Runaway

Chapter 1

"Someday, someone will walk into your life and make you realize why it never worked out with anyone else."

Song Playlist- "Memphis, Tennessee" by Elvis Presley.

Memphis, Tennessee. A place where a teenage girl from California wouldn't know what to expect from it. I didn't want to move away from all of my friends, the warm weather, and the beaches filled with good-looking guys. But this didn't affect me. I was single, and I only went to the beach once a week. Maybe Memphis had something in store for a 13-year old me.

I walked down the stairs and my mother put her hands on her hips. I didn't know what I did wrong, or what made her upset.

"Angeline, do you know what day it is?"

"Isn't it the 17th of June?"

"Yes, that's correct. Have you finished packing?"

"No, I'm almost done. Why?"

"We're leaving tomorrow! Angeline Olivier, you may not go to the beach until you are finish packing."

My lips were pursed and continued packing. It seemed like the clothes in my closet and drawers were never ending. I participated in beauty pageants, and had many outfits. I decided to play my records to keep me busy. Hopefully, time would pass quickly.

My best friends, Norma and Janice, visited me from the beach nearby. They were sad that I couldn't make it to the party, so they decided to fill me in on what happened.

Janice: "Angeline, you missed out! Natalie made a cake for you and many people showed up, including John Heavenly! He was looking for you. You should have seen him without a shirt."

Me: "John Heavenly was there?! Oh well, nothing would happen between us anyways."

Norma: "Maybe you'll meet a nice, handsome, southern boy in Memphis!"

Janice: "That's right! There must be some cute boy you'll fall in love with."

Me: "Yeah, in your dreams. I don't think so."

We kept debating over this topic while they helped me pack. They stayed until ten at night before heading home.

The next day, my mother woke us up really early. I quickly powdered my face and got dressed. My younger brothers, Bobby, Brian, and Luke slowly walked down the stairs while I quickly passed them. The house looked dark and empty, which gave me an unusual sad feeling. I felt like I needed a one-on-one moment with the house, but my mother simply pushed us out of the door with our luggage in hand.

She was worried that our father would come by the house and start a quarrel. My parents divorced in 1945 when I was eight years old. Bobby was six, Brian was four, while Luke was two years old. My mother recieved full-custody of us, while my father rarely saw us. She was simply running away from her old life, hoping to embark on a new journey.

As soon as our luggage was situated, we boarded the plane. My mother sat with Luke and Brian, while I sat with Bobby. I looked out the window with a blank expression on my face. I was sad, terrified, nervous, and franctic. To calm me down, I prayed that my family and I would have a safe journey to the land of unknown and hopefully meet someone who will change my life forever.