I plug my headphones in my ears with the song Already Gone by Kelly Clarkson playing. Mark ran after me. It was pouring rain and my hair was soaked. My clothes were plastered against my skin but I focused on the song and I found the will to keep running. Mark screamed, “Emily!!!” I ignored him and I kept sprinting, not knowing where I was going or where this road would take me. Abruptly, my lungs did not provide much air for me to breathe and I stopped, gasping. Mark showed up minutes later and held my hand. “Emily, I’m sorry.” He said. I pulled my hand out of his and I said, “What ever.” Mark let his hand drop down to his side. He spoke, “Emily, listen, please will you come back?”

“I’ve made my decision, Mark. I am leaving. Mark, I can’t handle any more drama. Isn’t this what you want? You wanted me to go, I thought. This is what you-”

“Stop!” Mark shouted and leaned in and kissed me.

I pulled away after our lips had touched and screamed at him, “Mark, it’s over! You left me and I do not like you anymore! I am leaving now. Goodbye, Mark Jacobson.” I grabbed his phone and deleted my number. Tears swelled up in my eyes but I did not let them come. I put the headphones in again and I ran away. I did not care where I was going. I looked back once and I saw Mark standing there looking heart-broken. But I did not care; he left me when I needed him the most. I never realized how far I was away from home. My phone had dropped somewhere in the dirt but I did not want to look for it. I sat down on a moist log and I cried. I cried until the sun set in the sky and I lay my head against the wood and fell asleep. I woke up when it was still dark outside, and I saw a bright light. I looked more closely and I realized it was my phone. There were 3 missed calls. I checked to see who they were from. One was from my mom and dad, one was from Ashley, (my best friend), and the last one was from Mark. I threw my phone into the darkness and I stretched out on the wood.

I was cold and shivers ran down my arms. I looked around more closely and I noticed I was sitting under our tree. Me and Mark’s tree. My surroundings were lighting up a little more and I felt warm again. I felt as if the sun were directed at me and was warming my body. Tiredness came through my body and I put my head against the wood again. I rested there for a long time and then I was energized. Suddenly, I could hear the sound of crackling leaves. I climbed up ‘our’ tree and watched from below as a person walked into the clearing. It was Mark. He sat down in the exact same spot I had fallen asleep and he looked up at our tree. I tried to calm my breathing but I just couldn’t control it. Then, my feet slipped across a wet patch on the tree and one foot dangled from a branch. Mark noticed it and came over to me.

“Hello?” I could hear the smile in his voice as he recognized my blue sneakers.

Suddenly, my anger was drained from my body. I felt extremely happy and a giggle slipped out from my mouth.

“Emily?” His fake astonishment made me laugh.

“Mark?” I tried to copy his voice, miserably failing though.

Without a second thought he climbed up the tree and grabbed me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close to him. It felt good to have someone care about me, to have someone love me and make me feel special. I sighed and clung onto his shirt. We sat there in the tree until our whole morning had passed us by. Our whole conversation was spoken in the silence when our eyes met and we completely understood each other’s feelings. He finally spoke, “Emily, I promise I will never hurt you again.”

“I know.” I said.

“I will never do that again. If I do, you have the right to kill me, but I would never do that, I would not be able to live without you.”

“I know, I trust you.”

“I thought I lost you, I almost killed myself.”

“Don’t ever even consider that Mark. I would never forgive myself if you did. I would never be able to keep living.”

“Fine. I won’t. As long as you promise you will never scare me like that again. Promise me you will never leave me.”

“Do I have a choice?” I laughed and we shared that special kiss. I had forgotten how wonderful it felt to kiss him. And in my head I vowed that I would never hurt this boy, even if it meant giving up my life for him. I would never hurt him. I would never run away again. I would never let him leave me. As long as we were alive. Together.