Love Me or Leave Me

Chapter 1

HAYDEN'S VIEW

I start to pack my bags, getting ready to leave for my three month long trip. Mikayla and I were getting ready to go to Durban, Africa to help at an orphanage for the summer. We have been planning this trip since our junior year of high school. Going to Africa has been my dream since kindergarten and as up and coming freshmen in college, I finally saved enough money to go.

I  packed my favorite shorts, t-shirts, tennis shoes and flip flops, a couple swimsuits along with some comfy sweats, jeans and a couple dresses. Once packed I texted Mika.

Me: hey mika you ready yet? car leaves at 5 to make it on time. i will be there at 5:15 to get you. go to bed in time!

Me: thats a.m.!

Me: as in morning

Me:

Bestie: okay okay i will be ready. love you too <3

Me: lol love you Mika see you in 6 hours boo

I put my phone down and start to look at my room. It has really changed this year. After that stunt Jake pulled with the girl in his layer, I got the bigger bedroom of the two. Now instead of having plain white walls in a tiny area and no closet, I have wooden walls, a huge walk-in closet and pictures everywhere. It is also big enough for my queen size bed and my desk; unlike my old room which was only big enough for a full and a dresser.

I climb into my favorite basketball shorts and a sports bra before climbing into my nice warm bed. I turn my alarm on for 4:30 and quickly fall asleep thinking of my trip.

At precisely 4:29, I wake up in a cold sweat. As excited as I am about going to Africa to help those babies, I am terrified of flying. I had a dream last night that the plane crashed into the ocean on the way to Durban. Eeek!

I turned off my alarm as soon as it went off. Groaning as I crawled out of bed, I slugged to the shower and turned the water as hot as I could stand it. Washing my hair and singing my favorite song by Fall Out Boy, Save Rock and Roll.

"I cried tears you'll never see, so fuck you, you can go cry me an ocean"

I finish the song and start American beauty when I hear my mum.

"Hayden? Darling it is 5:00, are you ready to go?"

"Yes mum, one second."

Quickly getting out of the shower, I put moose in my hair and put on the travel outfit. A pair of pink tennis, my favorite dark wash jeans, and a crop top showing off my silver anchor of a belly ring. I grab my bags, passport in my purse, and head for the door.

"Hayden don't forget to give everyone loves before you go." Mum says before I reach the door.

"Okay. I will."

Quickly running to my baby brother Liam's room, I pick him up and kiss him before laying him in his bed again.

"Bye baby boo. Sissy loves you." I coo to him as he giggles and drools on himself. He is why I am doing this. If we hadn't adopted him, who knew where he would be?

Before he became part of this family, he was in an abusive home. His father long gone and his mother a druggie, the poor baby was raised by his older sister. Sadly, when she turned 18 she took off too, leaving one year old Liam by himself. Child custody found him and he was put into a foster home. The daycare he went to just happened to be the one Mikayla volunteered at on weekends. She told me and mum about this cute little boy who was in foster care looking for a permanent family.

Mum, always trying to do good, quickly looked up on the situation, found out the necessary steps, and bada boom bada bang; we have Liam. I love my little squirt so much and I am so happy we have him even though it has barley been a year.

I grab my bags again, kiss mum, and head out the door. Mika only lives a couple blocks away, so I get there quickly. Texting her that I am outside, she appears suddenly behind the car and knocks on the window.

Once she climbs in the car I start in on her. "Holy shit Mik! You scared the living crap out of me!"

"Ha. Gotcha! Anyways. Do I look okay?" She asks.

"Of course, but isn't that a little short?" I ask, in reference to her skirt. She is wearing a short floral skirt with a florescent orange tank top.

"Shut up. Let's go, we have half an hour before the plane leaves thanks to your slow ass."

Thanks for reading! I will post a couple times today but will try to post every couple days after that. I am so excited! This is my first book. Please let me know what you think. ~Shay