Runaway

Chapter 1

  I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. One last look in the mirror showed a small bruise on my cheek, nothing major. I ducked my head and ran up the stairs and out of the door. Most people would make a ton of noise but I've learned how to do it as fast and silently as possible. Once the door was shut I allowed myself to breath again.

  Most mornings I can get out before he wakes up, but I live forever in fear that I won't get out in time and he will catch me. I used to take the bus, but I hated waiting for half an hour so I just walk to school now. But today I felt lazy and decided to just ride the bus. Becuase why not? I saw Dilyla across the street and walked faster, she was my friend, which is exactly why I'm avoiding her. She would ask me about the bruise right off, and right now I want to avoid the topic. "Lex!" I heard her yell. Dammit. I walked faster, and pretended I hadn't heard her. "Alexus! I know you heard me!" I grumbled and stopped, waiting for her to catch up, keeping my head down. I heard the sound of sticky pavement underneath her sneakers and knew she was pretty close.

  Dilyla is really athletic, track, volleyball, softball, soccer. If our school has it, she is in it. Except basketball, she doesn't like the girls on the team. And how stuck up they are. Today she is in jeans and a track t-shirt, and her usual tennis shoes. "Lex, why were you ignoring me, is everything okay?" She questioned, I could feel her worried stare and I just nodded. She grabbed my arm and I flinched, "You're sure?" I made sure to stay looking at the ground, "Yeah, I'm just tired, it's a Monday yanno." She nodded. And we walked the rest of the way to the bus stop in silence.

  When we got to the stop I sat on the dewey grass and shuffled through my bag until I found my book, it was about a girl who ran away from her life in a small town when she was 15 and relocated in New York, and all of her struggles. I have never been quite sure why the book appealed to me, but I've read it tons of times that the library barcode has worn mostly off. I used to read it all the way through over and over, but now I read it from the beginning every time I open it and mark the page I got to with a small tally in the corner. Quotes from the book are all over my things, for some reason I'm obsessed with it, I connect to it more than any other book I've ever read.

  I was about 50 pages in when a short boy sat next to me, he had tan skin and dark eyes, he had long hair that was brushed down neatly. He looked Hispanic. I tried not to look over at him, and succeeded for a short moment but then I glanced over at him, it was only for a second but he still managed to see. "Look, she acknowledged my existence for the first time since I sat down." I grabbed a pencil from my bag and marked the page I had gotten to.

  "What do you want?" I said after inspecting that no one was around, except Dilyla but she had her headphones in. "Harsh." He responded, I knew he was being playful, but I felt bad anyways, "Sorry." I mumbled, barely audible. "Forgiven. My name is Vic." he said, playing with the strings on his hoodie. "Lex." I nodded, I don't normally hold conversations with people I don't know. "Are you new or something?" I said, making the mistake of looking up. He looked up at me and for a split second our eyes met, then I angled my eyes back to the ground. "Yeah, what happened to your face?" I frowned. "Nothing." I snapped. Then the bus pulled up. "I hope you have a wonderful first day here." Was all I said before turning and getting on the bus.

  I found a seat next to Dilyla, "Who was that guy you were talking to?" She asked. After settling into my seat I explained, "His name is Vic. He's new." "Oh. Why were you guys talking?" Right then he walked by and I stared at him and then turned back to Dilyla. Luckily she was looking out the window, "I don't know." She nodded and we finished the bus ride in silence. We had that kind of relationship where you have a huge lack of words but it's enough for the both of you.

  All too soon, the bus pulled into the school. I grabbed my things and shuffled off the bus just behind everyone else. My locker was just inside the double doors. Of course, someone had put embarrassing (and photo shopped) pictures of me all over my locker. I tore them all off and dumped them in the trash can a couple feet away.