The Runaway 

Part 1

   I laid in the bed with my eyes closed. The clock on the wall was ticking and it began to annoy me. I could hear them fighting from downstairs. Their voices echoed up the stairs and through the hall finding its way to my room. Somehow over the years I've learned how to push out the sound. But other times, I can't help, but let myself listen. To every threat, every curse word, every excuse. It just never ended.

   And so I put in my head phones and played my iPod. I put it on shuffle so I wouldn't be picky. The sound disappeared and I the music played. I kept my eyes closed to every song and fell asleep. 

   I woke up to the smell of bacon cooking. Of course, I thought, she's gonna pretend nothing happened. So I slowly got out of my bed and headed down the stairs. The bacon was sizzling and I looked around. Our family photo's frame was chipped. Dad. I thought. I shook my head and walked into the kitchen.She was singing in her pink robe.

   "Where's dad?" I sat down and poured some juice.

   "Asleep, Hun." She turned around. There on her cheek was a bruise.

   "Mom?" I stood up, "Why are you letting him do this?" I whispered.

   "It was an accident. I shouldn't make him so angry." She put her hand on my cheek. I let my eyes wonder her face. Scars and more bruises laid across her face. Screaming at me the past of dozens of beatings from him. And she just continued to let it happen. Like it was absolutely nothing. 

    I sat down and slowly chewed the bacon. 

   "Tell your sister to come down for breakfast." I walked upstairs and peeked in my parents bedroom. He was there laying on the bed with a Jack Daniels bottle on the dresser. I shut the door and headed to Lizzy's room. I walked in and shook her. 

   "Get up!" I yelled. Me and Lizzy did not get along at all. We were constantly fighting over everything. I always considered that it was a possible reason why there was always so much stress on my mom. But seeing her everyday miserable was always making me upset. 

   Lizzy always complained that she also wanted them to divorce. She once said she wished she could be a daddy's girl, but at the same wished she didn't have a dad at all.

    I usually ignored her. There was no point in trying to change my mom's mind. 

   "You're gonna be late to school girls" My mom put my plate in the sink.

   "I'm not going" I headed back to my room.

   "No, I don't think that's a good idea" My mom pointed to her bedroom door. Indicating that my dad would be mad at her again. I hated school and so I hardly wanted to go. But I forced myself, I was acing math and I loved to paint and so I decided to be the past at them both. I never showed my parents the awards I received. They wouldn't care. They were always in a fight. They had no time for me. 

   So I pulled my back pack over my shoulder. And went into my room to get dressed. I threw it on my bed and sat next to it. I looked into my closet and there was my suitcase filled with new clothes. I had been working at a Victoria Secret for almost a year. I saved every penny and the only money I spent was on gas and very rarely I bought clothes to fill my suitcase. I had a plan to get out of this house since then and I still had it now. I forced my suitcase deeper into the closet so no one could see it. I hurried to get dressed.

   I headed into my car well Lizzy followed. She was a sophomore at the high school well I was a senior and we avoided each other in the halls. On the way to school we listened to music like always.We always tried to pretend everything was okay with us. But we both knew we hated every second that went by.

   Finally, at school, we separated and for the rest of the day I thought up the perfect plan for tonight. Tonight, I thought, tonight i'm getting out of that house and i'm leaving it all behind. 

   I sat in my car after school and waited for Lizzy to get in. Then I saw Brayden walking towards my car. Brayden was my best guy friend who knew of my plan. I rolled down the window.

   "Hey" He said as he looked into the car. He looked around the car. Before I could say 'hey' back he went on "So when are you leaving Bree?" He sounded inpatient. 

   "Soon, dude. I think tonight. My dad hit her again and I can't do it anymore." 

   "I agree. I'll be home all night, kay? Just stop by when you're out. I got your bed and room and everything. Then we'll just live together and you won't ever have to see 'em again." I smiled. Since the day I was fifteen I told Brayden everything because he told me about his mom's affair with his dad's brother. He told me how his uncle threatened to kill him if he spoke a word. Then I told him my life. Every since then, we've been the best of friends.