Utopia

Prologue

"Sam, can you stay after class, please." The teacher calls out to me, in my dazed state. People crash around me. Bumping shoulders with mine, as they trickle out in their groups, for their next class.

Walking swiftly up to the teachers desk off to the side, I give her a confused look. "What's up, Ms. Delaruzo."

She looks up from under her frumpy, squared off glasses. "Ah, yes--" Then she proceeds to as the most overused expression to date. "Are you doing okay? Adjusting to the new town, school and all?"

"Yes, I'm doing perfectly fine. If my parents advised you to ask, don't." Ms. Delaruzo's lips pulled down at the corners, forming aging wrinkles around her nose and lips.

"I see, well. Here's a slip, for the hall monitors-- if you're late." Taking the slip of paper from her hand, I turn on my heel and scurry out of there.

Looking down the hall, both ways, I see only a few more people lingering around the halls. Most of them the love-dazed fools kissing faces, not wanting to spend a minute apart.

Scrunching up my face in distaste.

I look down at the paper and squeeze my fingers around it, making it turn into a small ball, instantaneously.

I walk down the hall, opposite of Pre-Cal. Moving towards the library, I wave to the Head Librarian and tell him I'll just be reading in one of the practice rooms.

Walking down the aisles of crisp books, I put my hand on the spines of the hundreds of books and slide my finger across them all. Looking behind to see if any of the interns were around and took a quick sharp left and stalked off towards the door.

Pushing it open; I blink, squinting up towards the brightening sun. I feel the tell-tale signs of tears coming forth. Blinking my eyes quickly, while hitching the nap sack up my shoulder I walk forward and stop until my unlaced boots stop where the cracked and potholed asphalt starts.

Seeing the heat waves move in the distance, I sigh. Sticking out and up my thumb, I walk backwards. "Come on, come on-- Yes!"

I turn around and dart towards the Ford, pulling off to the side of the rode and stalling.

"Hellooo, the'e, Darlin'. Aren' ya suppose to be in this he'e school." He gives me a strange look, while he drawls in his accent. Shrugging my shoulders, I kick my foot into the muddled up grass, and dig the tip of my boot in, creating a crater.

"Well, c'mere then, Darling. Hope on in, sup'ing that's why you're he'e, tryin' to hitch a ride?" I smirk at him, and nod my head, grabbing onto the now open door, I catapult myself up and into the passenger seat; which, was almost 5 feet off the ground.

"Now, whe'e is it ill be droppin' you off?" He veers off the side of the road and back into the lane, and I give him directions to the abandon park near my neighborhood.

"Thanks, again, for the ride, Barry." I give out my hand and shake his outstretched one.

"Anythan' for a damsel in distress, darlin', just be careful, ya heed?" Smiling, I backtrack and give him a thumbs up.

Once I reached the house, I look to see both cars here. I flick out my wrist and see the time on my watch: 2:15, school just let out.

Walking to the back, I tug on the ladder like vines crawling up the side of the house. After testing to see if it can hold my weight, I climb. Once at the top of the roof, I look down, and position myself above my window: opposite side of the vines.

Hanging from the ledge, I slide into the open window and land in a crouch, not breaking a sweat. Woohoo!

Automatically, I hear distant voices. I open my door quietly, trying not to give off the squeaky hinges. I sneak over to the steps, and they're coming downstairs. Probably the kitchen.

Going down the steps, I stop half way to sit and listen in.

"Susan, goddammit, you can't do this to me, or Sam." My dad gave a sound of utter distress and I jump when I hear a sudden thud.

"Richard! You know I'm not happy!" She cries out. "I can't do this anymore! Watching you parade around, like we're a perfect family! Like, you actually love me."

"But I'm trying! I'm trying to fix us!" He screams, like he could shake this house down If he could.

"Fix us? The only thing that needs fixing is you, Richard! I'm done, I got the papers for the divorce already."

"What will we tell Sam?" Standing up, instinctively at the sound of my name, I take a step back and cringe. The blasted floorboard creaking under my weight.

Silence.

"Sam?" They both call out. I hold my breath and slap my hand over my mouth and nose, hoping they won't hear anything and forget about it.

"We know you're there, dammit." I watch as my Da burst out of the door first then my Ma. "What the hell are you doing, listening in? You're not suppose to be her for another 20 minutes!"

Frowning, I cross my arms and raise a perfect brow. "What were you guys shouting about?"

"None of you're business, little miss." My Da gives me a stern look.

"Honey, we were arguing because --" my Ma is interrupted.

"For heaven sakes, Susan. Can you never back me up with her!?"

"She deserves to know! We moved her around too much for her not to know! This is her family! Its because your Da has been cheating. Continuously." She whispers the last word softly, like she didn't want to remember, like it won't, can't be true.

"I'm out of here." I slither past them and yank the door open, slamming it shut with a force that could have shattered all the glass.