My Dearest Little Abby

Chapter 5: The Runaways' Guild

Chapter 5: The Runaways' Guild



I took a shower not long after getting home that day. I always took a shower when I wanted to get lost in deep thought. Somehow the warm water running down my back just made it easier.

I know what I saw today. I was sure I didn't imagine it. For a split second I saw a little girl. I know I did. But why? What was happening to me? Why was I suddenly seeing things? Maybe.....I should just talk to someone.

I didn't get out of the shower until my mom started yelling at me through the closed door for using up so much hot water.

About an hour later I found myself on my bed and nothing to do. I guessed I should start reading that Harry Potter book. Before opening it, I took a hard look at the cover, and began to wonder why I even chose this book.

A picture of a boy who is supposedly this Harry Potter guy, riding a broom through an open window while trying to catch some little golden ball with wings. Yeah...definitely my kind of book.

J.K. Rowling? Who on earth was that? Never heard of him.....or her.  You never really can tell the gender of the author when they just use their initials. I imagined it was a male author. I later found out it was a female. Whoa.

I eventually opened up the book and began reading. Wow. It was more interesting than I thought it would be. About half way through chapter two, my dad called me to come downstairs.

I laid the book upside down on my bed and walked downstairs to see what he wanted.
"What is it, dad?" I asked.
He was standing firm and tall and looked hard at me.
"Son....there's someone on the phone for you."
"What?"
"You'd better answer it."
"What?"
"Yes...pick up the phone."
"What? But, dad.....I thought I was grounded."
"Well, yes but...."
"But what?"
He leaned close to whisper at me as if mom or someone was litsening in on the conversation.
"It's a girl," he said.
"But..."
"If it was a guy, I would just let it go, but this is a girl, Brad! A girl! Good lord a girl hasn't called for you since second grade!" 
He was strangely excited...which kind of freaked me out. I didn't tell him or mom that I had a girlfriend now.
"Yeah, isn't that amazing?"
"Well, go on." he said, leaving me alone.

I went over to the phone and picked it up.
"Hello?" I asked.
"Hey, boo," Stephanie said in her flirty voice.
"Boo?" I asked.
"Umm...nevermind." She was embarrassed. I was too.
"Ya know what tomorrow is?" she asked.
"What? It's not our anniversary yet, is it?"
She laughed.
"No, not that. But tomorrow's Friday."
"Oh." I had forgot.
"And....umm....I want to....go out with you."
I kicked myself in the leg.
"I do too."
"Then let's do it."
"But....I'm grounded."
"So sneak out."
"What?"
I couldn't believe what she was telling me to do. It didn't seem like this was really her.
"Just sneak out. It's not that hard."
I was speechless. However....the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it.
"I don't know," I said. "I've never done anything like that before."
She didn't say anything else and I could only hear her breathing through the reciever.
"I'll think about it," I finally said since I couldn't take the silence anymore.
"Really?"
"Yes. We'll see."
"Thank you, baby," she said with great satisfaction.
"Oh and.....I spoke to the Guild...they said that they wanted to see you personally tomorrow."
"Oh, okay," I said.
We talked a little more and then I hung up.

I kept thinking to myself wheather I should do this or not. Hmm..let's see. If I did go, I would have to find some way to get out of my house, being as my room was on the second floor. If by some miracle I made it out, I would meet Stephanie and make her happy. Then I would have to hope that my parents did not go in my room for any inparticular reason only to realize that I was gone. And somehow, upon returning home, I would have to find a way to get inside my house without alerting my parents that someone is trying to break in.

If I didn't go, I would just be bored with nothing to do except watch the stars in the sky and maybe try counting them. I would have textbooks on my bed to pretend that I'm studying for next week's test should my parents find the urge to enter my room without any warning, out of curiousity of how I'm spending my time. Stephanie would feel stood up and give me the "I thought you would be there for me" speech next time we met, and then possibly end our relationship. Then I would be back to walking aimlessly watching other couples hold hands and kiss, while I think to myself: "That could have been me had I only had the guts to sneak out." End of a sad story.

Maybe I could just ask? I mean who knows? Maybe dad will let me go out if I explain it to him. After all, he was so excited just merely by a girl on the phone asking for me, maybe he would let me go on the date. However, if I did ask dad and he said "no" , that would give him enough reason to check my room every five minutes or so to see if I was still there, and hadn't snuck out. It was too risky.

I thought about it for so long, I hardly even got back to the book. There was too much temptation, too much consequence, too much lust, too much to consider. I eventually drifted asleep with my mind still battling with itself of what to do....or not to do. I didn't have another strange dream, which was a relief, since I had a feeling that I would. It really surprised me that I hadn't told my parents about it. I hadn't told them a lot lately. They still don't know about Stephanie. Or about Abby.

I guess all teenagers did this....grew apart from their parents. I mean in Kindergarden we were showing our parents every scrap of paper that we made a marking on, and in high school, we hide everything from them.

I left for school without any breakfast....again. I had stopped eating breakfast a long time ago. Sometimes I ate it at school....if I had the time..and money. But I didn't have either on this particualar day.

When I walked through the school doors, I immediately heard Mark calling my name. He had been waiting for me, so I walked over to him to find out what he wanted.
"Hey man," I said.
He looked hard at me, almost like he was mad.
"I need to talk to you," he said. "But not here. We'll go somewhere else."

Mark led me to an empty classroom far back of the school...Room 126. It was secluded enough, and quite far away from other classrooms, hidden around a corner. In fact, you could probably roam the entire school twice and never even notice it. The room was not owned by any teacher. Maybe cause it was too far away from other classrooms. The interior of the room was dusty and old. It looked like it was several decades old, although the school itself was only seven years old.

There were still desks in the room, although not as many as there would be in a normal classroom. There was absolutely nothing on the walls....no posters, pictures, anything. The room was virtually empty. There wasn't even a teacher's desk. At first it was kind of creepy to be in there.

"Look around, Brad. Do you know where you are?"
"Umm...a dirty classroom?"
"No. This 'dirty classroom' just happens to be the headquarters of The Runaways' Guild."
"Is that so? That's cool." Then something hit me. "Wait a minute, you are a member of the Guild?"
"I'm not just a member," he told me. "I'm the founder and Head Officer."
"Really? Wow I didn't know that."
"Of course you didn't. The Guild is the most discreet organization in school. Only twelve people in the entire school know about it. All twelve are members. You are the thirteenth."
"Does that mean I'm a member."
"No."
"What?"
"Your membership will be determined after school. Meet here when school ends. Then we will decide."
He started for the door.
"Umm...I kinda can't. I'm grounded." I said.
He stopped in his tracks, but did not turn to look at me.
"Then that's too bad. If you're not here after school, then your membership will be denied."
He then contiued his exit.

I just stood there for a moment, in amazement. Only thirteen people? And there were 1,146 students in school. Not to mention the 40 or so staff members and teachers. 1,186...and out of that, only thirteen people know about it? No way. That's impossible....it had to be.

I made it to class just seconds before the bell. I was glad it was Friday. Finally a two day break from school. The weekend never seemed long enough to me...but I guess everyone felt the same way. Yeah...never enough time to be with their boyfriends and girlfriends without school's interruption. I then reminded myself that I would confront Rachel today. To apologize and whatever. Its not like I could avoid it forever so I might as well just get it over with.

I waited until lunch so I would have more time.
I saw her sitting with a couple of her friends. When she was alone, I made my move.
"Hey," I said, sitting in one of her friends seats.
She gave me a shocked look, as if she had never expected to see me again. And I don't really think she did.
"Brad."
"I'm really sorry...for what happened the other night."
She paused.
"Why did you do that?"
"I don't know. I wasn't myself."
"Well....I was really upset. I felt like a fool."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel like that. I just...wasn't thinking."
She looked kind of embarrassed to be talking to me. Embarrassed....and happy.
"Well...thank you for apologizing," she said timidly.
"Sure," I said, almost timid as well.
I then got up to leave before Stephanie saw me talking to her.
"Hey Brad, wait," Rachel called out, which summoned me back.
"What is it?"
"Do you think maybe...we can continue that dance sometime?"
I froze.
"Umm...well let's talk about later. I don't have time right now."
She looked somewhat disappointed.
"Okay."

Luckily, Stephanie had not seen me talking to her. She had been talking to Alex again. I didn't really see Stephanie that entire day, save for seventh period.
"Hey, where've you been all day?" she asked as I walked in Mrs. Dolly's room.
"Me? I've been looking for you all day." I retorted.
She then looked away from me laid her head on the desk.
Great, way to screw up, Brad.

I sat down in my seat.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to yell."
I didn't really yell, technically, but I assumed that's what she took it as.
"I think I'm in trouble, Brad," Stephanie said without looking up. It was almost inaudible, but I was just barely able to hear her.
"Why?"
She didn't answer me, or look up.
"Why?" I asked again.
She again did not answer. It was obvious that she did not want to talk to me.

When class ended, I urged Stephanie to come with me to the Guild.
"I thought you were grounded."
"Don't worry about it. I'll just tell my parents there was traffic."
"They'll never believe you."
"Then let me worry about it."
"No, Brad. I don't want you to be grounded longer! I want to finally be able to go out with you."
"Oh...so that's what this is about. That's why you weren't talking."
"I really want to go out with you tonight," she said.
"Then we'll go out tonight," I said. I still hadn't made a decision, but I just said that to make her happy.
"Really?" she asked, forming a huge smile on her face that I was used to.
At that point I knew that the decision had to be made. Right then and there.
"Yes," I said.
"Oh, Brad. Thank you!" she said as she eveloped me in a hug.

It was then interrupted.
"Um, excuse me, children. Would you mind taking your teenage drama someplace else?"
It was Mrs. Dolly, hovering over us.
"Umm....sure," I said, with an awkward feeling.
"Yeah," Stephanie added.

Holding hands, we both walked to the classroom that Mark had shown me that morning."
The door was closed and he was standing just outside it.
"Brad...Stephanie....welcome," he said.
"Hey...," I said.
Stephanie didn't say anything.
"Come on in," he said, opening the door.
Inside, all twelve members sat in the desks, staring at us. And to my amazement, I knew half of them.
There was Mark, of course, as well as Admen and Arden. There was Jeane Summers, a girl in my second period class, who happened to be Mark's girlfriend,  Kevin Miller, who usually sat at my table at lunch, and Brittney Currier, a girl from fifth period and Arden's girlfriend. And also Brett, who wasn't very happy to see me....us.

"You!" he shouted, and then ran up to me and grabbed my shirt.
"You bastard! You freakin' punched me out for no reason! You asshole!"
I didn't speak to him but instead just gave him an evil look. Stephanie pushed him away from me.
"Leave him alone, Brett!" she defended me.
Brett then raised his hand, as if to slap her, but Mark grabbed it.
"Enough, Brett. Go back to your seat. Now."
Brett stared at him, and then drew back his hand and walked back to his seat.
Mark then turned to us.
"Brad, Stephanie, go find a seat."
Every eye in the room was fixed on me as I found a seat. I guess...I seemed like an intruder to them. 
"Don't get too comfortable," someone said to me. "You won't be staying."
I ignored him and paid more attention to Mark. He stood up in front
"We will begin. Before we do anything, as you have all noticed, we have a new visitor, the one that Stephanie told us about yesterday."
Everyone once again stared at me.
"He should not be here, sir," the same guy said. "This goes against our rules."
"I agree with Desmond," another guy said. "Stephanie, though he be your new boyfriend, I'm afraid that was no excuse to tell him about us."
Brett looked away.
"I'm sorry," Stephanie said remorsefully.
"Hm, I'm afraid this is a Class III offense. I'm afraid it must be dealt with punishment. Even for a second-in-command officer. Don't you agree, sir?" he nudged to Mark.

Whoa. Stephanie's the second-in-command officer?

"Yes, Mitchell," Mark said. "A Class III offense must always have a punishment, no matter who to."
I sat quietly, looking around. I felt like an intruder, a trespasser. I wasn't even so sure anymore that I wanted to be a member of this....Runaways' Guild.

"However...Stephanie's offense should not effect Bradley's chance to join us."
"Well its a mistake anyway," Desmond said. "He should not have been brought here."
"We had to. We must consider his initiation," Mark said.
"There should be no initiation!" Desmond snapped. "He's an outsider, not one of us. A stranger. And you would welcome a stranger into your home....without thinking what he might do...what he might steal?"

Mark paused. Gosh, I did not like this guy. What was his problem?
"I think a true, loyal Head Officer would consider this," Desmond concluded.
"Watch your words, Desmond. As easily as we welcomed you into the Guild, we can easily kick you out just as easy."
Desmond shut up. Finally.

"I think we should let him speak," Jeane said. She turned to me. "Bradley, was it? Please tell us why we should welcome you into the Guild."

I was on the spot. But I knew exactaly what to say.
"Truthfully...I don't know why you should. I am....an outsider, after all. A stranger. Perhaps this was a mistake."
"Damn straight it was!" Desmond shouted.
"Enough, Desmond. Not another word!" Mark warned.
I continued.
"I do not know what I had to do to get in here, but I know that whatever it was, I did not do it. And I apologize. But if you did...accept me...I would truly be honored. I guess...all teenagers want to be accepted...and I'm not one who is accepted much. It would be an honor for me."
I stared at Stephanie through that entire "speech", and she stared back at me.

The room was left silent, with some people chattering slightly to themselves.
"Is that all you wish to say, Brad?" Mark asked.
I wondered if I needed to say more...but I didn't have anything else to say.
"Yes. That's all I wish to say," I said warily.
"Then please step outside. Admen stand outside with him to ensure he does not litsen at the door."
"Sir," Admen said. He stood up and escorted me outside.

Admen and I made some small talk, then waited a few feet away from the door. After about fifteen minutes, Mark summoned me back in the room. It was the moment of truth.

"Runaways, this concludes today's meeting. Thank you all for your controbutions, as always," Mark addressed the audience.
Everyone started towards the door, but Mark told me to stay.

"So...did you make your decision?" I asked,
"No. By Monday the decision will be made. I must mull it over some more."
"Very well," I said.
"Have a nice weekend," Mark told me.
"I hope so."