The boy I met on a highway.

Part 1. The Escape.

I had just turned 16, it was may 27th, 2022. I lived in Tennessee at the time, but I was planning on moving to South Carolina where my best friend lived as soon as I got a car. I had 4 siblings, 2 of them older than me, 2 of them younger than me. That made me the middle child.
I didn't get much, usually hand-me-downs from my older siblings. My younger siblings all got new stuff because of the huge age gap between them and me. My two older siblings were 19 and 21, neither of them had moved out because of how "comfortable" they felt at home, and my parents were 100% ok with that. I thought it was a bunch of bullshit, I couldn't understand how they could want to stay there, the giant, wildly extra house. 9 bedrooms, a 4-car garage, a literal fountain in the front driveway (and one in the back driveway too). My family was a very rich one, my dad was the CEO of a giant global business, so he cashed in about 1 million a year. Despite being very rich, the only thing they ever spent on me was a brand-new black 2020 Lamborghini, it was going to be shipped to our house the day after my birthday. I did want it, but I knew the only reason they got it for me was to try and make me think that they cared about me. I knew they didn't.

It was raining, hard, typical for Tennessee. I had just gotten my boxes packed. I kept half of my stuff and put the rest in boxes to donate, I was trying to keep what I brought with me on a minimum since I was driving a Lambo, not much storage space. I stared out my bedroom window as the rain poured down. I heard a knock on my bedroom door.

"Jessica?" my mom called.
"Yeah I'm in here, what do ya' need?"
"Your siblings an' I are going to go to the store, you need anything?"
"Nope, all good."
"Okay, you'll be home alone so if you need anything just call... Oh, and also your Lambo is going to be here early, it will probably get here while I'm at the store, so don't touch it until I can see you take your first drive in it!"
I faked a laugh "All right mom."

I heard the footsteps retreat. How considerate, leaving me home alone on my Birthday. I wasn't mad though, because while they were gone this would be the perfect time for me to make my escape, especially with my Lamborghini getting here early. I grabbed my small backpack and put my charger, phone, and a pack of gum in it and looked out the window. I saw my mom's Mercedes van pull out of the garage and drive down the driveway. This was it, where I would abandon my family and live an unknown life, several states away. I grabbed a couple of the boxes I had secretly packed over the past few weeks, and opened my bedroom door. I stared out my window for the last time... and sighed as I walked through the door for the last time.

It was about 45 minutes later, I was sitting on the couch waiting for my Lamborghini to arrive so I could put the boxes in it and make my escape. I was hoping for it to come soon. My family usually took around 3-3 ½ hours at the store, so I was in the clear, but I just couldn't help feeling anxious. Another 10 minutes of listening to my heartbeat and the rain pattering on the roof went by, and I finally saw the truck pull in with a sleek, black Lamborghini on a trailer hooked to the back. I went to the living room window and watched as two men got out of the truck and started slowly backing the Lambo off the trailer and into the driveway. One was man standing next to the trailer using hand signals while the other was in the car slowly backing it up. They finished the job and then drove away. I stood there for a solid 5 seconds to make sure they were gone, and then I rushed over to the boxes I had set on the floor. I set them out on the porch and picked up the envelope with the key to the Lambo the men had left me.

"Well, I guess this is it." I said.

I stood on the porch with the boxes in my arms and hit the button on my key fob to unlock the Lambo. I put the boxes in the back seat and sat in the front with my hands on the wheel. I started the ignition as the car roared to life, and stared down the driveway at the road where my new life would begin.