I am so out of here.
I was finished. I couldn’t take one more minute of it. I didn’t have to put up with this.
I made my mind up during the car ride home. I wasn’t hanging around. I was blowing this popsicle stand.
When we got home I stormed into my room and slammed the door behind me. I grabbed my backpack, emptied the books out of it, and started filling it with clothes. When I was done I grabbed the iPhone, which I had successfully kept hidden from my parents, and texted Tristan.
Tristan was Sam’s best friend. I would have just texted Sam but she had misplaced her phone and I knew that after what happened today, he would probably be with her.
“Tristan, can you talk for a sec?”
“Raiden? Girl you better tell me what happened, Sam’s over here crying her eyes out.”
I recounted what happened at the mall. He was infuriated.
“I need to get out of here, Tristan,” I said. “Sam told me that if I ever needed a place to stay I’d be welcome at her house. But I don’t have a ride…”
“Don’t worry, I’m with Ladesha right now. Give me your address and we’ll be right over.”
I was infinitely grateful. “Thank you so much. I’ll be ready.” I gave him my address and gathered up the last-minute stuff I’d need. Then I waited it out in my bedroom, door locked, until I got Tristan’s text.
After about 15 minutes, the phone vibrated.
“We’re here. It’s a white car. Hurry.”
I quickly threw my backpack over my shoulder and slid my window up as quietly as I could. I popped the screen out and climbed through hastily, running around the back of the house so my parents wouldn’t see me.
Tristan and Ladesha sat in a white Honda Civic on the street before my cul-de-sac. I hurried over to the car and jumped in, terrified of pursuit.
Ladesha wasn’t as welcoming as Tristan.
“You better not be runnin’ away. I ain’t gettin’ into trouble for takin’ yo ass outta yo home.
“Don’t worry.” I assured her. “They told me to leave.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. On the ride home they told me that “if I wasn’t going to abide by their rules I couldn’t just pack my bags and get out.” I knew they didn’t mean it, but still.
She didn’t seem convinced, but she started driving anyway. On the ride over to Sam’s house, Ladesha called Sam’s father. She told him that I was on my way over and asked if that was okay. He seemed fine with it. He was disgusted with my parents’ behavior. I even overheard that he was pressing charges against my mom for verbal assault and threatening Sam.
Fine with me.
The ride over would have been fun if I hadn’t been so stressed. Tristan blasted Paramore from my iPod and went through a few cigarettes. All I could think about was Sam, holding her and apologizing for everything that happened. No matter what happened to me because of this, if I got to see her again, even for a little while, it would be worth it.
Because this very well may be the last time.
We finally arrived around 4 o’ clock. Sam’s father came out to greet us on the porch, taking my bags for me and putting them inside.
“Thank you so much for letting me come,” I said.
“My pleasure, Raiden,” he replied sincerely. “What your parents did was appalling. I can’t believe the don’t accept your for who you are.”
