California Runaway

chapter five

I was about 20 minutes from the bus station, and then I would buy a ticket to California. However I was stopped when I saw Dallas. I put my head down and tried to walk passed him but he saw me anyway.

"Harley?" He said raspy. 

I looked up at him and tried to act normal. "Oh... Hey" I then tried to stroll passed him, but he put his hand on my shoulder and stopped me. 

"Kid, what're you doin out in this area?" He asked like I was about to get on his damn nerves. I sighed and announced, "I'm going to a friends house. I don't wanna be at mine right now." He then just scoffed at me, and then puffed his cigarette and let me through. 

He was walking away from me, but I then confessed, "Dally wait." He turned around and looked at me. 

"I never slept with a soc, you know." I said guilty. 

"I know that, doll." He then went on with whatever he was doing and I slightly smiled. I turned around I kept on walking to the bus station. At least he knew. 

When I finally got there, the light was dimmed and I walked up to the man selling tickets. "Hi" I tapped my fingers nails onto the counter ever so slightly as the man with no hair and a short mustache just stared at me. "Um... I would like to buy a ticket to... Santa Clara sir." I smiled at him. He kept staring at me and snickered. "That would be 18 dollars, miss." 

I thought how expensive that is. I took off my bag and unzipped the pouch that I had the money in. I counted it and confidently gave it to him. He counted it again, and he gave me the ticket. "Have a good one",  the ticket man said in monotone. I hummed and I looked at the ticket.

The next bus will be here in two hours. I can wait that long I suppose. It shocked me to find out that it is almost a 25 hour bus ride. My back will kill me by the end of the ride I thought. But, it's going to be all worth it in the end. 

There was a phone near by so I decided to call Mary Jane. I couldn't just leave her without saying a little goodbye. I put in my nickel, and put her number in. It rung for a little bit before a tired Mary Jane answered the phone. 

"Hello?" She said groggy.

"Mary Jane? It's Harley." I confessed. "Harley? Why are you calling me so late?" She questioned.

 I took a deep breath and I told her everything. She was shocked to say the least, but she supported me even though she really didn't want me leaving. 

"Look Emmie. I'll call you as soon as I get there." I assured her. "Okay, girl. You better." She warned. We both said our goodbyes and I then had to wait for the bus to come. 

When you think about all the outcomes, time flies by. The bus came, people started boarding it and checking off their ticket. I sat in the back near an older lady with white hair and bold makeup. She smiled at me but then frowned. 

"Aren't you a little young to be here by yourself?" She looked at me raising an eyebrow. "Oh well, maybe." I shrugged my shoulders. She crossed her arms and shook her head. "Runnin away from home, darlin?" She asked in a southern accent. (I kinda based her off meemaw from young Sheldon lmaoo) 

"I guess." I said plainly. The old lady then put her hand out and I looked at her and shook her hand. "I'm Betty. What's your name, youngin?" I then answered, "Harley. But you can call me June. That's my middle name." She smiled at me. "Nice to meet you, Harley June."

Since I'm going to be in a different state, then why not go by a different name? June sounds sweeter than Harley. I mean my parents named me after a motorcycle company. 

Betty and I talked the whole entire bus ride. There were a few exceptions when the bus stopped for breaks and when I accidentally fell asleep on her shoulder. 

Apparently shes moving from Texas, but she had visited her son in Tulsa for a little while. I told her some things about my family, and why I decided to run off, and she just listened. She said that I reminded her of herself when she was young, and "reckless".

She then asked me, "where are ya plannin on goin once we're in little miss California?" I hadn't put much thought into that before she even asked me that. I thought about it, but it stumped me. "I don't know." I said a little quietly. 

She frowned, and stayed silent for a bit. 

"How about this", she turned to me and proposed. I was then listening. "I have a house waiting for me in Santa Clara. How about you stay with me. You're too young to be out there doing God know's what." She pointed her finger at me. "Oh- no, you don't have to. Really." I protested. "Hon, you're what, 14 years old? You can't be on the streets of California." I sighed, and I was thankful. "Thank you Ms. Betty" I smiled at her. She smiled back at me. 

When the bus finally arrived to Santa Clara, California, I was amazed. All I could really see were the street lights, but it was nothing like Tulsa. Nothing at all. 

Once Betty and I got off the bus I immediately stretched my stiff back. I held one of her bags as mine was on my back and she grabbed us a taxi. 

"I bought this house from an auction, you know." She said to me in the car. "It was my mothers house where I grew up in and when I found out it was for sale I couldn't wait to get my hands on it." She chuckled, and then changed the subject then instantly changed the subject. "So, are you gonna call em soon?" She asked me.

 I knew who she was talking about and honestly; I want to. I want to tell them that I am safe, and I will be just fine. However, it'll just make me feel more guilty than I already am. "I don't think so. I mean- they already know I'm not there. But we'll see." I declared. 

Once the taxi dropped us off, I looked at the house. 

It kind of reminded my house back in Tulsa. But this one was yellow and was not beaten up. It looked overall comfortable. Betty then got the keys, and opened up the door. She showed me where my room would be and that we would go shopping in the morning. Most of her stuff is on the way from Texas. 

"Thank you, Betty. So much." I sincerely told her. She patted me on my back and said, "No worries. I'm always glad to help." She smiled at me. 

I slept on the floor in my new bedroom with wood panel walls, and thought. 'I wonder what my brothers are doing right now', and then drifted off to sleep.