A Life Worth Living

Chapter 2

Hey everyone! I am truly sorry for not updating in weeks! My sister has been using the computer a lot lately so I haven’t had much of a chance to write. But, be happy! I got a computer for Christmas, so I will be updating more frequently now! 

Enjoy! <3

Chapter 2

“….ey….hey…..HEY!” I am jolted awake by a strong hand on my shoulder, shaking me. I look into the eyes of a man in his late thirties. I slowly look around, disoriented. Oh. Right, California. I stowed away in the bed of a man’s pickup truck.

                The man is looking at me sternly, with disapproving eyes. Crap.

                “Um, wow. Would you look at that, I’m in a car. How did I get here? Hm, I must have been sleep walking again! Woops, well I better get home!” I say nervously, yanking my shoulder out of his firm grasp, trying to slip out of the truck, around the guy.

                “Not so fast, you little stow away,” he says, grabbing my arm as I try to scurry away. He yanks me towards him, and looks me in the eyes. “Now what’s a little girl like you doing here? Did you run away from home? I don’t know what you are going through to want to run away from home, but it probably isn’t as bad as it seems.”

                I just look at him sadly, “Oh, but Sir, it really is.”

                He stares at me a moment longer, then looks as if he has decided something, “Where are you headed?”

                I just look at him. I really didn’t think this through. He could be a rapist for all I know. Or he could easily turn me in to the cops and drag me back home. But then again, maybe he will help me. I really don’t know what to do.

                “Listen here girl, I want to help you. I don’t want to see you get hurt. The world is a tough place. In fact, I have a son around your age and you remind me of him. I can see the determination in your eyes just like him. So I will make you a deal. I will drive you wherever you want to go, but in return you have to call whoever is in charge of you and tell them you are safe.”

                 I think about this. It seems like a fairly good deal. The man seems like a good person too. He seems like a fatherly type of person. I can see that he cares a lot for his son, too. “Deal,” I say to him.

                “That’s good, I was worried you would just run away,” he says, looking truly relieved. “So, where are you heading?”

                “California,” I tell him.

                “What a coincidence, me too.”

                “Yeah, coincidence, that’s it,” I say, laughing uneasily.

                “By the way, my name is Lou. What’s yours?”

                I feel uncomfortable telling my name to a stranger, but I will have to trust him if I am riding to California with him, “My name is Ava.”

                “Okay Ava, we better get going if we are going to get to California. We still have about five hours left to go,” Lou says, walking around to the front of the truck. I follow him as he gets in on the driver side. He reaches across the seats and opens the passenger side door for me. I climb in and get comfortable.

                We sit there silently for about twenty minutes before I can’t take it anymore, “So Lou, tell me about your son,” I say, for lack of anything else to talk about.

                He suddenly gets a sparkle in his eye, “He is amazing! He is so smart and funny. Everyone loves him and looks up to him! He is the most amazing boy ever and is everything I could ever ask for in a son. Not only that, but he is quite the looker if I do say so myself!”

                I can tell that he means every word he says. This is a true father. Lou keeps talking about his son and I listen to every word. I like to think about what my life would be like if I wasn’t stuck in the hospital for the last four years of my life. This is actually kind of nice. Driving down the road with the windows down, just chatting. I feel like I could live forever like this. But I can’t. That is why; when we get to California I will run away from this man and not look back.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will continue to read my stories! Comment, Vote, Fan! <3