On the Run: The Texas Files ✔

Chapter 1: The New Girl

My name is Jackie Robinson.

Well, that's my name in Austin, Texas anyway.

You're probably wondering why I'm named after a dead baseball player.

Do I have names in any other states?

You probably have many other questions.

I'll do my best to answer them, even though I'm just trying to survive.

~~~

My eyes open to the sound of my older brothers arguing over who gets to shower first. Andrew and Noah never give me any peace. Having twin seventeen-year-old brothers is a blessing and a curse.

I groan and get up after hearing what I can only assume is Noah putting Andrew in a headlock and then my father yelling at them to put a stop to it. I put on my glasses and look around my room. Most of my things are still packed up, but I did remember to unpack an outfit for today. My backpack is ready for the day ahead.

Knowing that I showered last night, I smile to myself. I don't have to go out there and fight the boys for the bathroom.

I stand in front of my dresser mirror, just staring at myself, wondering what today will bring.

Today is my first day at the new high school. Running from the government takes a lot more effort than you'd think it does. You'd think we'd lay low; like my brothers and I wouldn't go to school or we'd never stay in one place for more than a week. All of those cliches you see in movies and TV shows are just for dramatics. It's funny how life really works.

Dad went to college at the California Institute of Technology. With that kind of education and skill, Dad was a hacker for the FBI. He picked up a lot of skills that he uses now. He covers all of our tracks by creating false (but very real looking) school transcripts, housing records, car registrations, alternate Social Security numbers, job contacts, and so on. We can usually stay hidden between six months to a year before the government tracks me down. We're hoping that I can graduate from this school.

My brothers and I also help it along by changing our appearance. This time around, we dyed our hair back to light brown, which is our natural hair color, and the boys have decided to use blue-colored contacts. I could not bring myself to wear them. My hazel eyes are one of the last things I have connecting me to my mother.

My mother died when I was eight years old. When she died, the entire family went into a dark place. We all dealt with grief in our own ways. Noah got into sports, specifically swimming and track. Andrew threw himself into school and clubs. My father got into his work, much to our dismay. And I threw myself into academics and baseball.

Yeah, I play baseball. I'm good at it and it's one of my passions. Noah got me into it after Mom died. It comes with the territory of having older brothers. My hair is considered to be slightly longer than a pixie cut. I'm only 5'2", making me look a lot weaker than I actually am. My favorite color is green. I hate to wear dresses. Basically, I am the epitome of the stereotypical tomboy, if you believe in that kind of thing. I'm just not that feminine of a girl. My full birth name is Jackelyn Noelle Overstreet, but I go by Jackie. That's just who I am, and I like it.

After staring at myself for what seems like an hour, I look at the clock and notice I'll be late if I don't get moving.

I get dressed in a dark green v-neck tee shirt and a pair of ripped jean shorts. I slip on a pair of ankle socks and my beat-up sneakers.