The Long Journey Ahead

Tears flowed down my cheeks. I grabbed every piece of clothing, jewelry, anything in my reach and threw them in the already small suitcase. I've had enough. I'm sorry I had to leave because I loved them so much. But I just couldn't take it anymore. I refused to continue to to live here with him still here.

I placed the letter I wrote telling them of my abandonment, disrespect, and my love for them all on my pillow. My love to my sisters Alex and Katrina. My love to my mom whose heart I would break. My love to Vince. But not my love to my father. He can burn in Hell for all eternity.

I let a tear or two fall onto the envelope before snapping back to my senses. If I was going to do this, I couldn't chicken out. I couldn't take it anymore and that was how things had to go no matter how much I hated it.

Listening for any sounds in the surrounding rooms, I finally opened my bedroom window when I knew the coast was clear. Looking down, I realized how high up I was. I counted two stories being that I was on the second floor. It's not so bad though. I wouldn't break an arm or anything.

Carefully, I grabbed my suitcase and dragged it across the carpet. Heaving it back and forth, I let it drop to the ground outside. It landed with a dull thud and rolled twice before standing upright.

Out of nervousness, I listened again for any strange sounds in the house. I leaned over the edge of the window and took my leap. With my hands outstretched, I landed on the hard cement on bended knee. "Ow!" I groaned.

I checked my knees for any signs of damage. My jeans were a little torn but who cares? They're cheap jeans and I could always get more. Grabbing my suitcase, I pulled my hood over my head and began running until I reached the train station.

I paid the toll for the subway and went on the train to Newark. When I got to Penn Station, I sat down on a bench and began to cry. What did I just do? Was this all just a big mistake? I'm going to regret this, I totally am. But going back wasn't an option. If I went back, that meant that I'd be disowned for running away. What do I do? This wasn't such a good idea.

A sudden thought popped into my brain. I went up to the ticket attendant behind the Plexiglas and bought a ticket for $9.70. The next train would arrive in three and a half minutes. I waited patiently, my heart beating faster and faster. The nerves built up in my body and it was getting hard to really see.

When the train stopped, I was the first to get in. I sat by the window, by myself. Luckily, no one asked why someone my age was on a train at this late an hour. I don't know, 8:49 pm is late to people it seemed.

Once I got to my stop, I got off the train and walked out of the station. It wouldn't be a long walk. Maybe half an hour at the most. Sighing, I began to walk towards my destination. The banging in my chest grew to its loudest volume when I got to the doorstep. I stood there for a minute, scared of announcing my arrival.

I finally got the courage to knock on the door, and it was slowly opened. "Jes! What are you doing here?" he asked.

I whimpered and started crying. The shocked look on his face made me feel worse. He hugged me and took me inside the house. The tears rolled relentlessly down my cheeks.

We stood in his doorway until I stopped crying. I never thought I would just stop out of nowhere. I never experienced not being able to produce tears. When the wetness from my eyes dried out, I sighed and finally hugged him back.

"Jes, what happened?" he asked. I looked into his dark brown eyes. They looked at me with worry, a kind of worry a friend shows.

"Can we sit down for this?" I whispered. He nodded and led me into his living room. His left hand wrapped and gripped onto my shoulder in case I was going to fall.

His mom and a friend were sitting on the couch, talking amongst themselves. Wow, that made it more awkward.

"So you're Jes? I'm Casey. I'll see you later Frank," she said and walked out the door. That girl had to be the prettiest girl I'd ever seen. Her short and natural blond hair had a very angelic-like shine and the random lip ring on her bottom left lip was totally cool. Lesbian moment!

"Jessica! What are you doing here?" Mrs. Iero asked. Again, I seemed to choke up and I felt like I was going to cry again. Frank sat down on the couch with me and rubbed my shoulder.

"I-I ran away," I said quietly.

"Why?" she asked. I always liked how she wasn't judgmental until she heard the entire story.

"My dad said that I'm a disgrace and that he disowned me because I got one lousy C in Art class." The look of disgust and hatred on my face told the silent story of how wonderful a relationship I shared with him.

Is what I did drastic? Did I really have to run away? Maybe I could've just let him cool off and never hear the sorry I deserved to hear. I could've lived on with my life just the way it was before he said those words that hit me like daggers. No, I took the high road and left. If that didn't prove to him that I wasn't just some stupid little child that he could always bring down, then I hoped he was happy because he just lost his daughter and any love she had for him.