Cassidy had run for what felt like hours. When she had to stop to catch her breath she noticed she was standing in front of that apartment building again. This time it looked deserted. There was no sign of any of the guys that were playing basketball earlier that morning. She decided to take a little break and get off her feet for a while. She noticed that the door to the apartment was just about ready to fall off of its hinges. From what she could see the place didn’t look like anyone had lived in it for quite some time.
The inside of the building was by far worse than the outside. The boys who used the basketball court must be the ones keeping the outside up because the inside was trashed. There were papers and boxes and trash all over the place. The walls looked green and moldy. She walked over to the stair case and walked up it carefully as to not step in any of the holes that had rotted through the wood. She walked through the dark and damp hallway looking at the doors to the apartments.
She stopped at one door in particular that stood out to her for some reason. The brass number 13 looked almost brand new and she could hear sounds coming from inside the apartment. She didn’t want to knock but she couldn’t believe that someone lived there. She thought to herself that maybe it was the landlord or the person who owned the building. She didn’t want to give away to anyone that she was there trespassing so she went up another floor to explore more.
The second floor looked just as run down as the first floor did. She was glad to discover that no one was living on this floor at all from the way it looked. She found an apartment that had its door slightly ajar and decided to look around. The inside smelled like a wet dog and the wallpaper and paint were pealing of the walls. There was a tattered old couch and some pretty old looking furniture. Whoever had lived here left in a hurry because there was rotten old food left out on the kitchen table. Cassidy explored more to find that the apartment had 2 bedrooms one looked to be furnished for a little boy probably not much older than 5 by the looks of the toys scattered on the floor. Cassidy went into the master bedroom and sat down on the bed. She knew she couldn’t stay here for long but she was just so tired. She pulled up her legs close to her chest and fell asleep on the dusty old bed.
She was awoken sometime that night by someone touching her. She jumped out of bed startled. Standing in front of her was that boy, the one who was staring at her in the basketball court that morning.
“Sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.” He said
“Well you shouldn’t have been sneaking up on someone when they are sleeping then.” She said holding onto her chest while her heart pounded.
“I’m sorry I just saw you sleeping and then I saw your face and I just wanted to make sure you were alright.” He said.
“I’m fine.” She said
“What is a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?” He asked smiling at her.
Cassidy thought for a minute for the right thing to say and when she had nothing right to ay at all she answered.
“I’m running away, I would appreciate it if you didn’t talk to anyone about me or tell them if the cops come looking for me.” Cassidy said.
The words left her mouth before she even knew what she was saying. The thought of running away had crossed her mind many times but she always figured she would get caught and have to go back to her father.
“I won’t say anything as long as you don’t tell anyone I live here.” The boy said.
“You live here? Why would you want to live in a place like this?” She asked looking around.
“Because it’s the only place no one would find me.” He said with a smile.
“You ran away too?” She asked.
“Pretty much, not that I had anything to really run from, I just hated my parents and wanted to leave, so when I was 16 I found this place. In the 2 years I have lived here not once has a cop stepped foot in here. The only people who come here are the guys early in the morning to use the basketball court. They know I’m here but they won’t tell.” He said looking very please with himself.
“Well I will leave then, I know they will come looking for me and I don’t want to get you into any trouble.” Cassidy said grabbing her backpack and starting to walk away.
“Wait.” The boy called after her.
Cassidy turned around and looked at him. He was very cute, longer curly brown hair and beautiful green eyes. She could see him as someone she would like. If she allowed herself to actually like someone. Boys were never a big thing for her mostly because she was told she could never date as long as she lived in her father’s house.
“Don’t leave, or at least wait until morning. You never know what freaks are out at this time of night.” He said.
She nodded her head in agreement.
“I’m Mark” The boy said holding out his hand.
Cassidy thought of giving him a fake name but changed her mind.
“I’m Cassidy.” She said taking his hand.
