Ronin made it halfway through the window when he stopped. His hips caught the frame. He wouldn't go any further—didn't want to.
The room was plain; it would have been messy if the wren had owned more than some clothes and basic furniture. Looking down at her, she sat blankly on her bed, somehow staring through her thick hair. Something he couldn't see, it was a familiar feeling, one he didn't want to admit.
Ronin cussed as he examined the room. A small grin peeking up the corners of his mouth, the wren had still sat silent. He liked that.
It hadn't been more than a couple of minutes before Ronin lit a cigarette, exhaling it into the room, which instantly filled. Ronin glanced back at her laundry sprawled across the floor; she sat embarrassed. She didn't know what to say, do, or think. Ronin had already passed the barrier she had set to feel as if she had done something helpful.
Ronin said something; she couldn't hear him. The fumes had coated the room, and her brain had fogged on the rehearsed conversation starters she had prepared. Wren's body tensed, and she could feel Ronin's cold hand grab her face, tilting it towards him; she was met with the cigarette he placed in her mouth and his flushed face that was hiding from her.
Ronin began to speak, coughing in the smoke that flew at him. As Wren's door whipped open, her father's silhouette, only a big blur in the smoke; Wren froze.
"Shit!" Ronin exclaimed. His voice echoed in the room as he tried to break the barrier that contained Wren. Her mind raced, and her body did the opposite, only moving by Ronin's arm that gently grabbed her shoulder. Her father's footsteps cracked on the wood as he was enraged with anger. Wren's eyes widened as she scurried to the window, barely escaping her father's tight grip on her leg. Ronin pulled her to her feet, dragging her along the crooked fence. She could almost hear his rapid heart, which copied his fast breaths.
"Fuck, you're slow," Ronin huffed, shaking her off his arm. Her fragile body almost bounced off his force. Wren looked back constantly, unable to accept an escape as she had tried before.
Exiting the trailer park, The small roads of the town came into view as they walked silently across; Ronin had wished he could say something. His thoughts were interrupted as an old car whipped around the corner, screeching to a stop at their sides; Ronin slammed his palm on the hood of the car, flipping the driver off. Ronin hit the car once more; before meeting Wren across the street, he hadn't noticed she crossed.
"You hungry?" Ronin asked, glancing down at her. As she shrugged, he stated, "Good, 'cause I don't have any money." He snarled The voice in his head had said more than both of them combined.
Ronin led her to the endless fields he had always come back to. Wren walked next to him, her cigarette burning in her mouth. She almost refused to take it out, as she could feel the nicotine tingling throughout her body, a different feeling than what her body was used to. She gazed upon the grass, she could practically count her insecurities.
Wren and Ronin sat atop the hill that overlooked the small town they had just run from. "So your dad," Ronin began to speak, rustling his worn shoes in the dead grass. He started to speak again startled as wren cut him off
"He's not my dad," she said timidly
Avoiding eye contact.
She was silent.
He gazed at her small arms that hung out of the wide sleeves she had always worn,
Her skin was almost blue. He could see the goosebumps that lined her figure. His eyes had caught an almost red mark ligning the skin under her loose shirt.
"Wren" Ronins voice was fragile, catching her short gaze "what happened to percys sweater" his voice began to grow, she looked away, "I took it off" she said plainly hoping to end the conversation she feared continuing.
"What the fuck happened to your sweater" Ronins voice was loud and filled with an anger it didn't seem she could deny.
Her eyes began to fog in a thick coat of tears she tried to hold back.
Her body suddenly jerked towards Ronin as he grabbed the stretched ring of her shirt looking at the evidence that lay under it.
Wren froze, her eyes blaring at his face that seemed to stare down at what she hid from. "Wren what the hell happened" his voice almost cracked as he attempted to be stern.
"I-im not allowed to wear it" she almost said in a plea "he took it from me" a broken reality followed her voice. Ronin let go, he stared at wren horrified of the look that hid under her hair.
"If he's not your father why do you let him treat you like that" Ronin growled with a form of anger he wasn't familiar with.
Wren began to speak, but she was halted as the wind blew through the long grass. She could tell it was listening. Just then, a bright light shone over them as a sharp car swerved onto the hill. Ronin leaping to his feet, cussing quickly. Wren followed his movements.
The familiar boys multiplied from the car. Ronin froze. He didn't know what to do; he didn't want to run. He had laughed at himself too much to run anymore. The boys came closer, a low snarky conversation hid the deeper threat Ronin had feared.
He hadn't held back as one of the boys dark figures closed in on him, Ronin instantly swung at the boys face a tight contact on his sharp cheek bone forced him to a crouch. He launched himself atop the boy shuffling into the gras that surrounded them, wren watched as the rest of the boys ran towards the commotion her head whipped to the side as she felt a tight grip on her wrist, her pupils shrunk. Dropping to the ground, she gripped her head, attracting their violent eyes that distracted from Ronin, at her loud shriek. Ronin's eyes were glued to Wren's defenseless self. Just then, a loud, stern voice came into view as a sturdy figure emerged from the shadows, the bright light reflecting off the gun pointed at the boys.
Their movement stopped as if they had frozen. Ronin launched himself over to Wren, her crouched figure gripping her head. He could only watch and wish he'd done the opposite, assuming the man knew he wasn't part of their pack. He bent down by Wren, finding the courage to speak, "You're making a scene, Wren. Get up," he told her, hoping she had taken it the way he intended.
She slowly released her head. She could feel a gentle hand wrapping around her neck as she got up. Ronin jerked her against his jacket as if it was a hug.
he heard the sirens echo through the fields, as the cars appeared to almost multiply, along with the officers that dashed out of them.
The man approached Ronin, examining Wren, then glancing back at Ronin again, "She's fine," Ronin clarified, knowing the man's questions before he could ask them.
The two barely got past a drive to the station, assuring the man they were okay again. Ronin walked with Wren, and a large and unsettling silence followed them. Wren's frantic cry rang in his ears as he glanced down at her, their eyes meeting once more. Ronin stopped, "I'm cold," he admitted randomly, examining her reaction.
"You can walk the rest yourself," he spat, instantly running through the other things he could have said. He turned around, resisting a wave as Wren walked into the town. Her chest was ready to explode as she thought of how the night would unfold. She hated knowing. And yet, she had never seemed to stop.