The Perfect Storm

Chapter 1

I hear the rain tap against my window, I'm not ready yet, it's only four am and I know that today is my biggest day; College.

 I slowly open my eyes, staring at the same old ceiling. I don't want to leave my mom in this old house in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but tall grass and empty roads surrounding her.

  I wish my dad hadn't left us, well, there are a lot of things I wish hadn't happened. I know my mom is happy but yet I can't help but tear up at the thought of her being here all alone. 

I quietly step into the small shower only covered by a thin plastic sheet. The door broke off a while ago and we just haven't gotten around to it . . .well more like haven't had the money to.

 My dad. . . If I can even call him that, used to fix everything, but since he left, things like this door just don't get fixed anymore. I look up at the old crackly ceiling as the water runs down my body, hurrying I tug at my long dark brown hair, shampooing it thoroughly. The hot water won't run for long . . . who am I kidding, the water won't run for long. 

My mom is still asleep in her nightgown, the one my dad got her right before he left, I have no idea why he left but my mom has always said it was because he couldn't handle having a kid at nineteen. Maybe that's why my mom has always warned me about sex and that I should get married first.

 I run my finger across the tainted glass right above the showerhead, it's funny how I'll miss even such small things like this ridiculous broken glass. I step out of the shower with the water running down as if it's in a hurry. 

My bags are all packed, everything I own into one big backpack. My closet empty, my whole room empty, except my little couch I used as a bed. Now I'll get an actual bed with a real desk, using my mom's old sewing machine table isn't going to fit any of the college homework I'll need to do. 

I'll miss the floor cracking every time I enter the room. I'll miss everything. My whole life has been here. The only reason I'm even going to College is to help my mom pay the bills and, well . . . pay for everything. My mom refuses to let me skip college and go to work, she says I'll need it no matter what I'll do in my life and that whatever happens I'll always be able to fall back on my college degree but I'm not sure if my college degree will be worth anything since all I'm interested in is literature. 

I sigh as I look into the mirror; I don't care what I do as long as I can somehow help my struggling mother.