Chapter 1
I remember the night like it was yesterday. I was running down the pitch black street with tears falling down my face, in pain from the bruises on my back and my mind in a million places besides in the here and now. Where am I gonna go? I have no friends to go to. What am I going to eat? I have no money. How will I be safe? I have nobody. I finally sit down behind a building and try to let it all out but I can’t, my eyes are still red from the tears, my nose is stuffed. I can’t let anymore out, I drained out all of my ability to cry.
I watched as multiple people walked past me, some people generously gave me money, some just looked at me and scoffed then walked away, those were the people that really got to me. I stayed awake the whole night thinking about school in the morning and how I was gonna get there without a ride there and it would take half an hour to walk there and I am way too tired for to deal with that tomorrow so I don’t know what I am going to do, I might have to walk though because I do not need Truancy on my criminal record. I already have three different counts of shoplifting food on my criminal record because my family couldn’t afford the food. I lay my head on a pile of newspaper and slowly shut my eyes to avoid the hell I call my life right now.
I slowly open my eyes to the sight of the sunrise shining in my eyes, I hesitantly walk into the closest gas station to use some of the money those people gave to me and to see what time it is so I know when to leave for school.
“Can you tell me what time it is?” I ask the person standing behind the counter.
“It is currently 7:45” The cashier says helping someone check out a pack of cigarettes. F*ck, f*ck, I am late for school. I turn around so fast I almost run into the man behind me, I slam the glass door open so fast I thought I put a crack in it. I run to find the nearest bus stop, yes I am gonna try to take the public bus to school, my mom used to drive me and now it is just me,myself, and I, I almost start crying at the thought of my mom but I hold it together and continue to look for the closest bus stop until I see one at the end of the corner, I spring as fast as physically possible towards the bus driving up next to it, I finally arrive next to it with sweat dripping down my forehead.
“I need to go to Potens Prep.” I say getting onto the bus
“That would be 15 dollars ma’am” He says pointing at a metal box with a sign that says “insert cash here” I put that last bit of money I have left in the box. I sit next to a lady with strings of gray hair and wrinkles on her nose and cheek.
’Why are you out here alone sweetie?” She says starting a conversation
“I have nowhere else to go ma’am” I say, choking back a tear and looking out the window.
“What do you mean? Where is your mom and dad?” She asks in a concerned tone.
“My dad left when I was 7 and my mom constantly hits and yells at me” I say feeling a tear fall down my face onto the tissue the kind lady gave me.
“I am so sorry that happened” The lady says standing up and reaching out her arms towards me. I get up and give her a hug. Our hug is cut off by a blackness, I feel a sharp pain in my back, all I can see is black and then my brain feels like it is shutting down and I faint.
