Going Nowhere Fast

14. Gimme Shelter

The sunlight coming from the window found its way into my eyelids waking me up the next morning. I was so warm and comfortable which I wasn't used to coming from any bed other than my one at home. I looked over at Billie who was sleeping peacefully beside me. His leg had brushed up against mine in his sleep. It felt warm and sent a weird chill down my spine.

His face looked so innocent when he was asleep. The corners of his mouth were stretched up a tiny bit leaving a sweet smile on his face. I wondered if he was having a good dream or something.

I decided to let him sleep while I snuck out to make a phone call on the payphone. I had to talk to Clara to see what was going on at the home front.

"Hello?" Clara's soft voice answered the phone in a confused tone. Probably because she didn't recognize the number.

"Hey," I said almost whispering.

"Oh my God! Scarlet?"

"Shhh!" I said, "I don't want anyone to know you're talking to me or they might try to trace my call.

"Can you at least tell me where you are? I swear I won't tell anyone," she asked with an eager voice.

"I'm in Vancouver with Billie."

"So you two are together?"

"Yes," I started, "I mean no, we're not together, together, but we are with each other. Why? What're people saying?"

I heard a bit of a hesitance in her voice before she started, "Shit's bad, Scar."

I gulped, "How bad?"

"Well," she started, "There are multiple rumors. First, some people think that you guys like Bonnie and Clyde'd out of the place. Some people think that he kidnapped you. That's the one the police are going with. And, Oh! There is a lot of talk about Satanism. Some people think you guys are in some satanic conspiracy cult."

Wow, people were really stupid. "Wow, people are really stupid."

"I know. They even have a warrant out for Billie's arrest."

"They have a what?" I said in shock.

"After the whole rumor with Trish and just disappearing right after made him look super guilty apparently." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Yeah and especially disappearing with you after everyone thought that he beat you up, which I don't know what happened there but I definitely don't believe that for a second."

"Ryan was the one who punched me. Jess and Ranee should've cleared that one up." I said feeling frustrated.

"They're telling everyone that you guys are dating and that they don't know who punched you."

"Fucking great, I bet Ryan is loving that."

"I can't believe it was him," she said sounding sorry, "I mean I can, I just wouldn't think he would stoop that low."

"I can. He's a fucking dick."

"I know," her voice was growing hesitant again. "Hey Scar, can I ask you something?"

"Sure Clar, what is it?"

"I get why you ran off, but why did you take Billie with you?"

That caught me off guard. I didn't really think about that before. It just felt like the right thing to do, like he needed to leave too. I didn't know how to explain that though.

"I don't know, Clara, it felt like the right thing to do I guess."

"Do you.. like him?"

"I don't know the answer to that, honestly. I mean," I started, "I really care about what happens to him. He's actually a really sweet guy and I feel like shit that everyone is making him out to be this monster."