t know…I-“

I turned to look at Hannah and the words I was planning on saying got stuck in my throat.

Her eyes were round and big, reminiscent of a puppy. I could even see the floppy downturned ears appear on her head.

Oh no no no no… please don’t cry. “I just don’t…”

Her bottom lip quivered, she slightly trembled, and her eyes started to water and somehow grew even bigger..

Ugh!! I’m such a simp!!!

“..Maybe for a day or two.” I sighed as I spoke those words.

Not that being with Hannah is a bad thing. I just have a lot going on right now, and I really don’t want to be a burden.

Her expression quickly changed from a forecast of rain to a bright sunny day. “R-really?! Let’s go right now!”

Hannah’s smile was radiant as she grabbed my hand and jumped out of her seat. She even let out a cute giggle as she pulled me along.

Is this something to be that excited about?

I watched as Hannah quickly moved in the direction of her home. With an almost skip to her step.

Well it doesn’t matter. It’s kinda cute.

I’m glad I ran into her when I did. What are the odds that…

Just for a moment, for a split second. There was a faint inkling in the back of my head. An inkling that something was off.

I watched as Hannah struggled to catch her breath with a dopey smile on her face.

A smile came to my face as well. I shook my head, quickly dispelling those absurd thoughts.

What am I even thinking? We’re friends.