Just A Girl Named River

Leaving

Today is the day. I have just graduated from high school and I need to get away. I hug my friends and look around. I see my grandma standing there waiting for me.

"Grandma!!!" I say running over to her. Her smile gets huge on her face, and she opened up her arms for a hug.

"River! Dear, I am so proud of you." And as she notices me looking around her smile faded. "She didn't make it dear."

"Of course she didn't make it, she never makes it." She being my mom. Ever since my dad died when I was 10, my mom had wasted her life. I am not sure how she was before her and my dad got together, but they met right before my dad got deployed oversees. She found out she was pregnant for me while my dad was on deployment. He was there when I was born but spent a lot of time deployed. My parents never actually got married, but my mom knew that my dad could take me if she didn't act right, or at least that is what I believe. She didn't act the way she does now and for the last 8 years my grandma basically took care of me. My mom has been hooked to drugs since the day my dad was laid to rest. I have lost count on the number of guys she has had sex with for drugs. The last number I remember was near 250. She cant go a single day without a fix and even was sent to rehab a few times. She had a baby not long ago, but the dads parents ended up with custody of her. She is now 5 and I have yet to see her. My dad's parents live in Italy and that was were my dad was last stationed. I haven't seen them since his funeral, though we still talk once a week.

I was so disappointed that my mom couldn't pull the needle out of her arm to come see my walk a cross the stage for my diploma that I knew then I had to go far, far away from her. She didn't care about me so why should I care about her. The world couldn't be that bad, could it?

I didn't want anyone to know that I was planning on leaving so after I had lunch with my grandma I went to the bank to take out my money. I withdrew all of it, and there was a lot there. My life savings. My dad had started the account the day I was born and it was suppose to be for college but I am sure he would be proud if I took it to start my life, away from the woman who was distorting it. I had sewn a pocket in my bra to keep the credit card and licenses in so I wouldn't have to carry a purse with it in, just in case it got stolen.

I managed to walk into my house, and I found my mom in bed passed out with all her drugs laying around the bedroom, and a new guy laying next to her. I made sure to stay quite and not wake them up because I really didn't want to deal with that. I walked to my room and closed the door. I went to my closet and found my two suitcases I had and opened them up. This was all I was going to be able to take with me along with my backpack that I was going to have to put a few outfits and personal stuff in to carry with me. Even though my mom spent all her left over money on drugs, my grandparents always made sure I had what I needed. Along with my cell phone, lap top and clothes.

I grabbed my lap top, make up bag, toothbrush and toothpaste, hair brush, other personal hygiene items, along with a few changes of clothes and stuffed them into back pack. I would keep this with me and when my suitcases go under the bus, I would still have these for just in case. I started to pack my favorite clothes first just in case I ran out of room. I took a little bag thing I found in the hall closet that would fit shampoo and bathroom stuff in it and filled it up with everything important first. I stuffed my bags full and remember I needed a few of my important documents. But I was worried about losing them or them getting stolen. I scanned them into my lap top so I would have back up just in case and put them all in side of my back pack.

I grabbed my bags and started to hitch hike towards Kalamazoo Greyhound bus station. After I started to walk a guy from my school stopped and picked me up.

Dylan was his name. "Where you going River and why do you have all your bags?"

I was grateful he picked me up, but I really wasn't ready to talk about my life at home, as it was something I hid from everyone. I never invited people over my friends didn't even know where I actually lived. "Dylan, can I tell you something without you telling anyone?"