Run Away

Chapter 5

Monday morning, Sandra woke Evie and instructed her to get ready for her first day of school. Evie aimlessly selected some clothes for school while making sure to cover her ankle monitor. Loose jeans and a white tank top, covered with a long-sleeved checked shirt with the buttons undone.

Sandra had given Evie a shoulder bag to use, filled with notebooks and pens. Adding the final touches to Evie's outfit, she pulled out her cap once more and pulled it down on her head, her hair falling down around her shoulders.

Downstairs, there was the buzz of a busy Monday morning and everyone getting ready for their day. Evie slowly descended the stairs, pausing half way to watch the family happily converse with one another as they went about their daily ritual. Her heart broke a little knowing she could never have that. A life she was slowly forgetting.

"Good morning, Evie," Sandra chirped when she saw Evie standing there.

"Hi," Evie responded quietly, completing her descent down the stairs but being careful to stick to the opposite side of the room from Owen.

Their eyes met briefly, but broken almost immediately by both of them.

"Owen will drive you to school and help you get settled in," Sandra announced to Evie, not noticing the exchange. "Kelly attends a different school. She got a scholarship for the school of arts."

Evie's heart rate picked up at the thought of having to spend time with Owen. She pushed the thought aside, unable to determine if it was from fear or excitement. The idea it was the latter unnerved her.

After breakfast, everyone went their separate ways. Brian headed off to work in his car, Sandra took Kelly in her car to drop her off to her school on her way to work, and Owen wandered over to his old Jeep. The other cars pulled away and Owen looked back at Evie who was standing idly on the front door step.

"Are you coming or what?" Owen queried, holding open the driver's door, waiting for Evie to get into the car.

Taking a deep breath, Evie walked around the other side of the Jeep and climbed into the passenger side. She could feel Owen's eyes watching her every move but she refused to look at him. With hands tightly clasped in her lap, Evie looked out her window in silence as Owen drove them to school.

It had been over a year since Evie had stepped foot in a school and as much has she had missed the normalcy of teenaged life, fear gripped at her throat of being amongst it all once more. It was high school where her old life ended and her new life of running away took hold.

"We're here," Owen announced once he had parked the car, bringing Evie out of her daze.

Looking up at the large building, Evie swallowed down the lump in her throat. She had no choice but to go in. Her only option was to keep as low of a profile as possible for the next three months.

Evie followed Owen as he guided the way through the hallways and the mass of teenagers towards the office. He didn't stick around, leaving Evie to sort out her timetable with a lovely older woman named Julie who worked behind the counter.

With her timetable and a map of the school in hand, Evie wandered down the now empty hallways, checking the map as she checked against her timetable, to find the right room for her first class.

Evie opened the room to her new Maths class and padded over to the teacher near the board to introduce herself. Mr Fisher, a balding old man with thick, rimmed glasses, welcomed Evie to the class and directed her to take a seat. The last empty seat was to the back of the classroom. Evie could feel the entire class watching her intently as she passed them, making her way to her seat.