Runaway Runaway

(TW mentions of SH and mental illness)

Lia Renter. She heard the name echoing in her head. Lia Renter, her best friend. Lia, with the blue hair, and fishnets, the unapproachable girl who everyone knew, the girl who ran away last summer and no one knew why. Except for her best friend, Jackie Sage, who had not been seen at school since last month.

Jackie was not the social type, not in the slightest, not at all. She read books and went to the park on weekends when she wasn't working in the bookstore. She was at the park the last day she saw Lia. They were sitting next to each other on the bench, Lia was moving her thumbs around in circles.

"I'm leaving... Next week I'm gone." She whispered and looked over to Jackie.

"Why?"

"Well, my goal is to leave this shitty little life behind, go explore, find myself maybe." She looked up at the sky. "I'll read and write to you. I'll dance in the rain, and listen to that music that you like so much." She turned her head towards her best friend. "I'll do everything I want to do, in a place where no one knows who I am, or who I was. Jacks I'm leaving to be happy."

"You... Uggh. People don't hate you you know, they never did, in all honesty you probably intimidate them."

"I can't stay here."

"I know."

"You know I love you right?"

"I love you too," Jackie kicked Lia's foot "you'll write to me?"

"All the time."

And that was the last time,anyone in that town spoke to Lia Renter, in person anyways.

Jackie was sitting in her bed some moths later, the letter in her hands as they trembled. Racing heart, she tore it open.

Jackie,

It's been a while I know. I'm sure you've been worried, you've always been the type to worry even when you don't need too. I know I've said I'd be coming back to see you soon. And I know where you're at right now, and I'm sorry that you're there and I'm here, I should have been there for you and I wasn't. I left when you needed me, but you never said you needed me. I don't know if they give you mail where you're at, I know you can't have your phone. I just find it hard to imagine you attempting to do something like that, or why you would feel like you needed too, and I know it could be because I left, but you can't do that Jackie. You can run but you can't make everything stop! You're 17! I ran away, simply because I could stand that town, I left because I knew if I stayed it would drive me crazy. But you... You were going to stop everything forever. I knew you had your issues, I knew you had your episodes, and I knew you were on meds to help with all of it. But I can't be mad at you for it, even though I want to be, I know that it happened because it all became to much to handle, it all felt like too much and you hought you would drown in all of that pain. I've seen the scars Jackie, the ones you always tried to hide, but you never were that good at keeping secrets from me. And you were so pissed when I told your mom that you needed help. You didn't talk to me for weeks, but it got you therapy and it got you medication that helped keep you stable, and I know it helped because when I looked at you after you started them you didn't look so dead inside, you didn't look as empty. But I also know that the meds didn't just magically fix you, nothing can do that. But Jackie, you're not broken, you're not alone, and even though I'm so far away from you, I still care, I care about you more then myself. Stay safe, and stay alive. Lean on me Jackie, I'm here, ask and I'll come back.

I love you,

Lia

Jackie took a breath. Everything was such a mess. The words record in her head, the words that were spoken to her so may times. The words they both heard so many time, they were crazy, irrational, and so insanely unstable. It repeats on and on and on again, over and over. You're insane Jackie Sage and you know it. No amount of anything can change that. Schizophrenia is what they called it. Freak is what your peers called you, all except her, all except Lia.

And so Jackie walked out of the little room and into the visitor center, where she was met with that blue haired, Disney wearing girl who pulled her into a hug.

"Are you real Lia Renter?"

Lia squeezed tighter. "I'm real Jackie Sage. You got the pictures to prove it, and your parents can tell you too."

"I'm sorry, for making you come back." Her voice was a whisper.

"Don't apologize to me. Do do that."

"I'm happy you're here. I missed you."

"Anything for you. I'd give anything and everything for you."

Lia pulled away and took Jackie's hand, turning it over so she could see her wrist, and Lia brought her fingers over the faint scars there. She felt the pools of water in her eyes, and felt the hot tears cut down her face. Jackie bright ha hand to her face trying to wipe them away. Lia never cried. Never. But she was now and she could see in the way that Lia let herself cry that she was more then worried, she was scared. She was scared of all the little things in this little life and this little town. She was scared that this thing that haunted her best friend would end up destroying her in the worst way possible, and Jackie was scared of that too. She retraced the scars I've Jackie's wrist and said in a shaky voice that was so unlike her, "Just please, Jacks, please don't do this."