Finding Carolina

Chapter One

She waited until late in the night, to creep down the hall and down the stairs. Grabbing the bag hidden underneath the stairs, she silently opened the door. With the whisper of a soft goodbye the door shut quietly behind her.

The sound of her Jeep's engine running was music to her ears as she pulled out of the driveway and drove away. She was really doing it. She had been saving for months and tonight was her night. The great escape that had been planned for the past six months was in progress. Her gas tank was full. Her coffee mug was sitting in the cup holder and her suitcase full of clothes and necessities was in the back along with a cooler full of food.

As she merged onto the highway, she took a deep breath. East. That's where she was headed. To what state she had no idea, she was just letting her car take her. She waved a silent goodbye to the mountains that she had come to love over the years. She drove down what seemed like an endless road and when she made it to Kansas she was relieved.

"Goodbye Colorado, Hello Kansas."

The road seemed never ending, there was nothing to look at besides what she assumed were windmills. She took a sip and then another of her coffee. She was getting tired again. In Topeka, she decided to take a rest, she had driven nearly 8 hours. She pulled the car over into the nearest WalMart and crept into the backseat where a pillow and blanket were waiting for her. Making sure to lock the doors, she nestled into her makeshift bed and drifted off to sleep.

Her cellphone served as a wake up call only a few hours later. She rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes and checked her phone. Hudson. Courtney continued to let it ring as she got out and started stretching. The Walmart was slightly busier than it had been at 6 this morning. It was nearly 9 and she was grateful for her tinted windows and people minding their own business. She grabbed an apple out of the cooler, after stretching her limbs out, and jumped back into the driver's seat. Time to get on the road again. As she drove slowly through a starbucks drive thru for an iced coffee she thought to herself. She needed a destination. South Carolina had always peaked her interest. She would head there. The apple crunched beneath her teeth. Then her phone rang again. She checked the caller ID before answering.

"Hello Mother." She spoke.

"Where are you?" There was no hint of surprise in her voice.

"Kansas."

"I knew you were doing this but I at least thought you would say goodbye."

"I would have never left."

"I might have pushed you out of the door."

"I left a note."

"I read it. I wired a thousand dollars onto your account and you have a hotel waiting for you in St Louis for two days, I will forward you the email."

"Thank you, mom. I appreciate it."

"Be careful and drive safe. Where are you headed?"

"South Carolina."

"Alright dear. Good luck Courtney."

As she drove, she hummed along to the music playing on the radio. With a sigh she remembered she hadn't told Hudson she was leaving. She knew he wouldn't let her leave without him. He would keep calling until she picked up. That she was sure of. Should she let the phone ring or should she answer? How would she even tell him that she had just packed up and left? The miles between her and St Louis were getting smaller and smaller. She had started at 310, now she was at 294, 293, 292...

Courtney's phone rang, and rang, and rang but she didn't dare pick it up. Hudson would understand right? He would go to her house, knock on her door, speak to her mom and just understand. He'd have to. He knew her too well not to and honestly he really didn't have another choice. She knew he would try to manipulate her to come back home but she wouldn't turn around. It seemed as though she had given up nearly two years of dating but she was 20 now and she had nothing, she knew nothing and it felt as if she were the shadow of everyone around her. Courtney felt trapped in her life and she needed to escape.

She pulled into a rest stop at 153 miles. After using the restroom, Courtney sat on the trunk of her car eating a sandwich.

"You run away too?" A man approached her. His seemed to be the only other car in the lot.

"Not exactly, but I guess you could call it that."

"I'm Emerson, from Utah."

"Hello Emerson from Utah, I'm Courtney."

"Where are you headed?"

"I don't know," she smiled. "Away."

"You're trying to figure yourself out too?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure who I am, it feels like—"

"It feels like you're whatever anybody else tells you to be."

"You understand?"

"I feel the exact same way." He smirked at her and grabbed her phone. "Unlock it."

She did as she was told and watched as Emerson put his number in.

"There's a reason we met at this particular rest stop, my next stop is St Louis, if you find yourself there will you call me? We can explore it together."

She nodded. "Sure, that would be great."

Emerson grinned at her flashing his perfect teeth at her. "It was great to meet you Courtney. I hope to see you soon."

Courtney smiled back at him. "Thank you, I needed a friend on this journey."

He smiled and waved before getting back into his car and driving away on the interstate.

Her phone rang again. Hudson. She needed to talk to him soon. She let it ring as she took the last bites of her sandwich and a couple of drinks of water to wash it down. Then she got back into the driver's seat and drove back to the highway and toward St Louis.

A/N: Chapter 1! Let me know what you think!