Excerpt: Runaway Bay

I awoke early the next morning with the closing of the front door. My father worked at a university nearly an hour away, so he always had a lengthy drive ahead of him. As I lay in bed, I heard Abby leave for school, saying goodbye to Dustin, who would be leaving that day.

A plan suddenly formed in my head, faster than I could have imagined it. I leapt out of bed and pulled a duffel bag out of my closet. I started hastily folding clothes and tossing them into the bag. I ensured that a few of my favorite clothes were in there, not wanting to leave anything that I liked behind. Pictures, notebooks, and memories were all thrown haphazardly among my clothes.

There was a knock at my door. Fearing that it was my mother coming to check on me (I was probably making a lot of unnecessary noise), I hid the bag in my closet and shut the door. “Come in!” I yelled, grabbing a book and plopping on the bed, turning to a random page.

“Hey, Cal. I’m about to head out. Mom’s driving me to the airport – imagine that.” He laughed. Our mother had a desperate fear of driving in the city, and the airport was at least two hours away from Runaway Bay.

“Wow. Mom, driving? That’s new. What’s next, vodka and cigarettes?” I joked sarcastically. Dustin sat down on the bed next to me, putting an arm around my shoulders. “Don’t get all emotional on me now. We’re brother and sister, you’re supposed to beat me up.”

“You know Mom and Dad. They’re too practical for things like moving before you have a job. You’re still welcome to visit, of course. I’m sure they wouldn’t have a problem with that.” This was Dustin’s best attempt to soothe me and make sure I didn’t do anything rash. He didn’t know that I fully intended on leaving anyway, regardless of what my parents said. I was twenty-three years old, and it was time for me to stop listening to every word my parents said, time for me to finally start living by my own rules.

“I know. I’ll try to come visit.” I was too good of a liar for my own good. The lie came out of my mouth effortlessly, like I didn’t even have to think twice about the ramifications. I was certain that Dustin would, in the end, applaud me for my decision to just up and leave, but in that particular moment, the best idea was to protect myself. I had no guarantees that Dustin wouldn’t let it slip to Mom on the way to the airport.

Dustin kissed my forehead and gave me a big bear hug before leaving. “Take care of yourself, Cal. Don’t let yourself get too down about this place. It’s really not that bad.” My skeptical stare made him laugh. “Okay, so it IS that bad, but you’re a big girl. You can handle it.”

With a quick ruffling of my hair, he was gone, and my plan could be fully put into place. Once I heard my mother’s car drive away, I quickly finished packing. I grabbed my guitar and zipped the duffel bag as I ran out of my room and down the stairs. I tossed everything in the back seat of my car and excitedly hopped in the front seat before realizing that I hadn’t left a note for Abby. Poor Abby would probably worry to death about me and feel extraordinarily abandoned if I left without a single word. I dashed back into the house and grabbed a piece of paper and a Sharpie marker from the desk in my father’s office.

Dear Abby,
After our talk last night, I realized that you were right. I deserve better than this town. You might think that I’m your big sister, I’m supposed to be the one to give you advice, but that isn’t always the case. You see things that I don’t, things that I’ve grown too bitter and jaded to see. I know you see a brighter future for me than this town. For what it’s worth, I know that someday you’ll see just how amazing you are, and that you’ll get out of this town too. How you do it is obviously up to you, but I have faith in you. Remember that I’m always here for you – I’ll always call and talk to you, and whenever I get a reliable phone number I’ll give it to you, I promise.
I love you,
Calandra

I left the note on Abby’s pillow, certain that she would find it the second she got home – she was fond of after school naps, usually as a result of her partying all night. I made my way back out to the car, ready to say goodbye to the house, the lake, the town, my life. I smiled as I turned the ignition, jetting off to a new life.