Escaping you |EDITING|

*Chapter 1*

"I don't want to leave!" I yell at my mother.
"You can, and you are. Atlas I understand that you don't want to leave, that you're confused, but it's final."
We lived in New York my whole life. I don't want to move. I can't move.
"Why are we even going? We don't know anyone in Portland!"  I ask. "You don't need to know everything Atlas. Just trust it's for the best okay?"

I'm seething. She can't just tell me we are moving across the country and then not tell me why.

"Do My brothers know? Does Paige or Leah know?" I breathe out defeated. I'm only 16. it's not like I have any choice. "They will soon." My mother River responds.

I stomp back up the stairs I was called down. About an hour later and the door opens, and I hear my little sister Paige coming home from school. I'm still fuming from the conversation with Mom, but I need to be there for Paige when mom tells her.

I leave my room and begin walking down the stairs when I hear my brothers car pull in the driveway. I make my way into the kitchen and greet Paige. "How was school?" I ask her.  "It was alright." She responds getting an apple out of the fridge as my brothers walk in the door.

"Hey Zach, Elias."        

"Hey sis." Zach says with a salute.

"A salute? Really Zach?" I question.

He just ignores me and goes to plop down on the couch when my mom calls us all into the living room. How are Elias and Zach going to react? I mean Zach is going to college next year and Elias is going to be a senior. They aren't going to be happy, they grew up here too and our parents are just up rooting all of us b

We all walk into the living room, sitting around the coffee table. "Guys, Paige, I need to share something with you. I already told your sister and I will tell Leah when she comes back from practice."
My brothers and sister nod in response.

"We're moving." She states plainly. An emotionless expression plastered on her face. My brothers eyes widen and Paige cocks her head, confused. "To Portland." My mother continues. I feel my heart sink again as my little sister grabs my hand from beside me.     

Zach laughs for a minute before he stops. "You aren't serious?" He asks, looking puzzled.

"I am." My mother responds, a more sad look on her face. Zach scoffs and just walks off from the table while Elias and Paige just stare in shock. "Zach wait- my mother starts as he walks out of the garage into the house. Zach just ignores her and walks upstairs.

"Yeah I get it Zach, I felt like that too." I want to tell him.

"Fuck no. I'm not going." Elias states, looking angry. He doesn't look surprised, though.
My mother raises her eyebrows at him. "Yes you are Eli. No amount of begging  or foul language will stop you from going. You live under
My roof." My mom says, no longer looking sad.

"Zach's 19."

"I know that Elias and if your brother chooses to stay we can't stop him but he has no where to go. He has no money to buy a place of his own and he's not getting the car. So either he can go with us or he can stay here and support himself." My mother says coldly.

I hear sniffs from beside me and I look over to see tears on Paige's face. I hate seeing her cry. I grip her hand tighter as I look at my mother. She doesn't look like the woman I know. The woman who raised us. "I don't know what the hell  is wrong with you or why you're acting like this, but our lives are here. I know we have to go. You could at-least pretend like you care that you're forcing us to pack our lives into boxes and moving them across the country." I say, tears now rolling down my face as I pull on Paige's hand and walk inside with her.