Ocean Drive

three

I whip my head around to see my mother standing right behind me, eyes filled with an emotion that looked foreign on her features. Oliver quickly resumes his previous task with the ice, which bothers me that he would leave me to handle my mother's wrath alone. I roll my eyes, and avoid eye contact with her. 

While looking past her, I notice her posse of friends are standing in the kitchen doorway listening in on the drama. Just as Oliver is about to head back inside with a bucket of ice, my father enters into the doorway, chest puffed out more than usual. Great.

"I asked you a question, Vanessa." My mother snaps, setting both perfectly-manicured hands on her hips. I finally make eye contact with her, and her eyes are beading into mine. 

"I was just talking with Oliver and then I kissed him." I say, now looking to my father who is standing with us. He is so tall, the women in the kitchen can no longer see my mother and I, so in  a way, I'm relieved. 

"How dare you try to ruin tonight with your vile actions!" My father bellows, making me wince at the loud volume. I'm glad Oliver is gone, this is embarrassing. 

"I didn't ruin anything. You guys came out of your way to be out here. You're the ones making a scene!" I point out, raising my voice back at them. I can feel my palms growing sweaty, and I'm ready to go over the edge. 

"Watch your tone, right now. Luckily the guests didn't have to see you mingling with the workers. We worked so hard to put up this image, and you were so close to ruining it." My mother says, taking a step closer to me. 

"No, you DID ruin it. You are a Hawthorne, and we do not go giving out our bodies to random low-life people!" My father yells, stepping in front of my mother. 

"Do you even hear yourself? He was probably one of the most genuine people here. You make this last name sound so amazing, when it's really just a way for you and mom to feel better for treating everyone like shit." I say defiantly, stepping around them to walk inside. 

Before I can take the second step, my dad grabs my forearm and forces me back in front of him. Still gripping tightly around the skin, his other hand reaches up and makes contact with the soft skin of my cheek. It burns, and I can hear my own gasp mix with other gasps from the deck. Tears instantly pool around my eyes, and I can't even look up at my father's face. 

"Vanessa, let's not make this worse. Your mother and I have worked so hard for this family and to put you through school. Your future is all we care about and we want you to be successful." His voice gets softer, but his grip is so tight around my arm his knuckles are white. 

I rip my arm away from him, and run into the house. I pull my dress up with one hand and use the other to hold my throbbing cheek. I hear my name being called, but I refuse to turn around and face the large crowd. I know my parents wouldn't cause too big of a scene anyway. 

When I enter my dark room, I slam the door behind me and lock it. I keep the lights off, and proceed to rip my heels off and throw them across the room aggressively. They slam off my dresser and bounce back onto the floor with two sharp thuds. I can feel tears in my eyes, but I push them down and take a deep breath. 

I wanted to get out, and this is finally my chance. 

I grab a North Face backpack from under my bed, and frantically shove things inside. Some scattered shirts in my closet, shorts, underwear, bras, sneakers my toothbrush, and deodorant. I slip my feet into a black pair of flip flops and take one last glance around my room. Who knows when I'll be back, if I'm even allowed after what I'm about to do. 

I step out onto my balcony and quickly climb down the escape ladder. My foot slips on one of the prongs, and I let out a squeal of fear. I take a few seconds to compose myself before I finish my descent. The garage is directly behind my window so I have a clear shot for my car. Even though the guest's cars are packed in perfectly around the house, there is nobody in front of the driveway. I put in the code for the door, and wipe a bead of sweat from my brow once I'm inside.

It's pitch black inside my car, and I fumble trying to put the key in the ignition. The sound of almost dead silence is interrupted by the roaring engine coming to life. Once started, the car quiets down, and I take a moment to think of where in the hell I'm going. I rest my head on the steering wheel and feel my brain and heart racing at a million miles per hour. I can feel my pulse all over my body, and my brain is racing all over the place. Where will I stay? What if my parents follow me? Will Oliver be able to see his mother enough times? Is any amount of time enough?

I decided to just let my fate lead me where I need to go. I put the car in drive, and fly out of the garage much faster than I should have. I roll all the windows down and pull onto the main road, taking it all the way to the coast. 

Here's to new beginnings...

--

By the early hours of the morning, I had found a small town called Ocean Drive along the coast of    South Carolina. It was around 6am and I was exhausted from staring at the road like a zombie for so long. I had stopped at a rest area to change out of my dress and into comfier clothes. Some creepy guy offered to take me back to his place, and I almost said yes because I was so tired. I came to my senses, however, and decided sleeping in my car was safer then whatever this weirdo had planned. 

By 7am, I had found what appeared to be the only motel in the town. There were larger hotels along the freeway, but I didn't need luxury for one night. Plus, I've got to make what I have last. Even if there's still an insane amount of money in my accounts. In this new place, I can be whoever I want. I don't want to Vanessa Hawthorne, girl who was given everything by her parents. I want to make my own name for myself and be a real person. 

The man at the front desk slides a small silver key across the desk to me. He mutters something that I don't quite catch, but the key reads "R8". I thank him quietly and head outside to find the eighth room. 

As I wander down the sidewalk, the sun is peeking through the white clouds. It casts a pink shadow on everything, and it brings a small smile to my tired face. I can already feel a weight lifting off my chest, and I know I made the right choice. 

After finding R8, I jiggle the key around in the lock until it finally opens. The door creaks, and I can almost see a cloud of dust hanging in the air of the small space. I lock the heavy door behind me, and let my backpack fall to the floor carelessly. I can feel my eyes struggling to open with every blink, and I crash onto the bed without getting under the covers. That's probably for the best anyway, I remind myself as I close my eyes for the last time.