My name is Tori, it's actually Victoria Laconi (la-sone-ee) but I go by tori. I go by many names actually, it just depends on who u ask. I am 17 years old and I have been on the run since I was 12. No, I didn't commit a crime. When I was 9 my mother died of a drug overdose and I was put into a foster home. I moved around the system until I was 12, when I left a foster home in the middle of the night and never came back. I became a missing person and to make sure that I was never found I dyed my bright naturally red hair, and I lied about my name to almost everyone I met. At age 12, I made it from my foster home in Maryland to Ohio with a few bus tickets and a one night stay in front of a motel. I was ambitious for a 12 year old, but i was still cautious. I was sitting on a bus bench when a boy a little older than me walked by with his mom. His mom went into the store next door and told him to wait on the bench. "Hi my name is Adam" he said as he was sitting down. "I'- I'm Alex" I said knowing about my missing person report. "You look like your around my age" Adam said trying to make conversation. "Yah I'm 12" I replied. "Oh I'm 13 almost 14" Adam said. "So Alex are u knew around here" he continued. "Yah but I don't think I will be staying long" I said as his mom came out of the store and told him it was time to go. I didn't see him again and I was right I didn't stay long. From that day on it was just me, on my own, from city to city and state to state. I met many people on my journey and gave many fake names. In Missouri I was Kate, in Colorado I went by Annie, in Nevada I told people my name was Monte until u got to vegas and then I was Grace. Finally I made it to California, I was 17 and all I wanted to do was explore Los Angeles. Over the past five years of living on the streets and in homeless shelters I think I was finally happy in LA.
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I didn't know anybody here. I was all alone walking on Hollywood blvd. I was walking with my head down when I ran into a boy. "Oh I'm so sorry" I said. I was grimy and my face had dirt on it. My hair was now a black and in braids and a few dreads. "No it's ok" the boy said to me as I looked up. His eyes were beautiful, and blue like the ocean. "I'm Daniel" he said. I had no idea why he hadn't moved on and walked away all ready. I was gross and tired looking. "I-i-i I'm Grayson" I said nervously. "U don't seem to sure about that" he said laughing. "I am, yes my name is Grayson" I said more confidently. "Ok then Grayson, have a nice day" Daniel said as he was walking away. "You too" I said waving. I knew I was never going to see him again but I hadn't had a nice conversation in a long time. U see the thing is when u give a fake name, you can't really go back and socialize or stay friends with that person long unless u wanna put in the effort of a whole new fake life. And I wasn't about that. Mostly because I was always moving, I didn't really have time to fake an entire new life. It was much easier to hand out names like greeting cards and move around no problem. I walked around for a bit looking for a shelter or any place I could crash for the night. As I was walking I saw a small cafe not to far away. I walked in the cafe and got in the small three person line. I grabbed my beat up wallet that had a few dollars in it that I made singing on the street. I looked over only to see Daniel sitting at a table and he was with another guy this time. Hoping he didn't see me I hid my face as much as I could. It was no use, he recognized me. "Hey, Grayson, right?" He said standing up with his friend. "Yah" I said cautiously. "This is Jonah" Daniel said gesturing to his friend. "Hi I'm Grayson." I said shaking his hand. Great now I've seen Daniel twice and now two people think my name is Grayson, I've blown it now! "I'm Jonah" Daniels friend said "but he already told u that" he said slightly embarrassed. I just giggled and ordered my coffee. "So what do U do here in LA" Jonah asked. "Well my job is pretty odd and I'm actually on my way to work now" I said trying to get out of conversation. "Well ok we will see u later" Daniel said as I walked out of the cafe. I walked down to a parking garage not to far away. It was getting dark out, stupid day light savings. I thought this was a good place as any to sleep for the night. I unpacked a few things from my backpack and used it as a pillow. All I could think about was waking up in the morning and starting my new life. I didn't think Daniel and Jonah would be to much of a problem, after all it was probably a fluke that I saw Daniel twice. LA was big and I probably wouldn't see him again. They would forget all about me and I would be fine. I laid there for awhile while it got even darker, I fell asleep happy.
