Let's Be Alone, Together

Dylan

Todays the day. I'm leaving for good, and I've decided to go to the furthest place possible. Orlando, Florida. It's cheap, it's far, it's perfect. I've got like $3,900 to spend on food and travel. I was also able to get a fake ID so I appear barely 16, and can get a job out there under a new name. So it's all working out, first thing in forever. It's kinda weird if I'm being honest. While I was packing last night, my brother Oliver walked in on me. I just told him I was staying at Luci's, but I am almost positive that he saw right through that. But I'm leaving now, so I don't have time to worry about it, if he didn't even give it a second thought. I've got a medium sized backpack with a couple sets of clothes, and the necessary stuff like a portable charger and headphones. The kind of stuff that makes me look like a normal teenager just trying to go somewhere. No suspicions, no questions, no relations. People usually don't notice you if you aren't interesting. Why? I have no idea that's just how this generation is. If you're not "the it-girl/boy" you get looked over. I didn't know how much that was true till I started high school as a new kid. When I was in middle school, I was actually generally really happy. I was popular, but not in the way your brain immediately goes to. I wasn't the prom queen, dissed the weirdos, only hung out with that crowd, kind of popular. I was the everyone knows me kinda popular with everyone. Most people liked me, and those who didn't were because I didn't take people being disrespectful. So I said what was on my mind and didn't care about repercussions. Even outside of school, if your aren't what everyone agrees is "perfect" you don't get noticed. Which I have seen as the better option. I really saw it as the truth when I got to the bus stop. I got my ticket, put my headphones on, and waited. I was probably waiting for less than a hour before it got there. All i can think about is how people are going to react when they notice im gone, or if they'll even notice at all. I get on the bus, and am drawn to the back of the bus like im being pulled by a rope. I always get asked questions like:

"Why are you so sad when there is so much good in the world?"Like I dunno Rebecca, why do you have asthma when there is so much air in the world? Or it'll be something like:"Just be happy" "Your doing this for attention""We all have bad days"Okay, so I've been depressed for months on end. It's not "just a bad day". And omg you caught me, I've avoided people and ruined every thought I have for attention. It's definitely not like I'm trying to leave so I can leave my past. But your correct, I'm doing this for attention. I understand that some 7th grade girl is posting on her Snapchat story that she's depressed after Jeremy broke up with her after 2 hours of being together. But if you were to take a step into my mind, you wouldn't know how to deal with it all. Your gonna see blaring music, an inner demon named Rodrigo that likes to tell me stuff like "your not good enough" "why would you say that" "just leave", mental pictures of every test I failed, and oh so much more. I'm not sure why the demons name is Rodrigo exactly if I'm being honest. I do however know that the reason I did name him was because my therapist told me I should in order "to connect and understand it" or some load of bs. So I did, and all it did was make me smirk whenever I brought up his name.

I got onto the bus after waiting in line for what felt like forever. Kept my earbuds in so nobody talked to me, and I looked like your average teenager going somewhere for the weekend. Although I would be gone for way over just a weekend, I only packed a small amount of stuff. Just enough to fit into an average sized school bag. When I first got onto the bus, I quickly realized it was actually pretty packed. Out of the 35-40 seats there was probably only 5 seats open in the very back. Perfect. I move my way back and passed a group of people that are definitely a friend group. There's probably 4 maybe 5 of them. They seem interesting, interesting like not the kind of people youd think would be friends. You have your bad boy jock, your preppy cheerleader, your "hot" nerd, and your outcast. While Im walking past and observing, I made heavy eye contact with the girl that seemed to be the outcast. Her eyes sparkled like a crystal clear lake on a hot summer day, or the first snowflake of the year. Cold, yet enticing. Inviting, yet hateful. Even if I was intrigued, I went to the far back row, where nobody was. I think I may have stared into her eyes for to long, because the entire group keeps peeling back at me and then talking. No not talking, whispering. I can tell they are talking about me. Then all of a sudden, the two girls stand up and start walking towards me. No. This is not good whatsoever. I needed to stay out of sights, away from people.
"Hiya", the outcast started, "I'm Star, this is Astley."
"Hi," The second girl added.
"Uhm hi?", I question.
"We don't mean to intrude on you, but we noticed you were traveling by yourself and wanted to know if you wanted to come sit with us," Star gestured to the group. I agreed without thinking twice. She fixing me over to the group and I sat next to her.
"Guys, this is--," Star started.
"Dylan," I pushed out.
"This is Kris and Rafe, youve met Astley," she introduced.

"So are y'all like a double date kinda thing?" I tried to clear up.

"Oh God no, these two are brothers, she's a lesbian and no offense but I definitely am not," Astley defended.

"What about you? Boyfriend? Girlfriend???" Star nosied her way into information.

"None of the above," I dissed.

"Do you mind if I try to read you?" Star asked.

"Go for it, good luck," I replied with confidence. She paused for a good 30 seconds, looking me up and down.

"Okay, let's see. Your definitely a runaway. Daddy issues? Mommy issues? Can't tell. Some sort of mental illness, maybe depression. You've gotta be either *gay hand flip* or *bisexual peace sign*. Music obsessed. Book nerd? Maybe just to escape reality though," Star judged. I slow clapped in approval.

"So how right was she?" Kris scoffed.

"Pretty right," I tried to avoid confirming any specific details.

"Aha I knew it, am I swag or what," Star high-fived Astley and Rafe.

"Super swag," Rafe confirmed. I'm not sure what it is about this group of people, but they make me feel like I don't have to fake it. Their all so close, they love each other. Like actually love each other. They laugh real laughs at each other's jokes, they don't not pick every small thing about me like my friends used to. That bus ride was over night, so eventually everyone fell asleep. I was originally going to go back and sit in my original seat, but Astley insisted I stay with them. So I did. In each row of seats, their was three spots. So in one row sat Kris by the window, Rafe in the middle, and Astley by the aisle. Which left me sitting next to Star. So we sat down and both passed out pretty quickly. We were all up messing around till probably 11 or 12pm so we were pretty tired. I think I may have fallen asleep before Star, and I remember putting my head on the window. But that was not how I woke back up. When I opened my eyes, I had a clear view of what I assumed at the time was her phone, which could only mean one thing. I slept on her shoulder.