Breaking Free

Chapter 2

Past

It was my first day of Sophomore year at Baylor High when I first met Joshua Henley.

Until then, my mother homeschooled me. My father was in the military, and we moved around a lot. The idea of going to an actual school, and being the new girl, did nothing to settle my nerves when I rolled out of bed the morning of my first day.

I waited until the morning of to pick out my clothes. I couldn't figure out which outfit I wanted to wear. I had it down to a light blue jumpsuit and a pink short-sleeved shirt with a white skirt when my mom walked into my room. I sat down on my bed, feeling defeated.

"Come on, Paige! You'll be late if you don't hurry!" She was nervous for me. Neither of my parents wanted me to go and were apprehensive about letting me.

I'd begged and pleaded with them because I wanted to have a high school experience of my own. When I started to guilt-trip them by mentioning how I had no friends, they gave in.

My mom stared at me sitting on the edge of my bed, looking frazzled. "What? What's wrong?"

"I don't know what to wear!" I threw my hands up in frustration.

I could see the wheels turning behind her eyes.

She turned and rifled through my dresser drawers. She pulled out a pair of blue jeans and a green t-shirt. She walked over and held them out to me.

"Just wear what you usually wear. You don't want to dress like someone you're not. Just be who you are, and everyone will love you."

I took the clothes and placed them on the bed before getting up and hugging her.

"Thank you," I tell her as she hugged me back tightly.

She wasn't ready for me to span out on my own, and she spent the last few weeks trying to change my mind. When I wasn't budging from my decision, she gave up and fretted about it in silence.

She pulled back from me and put her hands on both sides of my face. Her dark blue eyes mirrored my own. "I love you. Never forget that."

I rolled my eyes and pushed her hands away from my face, "Mom, I'll be fine. Go start up the car. I'll be down in a second."

My mom patted my cheek before she turned to leave. When she left, I quickly threw on the clothes. I walked up to my white oval mirror in the left corner of my room and stared at my reflection as I tried to calm my nerves.

The eyes I inherited from my mom stared back at me, and my long, wavy blond hair flowed freely down my back.

I tried to remain strong in front of my mom, so she wouldn't worry, but I was nervous. When my father retired, the plan to stay in one place longer than a year allowed me to enroll in a public school.

I flattened the light green t-shirt against my body and forced myself to smile. My mom was right, I needed to be myself. I turned away from the mirror and grabbed my backpack from the chair in front of my desk. I looked more ready than I felt as I walked out of my room and shut the door.

On my way out, I stopped by my father's office and poked my head in to say goodbye.

When he saw me, his face lit up with a smile. "Hey, bug, heading off to school?"

Bug. My dad has called me that ever since I could remember.

"Yeah. Thought I would stop in before I left."