The Runaway and The Dropout | Sodapop Curtis

Chapter 1

Dakota felt pain all down her body. She went to quickly get up, but pain shot her like a bullet.

"What the fuck..." Dakota mumbled.

She slowly grabbed the banister, lifting herself up. Her eyesight became dizzy instantly. When she looked down, she noticed the blood. It looked like a murder happened. Blood had been stained on the carpet and the hardwood floors. 

Dakota went to walk but pain shot up her leg. She paled at the sight of her leg. Her leg had a massive bruise and blood splattered on it. She limped over to the living room after finally tearing her eyes away. She instantly knew her father was in there when the stench of alcohol hit her.

Her dad was passed out drunk in his chair. She went to turn around but stopped suddenly. She noticed a picture frame. She paused, looking back at it. It was on the ground and upside down.

Normally the picture frame sat in her room, but here it was in the living room. Dakota couldn't prepare herself for what was underneath. She lifted it to find torn pieces of paper underneath. She started tearing up, finally noticing it was her favorite picture. Her picture with her brother.

She knew what she needed to do. She grabbed the picture, limping up the stairs. She instantly started packing. She didn't know where she was going, but she just needed to get out.

She went to the safe in her dad's room and grabbed a wad of cash. She also grabbed his car keys and grabbed all the clothes she could. When she finally saw herself in the mirror, she felt like throwing up.

Blood was dripping from her forehead. A bruise showing underneath all the blood. He eye was all swollen. She looked like she was hit by a train. Thats when everything came back to her.

"That asshole shoved me down the stairs." Dakota mumbled. 

Dakota wanted to scream. She wanted to kill him. But she couldn't. If she did, she would never be able to leave. Thats when the thought hit her. 

"The letters." Dakota looked at herself through the mirror, realization filtered on her face.

Dakota instantly went to her closet. She grabbed the little box, hiding behind a pile of clothes. It was a box just for the letters her brother sends her. She tried to send letters back at first, but her dad would catch her before she could send it.

He would always say, "He's dead to us. He left and he is never allowed back."

He would then proceed to rip them up in front of Dakota.

She grabbed one of the many envelopes. She searched for a return address, when she didn't see one, she grabbed more. There was only one with a return address, and the address was in Tulsa.

"I guess I'm going to Tulsa." 

______

Dakota had stole the car. She used to have a motorcycle, but that was until her drunk father smashed it with a bat. She didn't have the money for repairs.

It was around 4 AM when she saw a gas station. Dakota let a yawn slip from her lips, telling her she needs to sleep. But she just couldn't let herself succumb to the tiredness. She noticed the gas stations lights were on, so she made her way in.

"Hello, what is a young thing like you doing out and about at 4 AM?" The cashier asked.

"Just here for the bathroom!" Dakota smiled, shielding her eyes with her hood.

When she entered, she instantly made eye contact with herself in the mirror. Few hours before she had patched herself up. A big patch was put over her eye and a bandage on her head. Dry blood still in her hair, making it all crusty. She tried her best to wash it out before leaving, but it didn't work. She would need to scrub it hard during her next shower.