Come Find Me by Harley Jane (ap literature book list txt) 📕

People run away from things.

Things that scare them. Things that they don’t like.

And the things that they love.
But what happens when the person you’re running away chases after you? The person you love, and have loved since first grade, chooses to follow you to the end of the earth.
But do I run towards the guy I love?
No I run away.
I run away and make him chase me farther and farther until there is no where left to run.
I run away from the only person to ever make me laugh so hard my stomach hurts.
I run away from the only person to treat me like a princess.
People say “if you love something, set them free, and if they truly love you they will come back.” There are those people who set people free, and those who are set free. And then there is me. The person who runs away before they have a chance to either set me free, or hold on tight.


Run, run, as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m…... me.


CHAPTER ONE:
Sadie Chilton

Sadie.
Come to the park. 10:32 pm.
I will instruct you from there
-Don’t be late

Walking through the park at night is actually kind of freaky. But so is getting an anonymous note in your locker intrusting you to meet them in a park, at night where no one is there… This might not have been a good idea to go alone. My best friend Rose and I debated all day who the author of the note might be. But unfortunately, we did not come up with anyone. If Rose were here, she would be squeezing my arm off, and jumping at every little sound. But the strange thing is, there are no noises.

It is completely silent besides the sound of my white converses hitting the sidewalk. The wind is blowing my long brown hair across my face so that I have to sweep my bangs off my face. Man, whoever is planning this should have told me to bring a jacket…

The park is like a maze. Sidewalks criss-crossing in every direction and deserted play sets on either side of the path. The paths go on for miles, and they all lead up to a big clearing where many people go to have picnics, play football, or just hang out.

Maybe that’s where this mystery person is, because he sure is not around here, I thought to myself. As I turned the corner into the clearing, I was ready for anything. A killer with a gun. A guy with chocolates and flowers. My friends jumping out and scaring me.
I was ready for anything but what actually happened.

Logan Parker.

But did he have chocolates and flowers?

No.

“Sadie Chilton, you’re late.” Logan said cooly. He was standing in the middle of the clearing, honey blonde hair blowing in the wind. I have known him since kindergarten when he stole my brand new box of crowns.

“Logan Parker, you said you would instruct me to get here. I didn’t receive any instruction mister.” I said as I walked toward him.

“My apologies madam, but I needed to talk to you.” He said when we were face to face.

“Oh and walking up to me at school would have been too hard for you?” I asked.

“What can I say? I like doing things different.” He said just as leaned closer, taking my chin by his hands, pulling me closer. But before his lips could make contact with mine, I moved my hand up to his lips, stopping him from kissing me. “Sadie, what’s wrong?” Logan said, genuinely worried.

“Sorry Logan, you said you needed to talk to me at 10:32 pm. So talk buddy.” I said. Logan actually looked hurt that I denied his kiss. Logan took a minute to walk back and get something out of his backpack that was a few feet away and walk back to me.

“Here,” Logan said defeated. He handed me a folded up piece of paper.

“Aww Logan, you shouldn’t have!” I exclaimed sarcastically. Logan just gave me an evil look. But as I started unfolding it, Logan grabbed my hand and stopped me.

“Don’t read it here!” Logan half-shouted, if we were here in the daytime, a lot of curious eyes would have turned toward us. They would probably think we were fighting or something. But we’re not. It’s the dead of night and no one is around to turn and look at us. I just stared at Logan, not knowing what to say after his outburst. After what seemed like a long time of silence, Logan repeated in a whisper, so soft that I could barely hear it, “Don’t read it here Sadie.”


The next day at school seemed like a dream. Logan and I passed each other silently in the halls, not even looking at each other. We sat across from each other at lunch, but neither of us spoke of last night. We didn’t talk at all. The rest of our friends didn’t even seem to notice our strange silence, and they carried on talking about our English assignment.

The entire day went on like this, no talking, no questions, nothing. The whole day was a blur. Even when Rose was talking to me about her date with Liam, I was just smiling and nodding. Rose knows better than to ask me what’s wrong. Because if she did, she would get the same answer I always give her when something is actually wrong, “nothing.” Rose and I met in fourth grade when she first moved here. She forgot her lunch the first day of school so I went and bought her a turkey sandwich, even though she swears it was PB&J because she was a vegetarian in fourth grade. I was with her when she finally cracked and ate some beef jerky, when she broke her foot skipping down the hallway, and when she started dating Liam Michaels.

But Rose is an amazing friend, and she can always tell when I don’t want to talk about something. So even though I know she was dying to know about last night, she didn’t ask.

On our walk home from school, (Rose and I are also neighbors and live 10 minutes away from the school) Rose was talking about her cousin’s new job in Hollywood.

“Think about it Sadie, how amazing would it be to live and work in Hollywood! With all the movie stars, the beach, oh, and the shopping, Sadie let’s move there! Did you know you could hike up the trail to the Hollywood sign in…?” She could have gone on forever if I didn’t cut in.

“Logan.” I said. Rose stopped talking, she knew immediately what i ment.

“What did he want?” Rose said making a face like she smelled something horrible.

“He gave me this.” I handed her the unread note. She just looked at it in her hands. “He said I couldn’t read it in the park, and I was scared to read it at home. Its killing me! I need to know what’s written in there, but I also want to know why I couldn’t read it in the park with him. Or why couldn’t he just say to me what’s in there, instead of writing me a note. Maybe it’s not from him, and he is just the messenger. Rose what do you think.”

“I think you need to breathe, hun. Why don’t I come over tonight and, if you want to, we can read it together. I have to go home first and babysit Charlotte, but as soon as my parents get home I am high-tailing it over to your house missy. Now go inside, do your homework, and breathe. Are you okay now?” When I nodded, Rose took off towards her house, “See ya later sweet heart. Don’t read it without me!”

Is it possible for someone to be become drained just by sitting in their bedroom doing nothing? It seriously felt like I ran a marathon by the time Rose rang the doorbell four hours later. Am I going crazy? All I did during that time was sit on my bedroom carpet thinking about Logan. Why couldn’t I read the note last night? Why didn’t he speak to me all day? What is in that note? But before I could lose my mind, Rose showed up saving me like she always does.

“Ok, I have everything we need for a Friday night party slash mystery note party. I have Hershey’s kisses, my little brother’s spy gear, Aladdin, and Pirates of the Caribbean 1, 2 and 3!” Rose squealed as I opened the door. She made her way over to the couch, gesturing for me to follow her. She stripped the pillows and blankets from my bed and put the Aladdin DVD in while I set up the snacks and got the note from my desk.

“Rose, he didn’t talk, let alone look at me all day. You think he was embarrasses, annoyed, disappointed, or depressed?” I asked talking a couple of twisted Cheeto puffs from the bowl overflowing with Cheetos, Sun Chips, popcorn, and BBQ Baked Lays. Basically it was a heart attack in a bowl.

“Sadie do you want to read it and get it over with?” Rose asked stuffing her mouth with a handful of our special concoction.

“You do it Rose,” I said as I threw the note at her. She carefully ripped open the tape, and then I grabbed a pillow and covered my eyes. After five or so minutes of excruciating silence, Rose threw off the blankets, grabbed my hand and screamed,

“SADIE, WE HAVE TO GO NOW."





Chapter two:
Logan Parker

“Dude, where is she?” I asked my friend Liam over the phone. I have been waiting at the deserted beach with roses, a blanket, and Sadie’s favorite desert, (Chocolate ice cream with sour gummy worms) in a cooler. The ice cream is already half melted, even though the air is on the verge of freezing. Liam said that Rose and Sadie were supposed to be together tonight, so the two of them must have read the note. Rose is a curios, gossipy little thing, I mean Rose is the one who forced me to tell her what I was getting Sadie, and then ran off and told her that I was getting her a necklace for her 15th birthday.


“Maybe they got caught up in traffic; I mean seriously you didn’t pick the closest place on earth to profess your love to your girlfriend. And besides, Rose is a slower driver than my granny. Chill out, it will go perfectly.” Liam was right, Sadie would come, eventually. Right as he said that I saw the blinding headlights of a passing car, but just my luck, they kept moving along.

Chill out Logan. Sadie will come. It was just a passing car. Sadie will come. Sadie will come, I told myself. “Sadie will come” was becoming like a mantra to me. Chanting it in