"Maple Baker!" The pause of the wicked woman only made things worse. Her rage built in her chest, boiling up until the smoke was coming out of her ears. "Get back in the house this minute!" But it didn't matter. I was already halfway down the street. Running. My legs burned as they carried me further away from that house. The house that I wished I'd never had to go back to.

"I swear to God if you are not back here in the next five minutes, you are not welcome back in this home!" The woman shouted again. My mother was evil, her world revolving around designer things, and God forbid you wore the same outfit twice. Her hair was cut into a beautiful red bob that hung from her head, the very one she had trimmed once a week and colored just the same.

Image was everything.

Social status was even more.

But that wasn't what I wanted in my life.

I travel down the road a little bit further, only stopping when my lungs feel like exploding and my heart threatens to beat out of my chest. My old home is just a mere speck behind me. The muscles aching in my legs, barely holding me upright.

My phone started to ring. Pulling it out of my pocket to check the screen, I squinted at the name in bold white lettering.

"What Julia?" My words were harsher than I meant them to be, but Julia always seemed to have the worst timing.

"Maple!" Julia shouted from the bed of the truck, her voice pulled me from my thoughts. The sliding window opens so we can hear our friends. Breygan turned to glance at her, then turned his attention back to the road.

"What?" I muttered, the night stars passing by us as the truck flies down a back highway. A single stream of lamp posts stood on the other side of the road, shining the way out of our little town with weak yellowish light.

"Can I have another bag of chips?" The girl asked, her hair whipping in the wind as she leaned up. The others all cuddled together in one corner of the truck bed; each wrapped in their blanket as if there wasn't a care in the world. But there obviously was.

"Here," I handed her yet another bag of Doritos, before settling back into my spot in the front. Breygan's hand switched from his leg to the stick shift of the truck. As he shifted it down a gear, the vehicle lurched forward, causing Julia to stumble slightly before settling back down onto the hard metal seat.

"Everyone okay back there?" Breygan questioned, glancing at the rearview mirror before shifting down another gear. We were slowing down, why were we slowing down?

"All good!"

"Yep!"

"Just dandy!"

The three of them all shouted at once, holding their thumbs high in the air. As if we would be able to see them clearly. The sky was nearly black, a small streak of the sun holding on for dear life before it sets behind the mountain.

Where would we go?

How long would it take our parents to realize what we had done?

Five teenagers all squeezed in this truck, driving down a back road to god knows where. We were hours away from home, all our worldly possessions were a couple of credit cards in our pockets, our phones and the clothes on our back. I let out a sigh, leaning against the cold metal of the truck. The rickety thing, barely held together by the tender love and care of Breygan.

"Maple are you almost ready to switch?" Julia leaned her head in the window once again, pulling me out of my own dream. I nodded my head, glancing at the watch on my hand. Soon it would be time for someone else to take a turn in the comfortable seat up front. Not everyone could fit in the cab.

"Okay, I'll pull over here soon," Breygan responded, shifting once again. The truck sped up, heading around another corner in the road. Julia sat back down, waiting patiently for the truck to come to a stop.

Julia was the only one that had any real future out of the rest of us. I wondered what the school would think when she just didn't show up on Monday, or Tuesday, hell any day after that. Will they think she was kidnapped? Will her parents come up with some lie so they don't hurt their pretty little image? I knew my mother would.

I scoffed, realizing I had pulled myself back into my own thoughts of my mother. The fight we had this morning would be the last straw. If I never saw her again I'd be okay with that, actually, I'd probably be better off. I wouldn't have to worry about my hair always being perfect, my nails trimmed and polished, my outfit appropriate. I mean a woman like my mother just couldn't have a daughter like me.

I placed my shoes on the dash, pulling at the laces as I began to tie them. If I was getting in the back of the truck I'd need these on to keep me warm. My heart skipped a beat, realizing I'd be back with Staton, all curled up under a blanket. He'd hold me close and we could watch the stars together.

Staton Hanover, my lover, my best friend, the only thing in this world that truly made me happy. He completed me, made me whole when my mother tried so hard to tear me apart. He would patiently pick up the pieces and hold me close to his chest whenever his back would get tired from carrying my broken self.

I look plain compared to Staton, his eyes deep green, that looked like a damp forest floor. His smile was so wide, so vibrant that he could stop wars and I wanted to be right by his side as he did. I was proud of him, amazed by him, captivated by him.

Hopefully, he felt the same way about me.

Finally, we saw a sign for a rest area up ahead, Breygan quickly shifted allowing the engine of the truck to help slow us as he pulled off onto the highway exit. Once again another pit stop at a truck stop. He cruised at a lower speed until we reached the parking lot, and finally, he pulled into a spot, placing the truck in park and shutting it off.

As if on cue everyone jumped out of the vehicle, stretching their legs.

I hopped out of the truck to meet them all so we could figure out who got the lucky seat next. Breygan rushed into the bathroom, leaving the four of us standing next to the truck.

"Me next," Aria muttered, holding the blanket tightly around her body. I search her face, smiling as the dimples begin to show. No one disagreed.

"I guess you are next then..." I muttered, looking around the group once more. Everyone checked their phones as if they hadn't been able to be on them for the last few hours. "And I now get to sit next to you," I smiled, leaning forward to kiss Staton on the lips. He met me halfway, wrapping his arms around me as if he would never let go.

"Ew guys, get a room!" Julia shouted, turning around in a dramatic manner, showing her age. She was the youngest of the group. The beautiful brunette that had college waiting for her. She had scholarships and the healthiest relationship with her parents. So I wasn't exactly sure why she had run away with the rest of us. Her life was going places.

"Not going to happen," Staton smiled, pulling me closer into his chest as he bends down to kiss me one more time. My heart filled with emotions, my face turning a bright red.

"We got it all figured out then so we can get back on the road?" Breygan cut in, joining us once again. The group nod in agreement. "Good, I want to try and make it to Astoria tonight."

Astoria Oregon, just far enough over the border we weren't going back, but close enough to home that we could if we wanted to. The five of us from Seattle, grew up in the slums of Tacoma our entire lives. We were on the run through. Traveling to a new city, a new state to call home. We were heading towards California.

Our parents would never find us there. If we could settle down, use the credit cards we had for as long as the parents would let it slide, and find ourselves some jobs, we would be set. Working hard to make things better for ourselves.

Aria hopped in the truck, taking the seat next to Breygan as the rest of the crew jumped in the back of the truck. I snatched the blanket from Aria, holding it close to my chest as I curled up next to Staton, laying down in the bed.

We were insane for thinking this was possible. Insane for only taking one vehicle. But the amount of gas it would take to have all of us drive down here was ridiculous. We had about a thirteen-hour drive to get where we were going. Tonight we would make it the first four and tomorrow, we would finish it off.

Breygan pulled out of the parking lot, making sure to go extra slow on the speed bumps as we all cower for the pain. But there wasn't any.

"Why are we doing this?" Julia questions, searching her hands as if they would give her the answer to her question. I searched Staton's face, hoping he would have the answer.

"I can't live under my mother's hold anymore. She controls every aspect of my life, telling me what I should wear, eat, that I'm gaining too much weight.."

"No you are beautiful," Staton cuts me off, holding me tightly against his chest. The blanket covering us from the winds racing next to the truck. Julia stares at me, those big brown eyes watching carefully. So drawn into what I had to say. Like I was telling the world's most terrifying story and it was just about to hit its climax.

"She really tells you that you... I mean YOU... are gaining too much weight?" Julia points towards my body that was hidden under the blanket. I nod my head in response.

"She even has the pinching device that they check to see what your body fat percentage is at, and I swear to god If I get pinched one more time I'm going to freak out," My heart was racing just at the thought of her chasing me around the house in her red bottom shoes, holding that thing in the air, ready to judge me for the last thing I had eaten.

"She's pretty much evil," Staton jumps in, coming to my rescue as always.

"That makes sense, but what about you Staton, didn't you get a football scholarship for college, you took two years off and was supposed to go back in the fall right?" Julia was asking so many questions, and it amazed me how little she actually knew about our personal lives. She was Aria's cousin, hanging around from time to time, but never really a part of our group as a whole.

"Forced to play, sick of it." Staton was a simple man, never needing to over-explain himself. I loved him for that. I loved him for the moments we could just sit and not talk. Feeling comfort in the silence of each other's beating hearts.

"So why don't you tell your parents you don't want to play anymore?" Julia seemed so young, nearly two years my junior. Her body fragile, her mind not fully developed.

"Please, that wouldn't work in the Hanover house," Staton chuckled leaning back against the bed of the truck, watching the cars drive past on the other side of the road. The wind was growing colder by the minute, lulling me into a peaceful sleep under the warmth of the blanket.

"What about you anyway?" I paused for a moment closing my eyes for just a moment, "Why are you running away with us?"

"I... uh," Julia stutters, as my eyes betray me, and I fall into a soundful sleep. 

Authors Note:

Thank you so much for starting this journey with me!

I'm really excited about this story and I hope you are too. It's a little different than anything else I've ever written on my profile. Please don't forget to add it to your library so you know when it updates, and follow me to get notifications. 

Also if you enjoyed this chapter please comment and vote, it's much appreciated and motivates me to write faster. 

I love you all so very much. 

-Brittani