Enemies

Chapter 1

Rolling over in my bed, I looked at the clock. It was only five thirty in the morning. I still had forty-five minutes before my alarm would go off and wake me for the first day of my senior year of high school. The last first day of high school ever. If my parents had been smart, they would have started me early and I would have graduated last year, turned eighteen three weeks ago and been off to college.

Although, they could never know that I was planning on going to college. It wasn't in their plans for me. A wedding straight after graduation to, Snake- who I didn't even like as more than a friend, let alone love- that was their plan. Chloe's soft snoring filled the room. Our trailer was only two bedrooms and we'd been sharing a bed since she was born three years after me. She turned fifteen soon and was starting her freshman year of high school today. She was nervous, but she didn't need to be. She had friends her age. Sassy, my best friend, had a brother in her year.

Instead of laying awake in my bed for the next forty-five minutes, I took advantage of the alone time and privacy I had. I hardly ever got that. It was difficult when you shared a two bedroom, one bathroom, double wide trailer with your parents and younger sister. The kitchen was small, so was the living room. And even if it wasn't small, it was always full of my dad's associates. By associates, I meant members of the Southside gang he ran.

I fucking hated it.

Thankfully, Chloe was a sound sleeper. Leaning over the bed, I reached under the mattress and pulled out the stack of college flyers and went through them. I only had a limited amount of money to send my applications in. Who the hell knew just applying for college cost so much money. I'd have to narrow my list of six to three. The one thing all the colleges had in common- they were thousands of miles from my house. I hated it here; I hated my parents; I hated Carver High School; I hated Lake City, California. Most people dreamed of coming to California. All in all, it wasn't a bad place to live; it was gorgeous, the weather was nice, and the town was nestled between the mountains and the ocean perfectly. The problem was the fucking politics of the town, that my dad was one of the biggest criminals in the place. Not one of. He was the biggest, at least according to Sheriff Roberts. But it was because of that, that I needed to get the fuck out. I didn't want this to be my life. I wanted more than a marriage to Snake, of a life of wondering if he'd be arrested, and more than that, I wanted freedom and love. I couldn't have freedom here, and I certainly couldn't have love. Snake would be the only one to ever attempt to date me. Sure I'd fucked around with a bunch of guys, but nobody wanted to really be with me, scared of what my dad would do if he found out.

Sitting up, I sat cross legged on my bed, and looked down at the flyers in front of me. With my grades, I had a pretty good chance at getting a scholarship. All the schools were on the east coast- Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York. Dartmouth was in New Hampshire and was my reach school. I definitely had a shot, but I'd read that they didn't do merit scholarships, only financial ones. I'd be applying for one. Despite my situation, it didn't seem worth it to take out a bunch of student loans. Grabbing my phone, I pulled up a few tabs and searched for scholarships that I could apply for that weren't dependent on what school I went to.

Three schools, I thought to myself. Chloe stirred, rolling over in her bed. She and Sassy were the only ones I felt bad for. Chloe was my sister by blood and Sassy may not have been blood, but she was as good as my sister. I'd been lying to both of them since I was twelve and I finally figured out that the only thing I wanted in life was to get the fuck out of this town. But I couldn't tell them. I'd break both their hearts by sneaking away in the middle of the night, taking my beat up car and everything I had and slipping over the town's boarder. I'd be halfway to Utah before anybody even realized I was gone. And by the time they did, I could have been anywhere, halfway down the California coast to Mexico, Half way up the coast towards Washington.