runaway // 𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑦

Chapter 1 // 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔

I walk into my dance changing rooms behind the stage and I change into my dance clothes. I have goosebumps from the nervousness, am I going to fall? Am I going to mess up? All of these thoughts swirling round in my head like a tornado. I slip my trainers on because the dance I'm doing is commercial dance. I put my hair up into a high ponytail and I put some faded red lipstick on and put my eyelashes on. I do my eyebrows quickly and wait for my dance teacher to call my name. I'm so nervous, this is the first dance show I've done since year 5, and I'm now in year 12 and I'm 17! It's been so long, I sit on the comfy bean bag and hear echoes coming from the auditorium, I breath in and then out slowly so I can calm down. I then, faintly, hear "Now introducing, Rachel Taylor' oh god oh god oh god. It's my turn to be up. I stand up and steady myself and then walk gently to the side of the stage, I walk forwards onto the stage and feel my cheeks for red. I take a few deep breathes and the music starts. I start to do my dance and count the steps in my head as the teacher does 'one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight' 'one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight' and I keep repeating until I've finished my dance. I exit the stage and peek back round to look at the audience and I can't see my mum or dad anywhere, when will they ever care about me?  I go back to the changing rooms. I feel a slight tap on my shoulder, I turn round, it's Ivy, my best friend and the only person that actually loves me and cares about me. "You were amazing!" Says Ivy happily.
"I probably wasn't that good, I just wish my parents came" I sighed.
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't realise, wanna get a McFlurry to cheer you up?" She asked.
"Yes please, that would be nice." I smile.
I get changed into my clothes that I was wearing before, grey joggers and a light pink sweater with my white converse trainers. I get my bag and phone and we walk outside and get in Ivy's car, we head over to McDonald's and get McFlurries. When I get home after spending the rest of the evening with Ivy. Mum immediately asks where I've been. "Where have you been? We have been worried sick!"
For the first time eve, I stand up to my parents.
"As if you've been worried. You know where I've been and you were supposed to be there to!
You don't even care about me or love me! You never came to any of my dance shows when I was younger and you still don't come to anything! It's like I'm not apart of your life anymore! I'm done with this shit and I fucking hate it! All you ever do is 'forget' it's like you've forgotten I was even born, then when I get home from doing things that I like, you have a go at me! I'm not a child anymore! I have a life now! I can do what I want and I wish you would do things with me but you obviously don't want to. I'm sorry but I can't live with this anymore." I finish making my point and immediately I get sweaty with nerves.
My dad starts to talk "I know we haven't been the best parents recently, b-"
"recently? The best parents recently? You haven't been the 'best' parents ever since Daniel left, ever since he left, you've treated me like crap, and he left when I was 10!"
My mum says something again, "ok ok. We get it, but it's not our fault"
"Oh really? It's not your fault that you barely go to work and never do anything with me? Or never come to my shows for dance or when I do a basketball game? You 'forget' about everything! You don't care about me AT ALL!!"
I storm upstairs and I lock my bedroom door. I think about the times I've had with Daniel, he's my older brother, he was so nice and lovely and we got on really well, but when he left to go to college, everything changed, he found a girl, and they got married after college and he left me with our parents. I just wish I could go back to the old days, when we were a nice happy family. I just want to runaway, wait, why don't I? It's not like I have anything to stay for here except Ivy! And she will support me through anything! I'm going to leave. I start to pack my bags and I take every piece of clothing I own and every pair of shoes. I take most stuff out my room, everything that I need and lastly, I get my toiletries and my make up and stuff like that. I make sure I've got everything and head out the window. I climb onto the roof below, with all my bags either on my back or in my hands. I slide down onto the bottom of the roof, jump onto my car, get down and then get in and start the engine, I left a note in my room saying 'it's for the best x'. I have packed some money that I've got, probably about £500 and I literally picked up every coin and note I could find in my room or lying around. I call Ivy and tell her and she supports me. Now though, I don't know where to go. I drive for 10 minutes and park up at a park so I can check my phone, I go on Tik Tok, as I'm obsessed and check through it when I suddenly realise the place that I want to go! AMERICA!