Anywhere But Here

Place 1: Boston, Massachusetts

Boston

Located on the east coast of the United States.

A city I had never parted from, supposed to be home.

The place I had ached to escape.

| | |

The night that I met the Olsons, their family was in chaos.

The trip on which I met Jubilee Tripp Hessert, my own life seemed to be spinning out of control while her's was falling into place.

At the same time, in the midst of the confusion and hesitation, it was perfect. Without them, I would have never known that people can be compassionate, no matter how cruel the environment. They showed me what it meant to live like you had the will to live.

Up until our paths had crossed, my life consisted of me wishing I was somewhere besides where I was. I hated being subject to ridicule and unintentionally being a slave to lies that poisoned my thinking. I desperately wanted to escape who I was, who I was expected to be, and where I was in life.

I carried with me scars that people said were signs of all the times I had been rejected. The burdens of my past caused me to weigh others down. I didn't know what it was like to be wanted. I told myself no one cared, and believed no one did. The ones who may have taken interest in my life left and they never returned.

My view of myself led me to do things I thought would make me feel better. I was told if I did this-and-that then I would be adored like so-and-so. The worst part of is that people didn't tell me those things, not really. I told them to myself.

I drew the conclusion I was worthless. That nobody cared. I constantly thought, "Why would anyone want to care about a screw up, a nobody, a pathetic person like me?"

It wasn't long until I had figured that out. Or I thought I had.

And yet, God loved me the whole time. I was just too blind to see it.

So He sent me the best imperfect people who taught me that compassion isn't a myth.

| April |

My backpack sagged from my shoulders, worn out as I was.

Chatter from fellow classmates rattled around me; laughter bounced off the walls of the school.

"That test was so hard! I think I failed," one girl exclaimed.

"This party tonight is going to be so insane," a kid to my right proclaimed.

"Coach is going to kill us at practice tonight," a boy groaned.

None of these statements were directed at me in any way, shape, or form. No one was interested in a boy who had an opinion that didn't matter.

"Sawyer!"

I whipped my face around, surprised by the sound of my name. A face came into view that was familiar, but not a friend. More like a nice acquaintance. I didn't even know her name, which said enough about how much I actually wanted to have people around.

"Yeah?" I replied as the black-haired, brown-eyed teenage girl fell into step with me. She was probably one of the only people who knew I existed.

"Have you seen Mr. Tee? I need to ask him something," she said.

That's how our conversations usually went. She was looking for someone, usually a person I didn't know. Our conversations never got personal. I didn't even know what grade she was in; only that she was always looking for people.