Memories

By the end of the week it was official, I was moving and nothing would change my mom’s mind, considering both her children failed there drug tests.

I dropped everything. I stopped partying with the guys, I refused to hang out with them if drugs//alcohol was involved. Eric and I hung out mostly at my house to do homework. Or we would go to the library or café to study. Lastly I brought up my math grade, I did all my homework, and aced all my quizzes and tests.

…

Two weeks following the drug test my mom was actually starting to pack. It was still unreal.

I really only had one week left of school. I didn’t want to move, I would do anything.

Then it clicked.

…

“What do you mean by run away?” Eric asked me.

“I’m running away, it’s simple, I will disappear for a day, stay at Lacey’s, my mom will worry about me then when she realizes that I’m to distraught to move she’ll stay” I smiled.

“For a smart girl your pretty dumb” Jay said. “We can take you farther away” I wasn’t accepting that answer. They were really supportive.

“Yeah” Nick added. “We can go camping Thursday night…your moving Sunday right?” I nodded. “It works out perfectly”

“Ok, but where do we go?”

“This camping ground in Auburn, it’s literally 20 minutes away and it’s safe”

“Ok, sounds good” we all put our hands into the little circle we were standing in.

“We have to promise not to talk about the events of this weekend” Nick said.

“Promise” we all said at once.

“If one person outside this circle finds out were fucked and we can be charged with kidnapping a minor”

I just remembered were probably going in Nick’s car, and since Nick’s 18 it technically would be kidnapping.

“Got it”

“The plan starts Thursday night”

…

On Thursday morning, before school Nick came and picked me up at my house. I got all my stuff ready for a week of hiding out at the camp ground.

“Ok, you ready to ‘run away’?” Jay asked me. I shrugged.

“I guess” we drove to the school.

“We’ll meet back at my car after school” Nick said. I nodded.

The school day was rough, I just kept thinking about how the whole running away thing was going to work out.

Nick found me in the hall after 6th period. “Anya, change of plans” Nick told me.

“What do you mean?”

“I have to go home and grab my weed” I rolled my eyes.

“Nick if anyone finds us with drugs we’ll be arrested”

“I know but I need it, especially for this weekend”

“Fine”

“I put your stuff in Eric’s car, you and Eric are going to go pick up Cliff then go to the camp ground, Jay and I will meet you there” I nodded. Nick kissed the top of my head.

“Good luck” he ran off after that. I wiped my forehead.

“He leaves sloppy kisses” I said to myself. “He must be high”

…

Eric and I waited for Cliff outside his high school. He came running out with his backpack and a duffle bag, he threw them in the back seat and jumped in the car.

“Ok, I’m ready” Cliff pulled out a small baggy of weed.

“What’s up with you guys and weed?” I asked.

“This isn’t weed, it’s crack…that’s completely different” I rolled my eyes. Eric shrugged.

“We like the feeling”

We drove over to the camp ground.

…

We waited at the camp ground for five hours, Nick and Jay didn’t show up, and they had the tent we were going to sleep in.

“Fuck this, give me your car keys” Cliff said to Eric.

“Why?”

“I’m going to go look for them”

“No, just wait” Eric told him.

“Why?” Eric took Cliff’s collar and dragged him over to a place where I couldn’t hear them talking.

Of course clearly they had this practical joke planned out or something. Or maybe Nick and Jay were actually going to kill my mom then they needed us to hide the evidence.

Eric and Cliff eventually came back and sat outside the fire. We waited till 10 PM. I gave up and decided to go to sleep.

At first sleep wasn’t an option, since I’m such a heavy sleeper, but I was exhausted, mentally mostly, I just needed a little break.

…

I woke up a little while later. I noticed an alarm clock next to me.

Wait… how’d I get back in my room?

I jumped out of my bed, I was still in my school clothes. My stuff was back in my room to, and all the boxes I packed over the week were empty and put back into their respected places.

Am I dreaming?

I ran downstairs, Nick, Jay, Eric and Cliff were all sitting around my kitchen table with my mom.

“What’s going on!” I exclaimed. “I demand answers”

“We reached an agreement” my mom started. she chuckled. “I didn’t realize how much these boys need you” I shrugged.

“If it wasn’t for me they would be in jail” the boys all giggled.

“We can stay but you and Eric need to take it slower” I nodded.

“I accept”

“No partying every night, I’ll allow you Friday nights but no Thursday, Friday, Saturday stuff anymore” I nodded. “And all of you need to keep your grades up, Nick and Eric you guys are graduating next month”

“Well…” Eric said slowly. “I’m technically graduating in August”

“Well your still graduating, and maybe going to college, if you wanna hang out here you need decent grades”

“I accept” we all said at once. My mom nodded.

“Oh and no more drugs, Anya” my mom turned to me.

“We can still do it right?” Nick asked. We all just wanted to reach out and smack him over the head. Why would my mom let me stay if my friends are still smoking?

“I’ll have a talk with your mom and ask her how she thinks” Nick got out of his chair and got on his knee’s. getting on his knee’s got him into this mess, too.

“PLEASE DON’T TELL!” he begged. “My mom will skin me alive”

Eric, Cliff and I couldn’t help but laugh. Now the tables were turned.