"It's time to begin, isn't it? I get a little bit bigger, but then, I'll admit, I'm just the same as I was. Now don't you understand that I'm never changing who I am."
I fumble around for my phone, knocking piles of books off of my side table and onto the floor. I manage to mute my alarm and peer out at the books that now cover the floor. I sigh, shove my glasses on, and stumble across the room to the door. My dog decides to play tag and ends up weaving herself between my legs, causing me to fall on my bum.
"Thanks, Lucy," I growl, pushing my glasses up my nose. Lucy does that whole "doggy-grin" thing and I decide to forgive her. Mo, my kitten, prances in the room and I pick him up, snuggling him close to my face. I set him down on the floor in the kitchen, feed him and Lucy, and get myself a bowl of Cheerios. I hear the door slam angrily and I stiffen. Dad's home.
"Paige Reed!" he yells. I turn around and face my angry, worn dad.
"Yes?" He slaps me across the face.
"Don't talk to me like that!" he screams, spraying me with spit. "I thought I told you to go get me--"
"I can't drive!" Another slap.
"I don't care! You're eighteen, you're supposed to drive!" My dad obviously thinks that I am the cause of all of his problems.
"I haven't taken the driving test yet, so, no," I say, pushing it. Dad's face turns this ugly shade of purple and he splutters for a moment. He leaves and I continue pouring myself cereal. Something hits me hard across the back, and it's so painful that it nearly blinds me. I whip around and see Dad there, holding a belt.
"You-are-going-to-go-to-get-me-what-I-want!" he shouts, placing a hit in between each word. My dad is a little nuts, in case you didn't notice.
"I can't!" I shriek back, holding my hands in front of my face. "Stop!" He doesn't stop. I somehow get back to my room and lock the door. Sliding down to the floor, I softly cry and look at the welts on my arms. My glasses are cracked, so I go put in my dreaded contacts.
I hate my life, the world, everything. I want to escape it.
I look out of my bedroom window, slowly unlatch it, and drop down into the bushes. I take off running before Dad can know I've gotten out. I keep running until I reach the outskirts of town, where the train station is. I double over, catching my breath while formulating a plan. The eleven o'clock train is about to come. I quickly look around; nobody's here, except for a boy going into the station.
I slowly walk to the tracks and stand in the middle of them. A train whistle sounds in the distance and I can see the train getting closer. It's right in front of me.
Someone tackles me to the ground and the train rushes past, missing us by an inch.
"Are you okay?!" a deep voice asks. I look up into a boy's beautiful green eyes and completely black out.
