Cal Jackson's new life as a rockstar fails to account for one thing: the existence of the girl he loves.
*****
"What are you thinking about?" she asks.
"A song," I say. "A new song."
I stare at the ocean as I sing the song that I wrote, something th...
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I've been standing here in the park for quite a while. I glance back at my watch and find that it's still around ten minutes more until dawn, even though I've been waiting for quite some time.
Cal is already on the way, and I'm pretty sure that he'll arrive soon.
He sounded so determined when he said that he's coming to get me.
The sound of a car's engine echoes from afar, and its headlights shoot toward me that I squint. My heart leaps in anticipation.
Cal?
But then, the closer the car approaches me, the clearer I can see to whom it belongs. My eyes widen in horror, my entire body shaking.
No. No. No.
The car stops right next to me, and Dad gets out of it. His jaw tightens. "Where do you think you're going, Mia?"
"No, Dad. Please," I scream, but he shoves me into the passenger seat and shuts the door.
Mom is behind the steering wheel. She locks the door as soon as I'm inside the car.
"No!" I pull the door panicky, struggling to get out, but it's no use because Mom has activated the child safety lock.
I snap my head toward the back, only to find Dad placing my suitcase inside the trunk.
"What are you doing?" I shout, my chest heaving up and down.
Mom, who's been focusing her gaze on the front, finally turns her head toward me. She looks upset. "Mia." Her voice is hoarse. She tightens her grip on the steering wheel that her knuckles turn white. "You can't do this. You're not running away with that guy."
No. This can't be happening. This is just a nightmare, isn't it?
"Drive," Dad commands from outside the car, and before I can comprehend what's happening, Mom starts driving.
I snap my head back and watch as Dad stays in the park. "Wait. We're not going away. What the hell are you doing?" I yell, my voice shaking uncontrollably, my palm pressed against the car window. "What is he doing?"
Unfortunately, Mom doesn't listen to me. At all. The car keeps speeding off, further and further from the park. My heart thumps so powerfully inside my chest that I feel like it's going to explode.
Although she doesn't answer me, I know for sure that Dad stays there to talk to Cal. He's going to tell Cal to stay away from me.
"No." A tear drops to my cheek, followed by another, and another. "Please, go back to the park. Please, please," I sob.
Cal is already on the way to pick me up. I've packed my bags, ready to start a new life with him. We've made a promise to be together. I can't leave. I don't want to leave him.
