This Is My Life

20

I began to panic, wondering where Darla may have gone. My first thought was that she abandoned me here, until I found her bags. Then I was just confused. Had something happened to her?

As if to answer my questions, I heard the hotel room door open. 

"Good Morning dear, I brought you some breakfast." 

I was so relieved to hear her voice, and see her face. She is a great person, and so sweet. I needed someone around, and she seemed to be the perfect fit.

"Thank you." We sat and ate our hotel complimentary breakfast in silence.

After we ate, Darla wanted to hear why I had ended up on a bus going no where, alone at 16. So I began my story while we sat in our hotel room.

I didn't know if I wanted to tell her the entire story or not though, but I did tell her part of it. I told her how the whole town hated me, and played mean pranks on me. I told her all about my recent incidents, and she looked truly sorry for me. But also a little confused.

"I can't believe people could be so cruel." She shook her head in disapproval.

I told her about my grandmother trying to get me sent away. I told her my dream of running away and starting my life all over again. I left out the part about me being crazy. I didn't know how she would react and I really didn't want her believing what everyone else did. 

By the expression on her face I could tell that she believed pieces of the story were missing.

"Why would people be so horrible to you?" 

I didn't know how to answer. I sat in silence trying to think of a way to make my story make more sense, but also keep my secret. I was planning to move on, I didn't want people knowing about everything.

I thought for a minute and replied, "Things happened with me, it gave me a bad name. I don't really want to talk about it."

Darla was very understanding and dind't press the issue. I was thankful for that.

All day we sat in our hotel room, and watched television. I was hoping that we would keep moving to new locations, but I wasn't going to push Darla if she didn't want to leave and she wanted to at least stay one more night. It was really relaxing to be able to go to a pool, and hottub. I had to go and buy a bathing suit though, but it was worth it.

After our slow day of not really doing anything, we settled down in our hotel room and watched more TV. I was shocked when I saw my picture flash up on the screen. The police were looking for me... Deep down I didn't think anyone would actually try and look for me.

My grandmother had called the police and they were searching for me. Before there would be nothing that they could do because of my age, but since the police told me not go anywhere, (because of the knife incident at school), I was going to be in trouble. I looked over to see if Darla had seen the same thing I just saw, but luckily she was still asleep. 

I decided that I couldn't stay where I was, wherever that even was. I was going to leave without Darla, even though I would have preferred with. I didn't want to tell her that police were looking for me. Even if she still wanted to come with me after that, she could get in trouble. I thought about it for what seemed like hours, then came to the conclusion to leave before she awoke.

I packed up all my belongings and quietly left the hotel room. I wasn't sure were I was going to go, but I couldn't stay there. I would feel guilty if I brought Darla into this. She was so nice to me, she didn't deserve to get into trouble because of me.

Sad that I was leaving the little bit of security I had, I tried to look for a spot that I could spend the rest of the night. It was already so late that I didn't see a point in getting another hotel room. If my face was already on the news I wasn't going to want to be out in the open. 

I aimlessly walked around a town I didn't know, not sure what I was going to do. Not just for the night, but after tonight. What would I do for the rest of the week, or month, or year. What would I do after everything blew over and I was no longer being looked for. 

I did end up finding a bus a bus terminal which opened early the next morning. I decided to curl up on a bench and rest until a bus came in. 

I didn't sleep much, I was constantly paranoid that someone would find me laying there, or something would happen. I was awake and went to look at the busses going out. 

I found one that intrigued me. It was going to Ottawa. That would be a lot bigger that where I came from. I would never be found there. I thought it would be the perfect place. I bought my ticket the minute the tills opened, then I was the first on the bus. Something caught the corner of my eye though. As I was boarding onto the bus, I swore I saw Darla across the street from the bus terminal. Her face looked quite sad, and she looked like she was trying to reach me. By the look on her face, she realized that she had been too late.