Hope Your Heart Is Strong Enough (Francisco Lashowski)

Chapter 1

'' Your mom can kill you one day because of her hot tempered mood ! If I wouldn't have stopped her right now from hitting you, you could've been dead ! '' Dad shouted in my face saying the things that I already know. His shouting was only making my headache worse. I still feel dizzy because of the hit I got from mom, she literally hit my head to the wall. I still can hear her screaming in the hallway. I stayed silent for a moment and suddenly she walked in my room again but dad caught her and got her out then shut the door behind him.

I didn't even get up of my bed and bothered locking the door even though the key is on the table next to me. I just laid in my bed and sighed as the tears began to stream down my face fast.

I'm fed up and tired of this life, it's the same scenario repeating itself every single day. I come back from high school like I'm the happiest person on earth and the moment I step in the house, my big smile disappears and all of the happy times at school fade. It's always been this way, I've always hated home, mom always kept nagging and the moment I spoke, she would be the judgmental she is and turn the whole thing to a fight and the worse of it, she would bring up the bad things that happened in the past.

Luckily, the school year is almost over and this is my last year in high school. I'm finally going to university ! I've been waiting for this my whole life, I'm leaving this house and I'm going to rent a house alone. My parents said that I'm not living in the dorms because I'll meet 'bad people' and said that they'll afford the rent of the house. They thought that me living in a house alone will keep me away from the wrong people. I don't mind that anyway because I like being alone at home. Alone not lonely.

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*4 months later*

'' Did you make sure that you brought all of your stuffs ? '' Dad said as I put my luggage in my car. I nodded and turned to look at my house one last time. My three sisters were standing in front of the car, I hugged them goodbye then hugged my parents too.

After a couple of arguments, they finally agreed that they'll let me drive alone as long as I'll call them right when I'm there. The drive from Boyce to Washington DC is about an hour and twenty minutes so that won't take long.

I kept thinking about the university I'm going to, Howard university. It's the fifth of the top universities in Washington DC, it's comprised of a number of schools including faculties of business, dentistry, pharmacy, communications, education, arts and sciences and divinity. That's what I read online. I'm so glad that I made it to Howard university and very happy that I'm renting a house alone even though my parents are paying for it.

An hour passed fast and I found myself almost there, my phone buzzed in my pocket and I answered it.

'' Hello ? '' I said the moment I picked up the phone and kept focusing on the road.

'' Faye '' My father said. '' I wanted to tell you that the owner of the house is my friend as you know, he said that he won't be able to meet you so his son will meet you at a coffee shop nearby the University and he'll show you where the house is and give you the keys.'' He informed me.

'' Oh, okay. But wait, why am I meeting him near the university.'' I asked as I changed directions and headed to the university.

'' Because the house that you're staying in is near the university.'' My father says. Seriously, I didn't know that, they should've told me about where the house was. This is an important detail even though it won't change anything.

'' Okay dad and how am I supposed to know the owner's son ? '' I asked him as I read a sign that said Howard university and that pointed to the left. I turned left and I could see a fancy coffee shop.