Water Tower

Chapter 1

7 years ago.

"TRACY! ANSWER MY QUESTION!" My father yells in the house.

"DANIEL! I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING. I WOULD NEVER CHEAT ON YOU!" My mother yells back.

"Psst, Mandy." I hear from my window. I look over and see Michael peaking through the window.

"Michael, what are you doing here? You may get me in trouble." I whisper, walking over to the window.

"Are they fighting again?" He asks. I stay quite. "I found something."

"What?" I ask.

"A place where we can escape this hell." Michael smiles. I don't think about it. I climb out of the window and land on the ground. MIchael grabs my hand and we run out through the field. 

"Michael, where are we going?" I ask.

"You'll see Mandy. Can't ruin the surprise!" He says. We continue running until I slam into Michael's back. I look up and we're at the towns water tower.

"Why did you bring me here Michael?" I ask looking up to the top of the tower.

"Come on." He says, walking towards the ladder.

"We can't Michael." I say.

"Yes we can and we will." He says, climbing up the ladder. I follow behind him.

" I don't know about this Michael." I say, climbing up behind Michael.

"We're escaping the bad things Mandy." He says. He reaches the top and turns around and pulls me up. "Nothing can get us up here."

"Wow." Is all I can say. The view is amazing. You can see the whole town and some of the neighboring town.

"It's beautiful." Michael says, sitting down and letting his legs hang over the edge.

"It really is." I say, doing the same.

"Okay, so here's the deal." Michael says, turning to look at me.

"What?"  I say, looking at him.

"If we feel like we can't handle what's going on in our lives, this is where we come to get away. Deal?" Micahel says, reaching out his hand to me.

"Deal." I say, shaking his hand. 

"To make it offical." Michael says, pulling a marker out of his pocket.

"Did you already plan this out?" I ask, laughing.

"Maybe." He says, smiling and turning around. He takes the cap off the marker and starts writing something on the tower. 

"What did you write?" I ask. He moves over and it says, 'M.C & A.L'

"Now it's ours." He says, coming back over and sitting next to me. He takes my hand in his. 

"Ours." I say, leaning my hand on his shoulder.

~Present Day~

"Don't do this Amanda." My mom says, from the doorway.

"I am doing this Mom. I can't take it here." I say. 

2 months after Michael and I wrote our names on that water tower, my Dad walked out on my Mom and me. Mom decided she wanted to get away from Indiana and move to California. I liked it at first, but as I got older, I started to hate it here. I missed home. I missed my friends and the water tower. I didn't have any place to go here to get away. Nothing felt the same. I haven't talked to Michael since I left. It's like we never knew each other. Now that I'm 20, I'm going to change that. 

"Amanda." She says, grabbing the bag from my hand. I pull it back.

"Don't 'Amanda' me." I say, pushing past her and going down the stairs. 

"Where are you even going to stay Amanda?" She asks.

"I'll pay an apartment. I have enough money." I said, going into the bathroom, grabbing some other stuff.

"Where'd you get the money? Are you stealing off of me?" My mom asked me.

"Unlike you, no. I had a job Mom. You were to busy passed out drunk when I got home to fucking notice." I spit. 

"Don't use that language with me." She says.

"I will do what I want Mom." I say, going towards the door. 

"What are you doing?" She asks. "God, she's still drunk." I think. 

"I'm moving back Mom. I've already told you." I say, carrying a bag to my car.

"Amanda, you can't." I hear.

"Yes I can. I'm 20 years old Mom. I've hated it here. You're lucky I didn't leave when I turned 18." I say, closing the trunk and walking to the driver's side. 

"Amanda, please don't leave me." My mom says, leaning through the open window. 

"I am Mom. Just like Dad." With that, I drive away and don't look back.