Chapter 2 Leaving everything behind

I woke up this morning just before 11 am. It was almost three years ago I last slept in a bed, a real bed at least and I don't mean a bed in a motel. I slept good for once. I stayed over at a girl from school. She is one of the thee persons at school I have a phone number of. I don't really have friends, but Elly and I are in the same athletics group from school and we sit together at lunch. She is the closest person to consider being a friend.

'Oh good, you're awake.' Elly walks into the room and open up the curtains. 'Maya, my mom wants to know why you're here and when you're leaving.'

'Good morning to you too.' I say to the grumpy person in front of me. She was already fully dressed with black jeans and a shirt that said: Princesses Die Tonight. Her raven black hair was up into a high ponytail like always. Elly didn't like me at first. She used to win every running competition, but when I came to the school three years ago, she lost for the very first time. I won every time from her. She didn't like to loose of course, but then we became running buddies. So I knew she was always grumpy in the mornings. 'Elly, can I please come downstairs for something to eat? After I eat I will be on my way. You were the only person I could think of and you were nice enough to let me sleep here tonight.'

'Okay.' she sighed.

I step out of her bed, but the room suddenly spins and I fall back again. My stomach protest, so I held my hand over my mouth and try not to trow up. 'Where is your bathroom?' I tear up and feel the spit in the back of my throat.

'Second door to the right.' she simply answers.

I run as fast my body allows me to the bathroom and trow up the last remaining food I had left in my body along with a lot of spit. I can't help it but every time I trow up I cry.

'What the hell is wrong with you? Are you sick or something?' Elly asks with disgust all over her face. She keeps standing in the hallway with her hand over her nose.

'What? No, I'm not sick Elly.' I sigh. I had to tell her the truth. At least someone has to know. 'I'm pregnant.'

Elly's mouth fell open. 'Noooooo.'

I simply flush the toilet and wash my hands and mouth. 'If you let your mouth open like that, you're going to catch flies.' I can see her standing behind me, still with her mouth open. I now only notice how big her mouth actually is.

'I'm sorry.' She closes her mouth and tosses me a towel. 'I mean, wow. You always seemed so innocent. I thought you didn't have a boyfriend.'

'I don't have a boyfriend.' I throw the towel in the sink. 'Can I please get some food now?'

Elly's mother was not pleased with me staying over. I got some toast from her with butter, but only after I promised to go away after I ate.

'Mom, can't she stay over one more night? Her mom kicked her out.' Elly was trying desperately to convince her to stay. But at the looks her mother gives me this whole time, I don't think it's working.

'I thought you hated her.'

I look over to Elly with my eyebrows raised. 'Do tell.' I say grinning.

'I-I. Oh whatever. Wipe that smirk off, Maya. You're no saint.'

'I never said I was.' I take another bite of my toast.

'Mom, I told you I hated her three years ago. We have been running together for almost two now. Yes, I hate that she is still faster than me, but I don't hate her.'

'Still I want her out of here.' Her mother turned around and slammed the kitchen door shut.

'It's okay Elly. I think I want to go to my aunt's house. She lives in Tucson. I could take a bus from the Phoenix bus station. Will you bring me there, please? I can't drive yet.'

'Oh god Maya, I totally forgot you're still fifteen years old.'

I sigh as I rise from the table to bring my plate to the sink. I turn around using my puppy eyes. 'Now, will you bring me or not?'

With my backpack in my hand and my credit card in my other I stand before the desk, buying my bus ticket away from here. I'm leaving Phoenix. The place I was born and raised in. I loved it here, well at least when my father still lived. We had a nice house, with a garden with lots of flowers. My mother was so proud of her garden. I was a happy kid, always hanging out with friends. I did gymnastics and even won gold at a competition once. We went every Saturday to grandma's house, the whole family did and we ate with the whole family. I had so many cousins and nieces and nephews. We were so happy and my life was perfect.

But then my dad got sick. His kidneys stopped working. He got a transplant, but still he was at the hospital most of the time. My dad was a banker, he had some savings, but they quickly disappeared by all the costs of medicine and hospital bills. Mom hadn't worked a day in life and I was only nine years old, I was too young to work. We were broke and our landlord threatened to kick us out of the house. We couldn't pay our bills, but for some weird reason, we could stay. That was how it all started. Every Sunday after church we spent an hour at his house. He had a wife and six children. I found out later that my mom was having sex with him, while I had to play with his children in the playroom. I really didn't know at that time, that my life was going to change forever.

My dad died when I was ten years old. We moved to a smaller house, still in Phoenix, but in another district and too far from my old school. Mom changed. We didn't go to grandma's house anymore, I couldn't visit my friends and when I thought I lived only with my mother in our new house, I was so wrong. Literally two days after the move, I found a naked man in our kitchen. His dick was so small, I will never forget how small it was. At first I was scared, but after a few weeks I got used to it. There was always naked men in our house. Naked men, nearly naked men, men wearing my mother's robe, men in suits. Mom seemed fine though. I on the other hand had a hard time making friend in the middle of the school year. I didn't want to go home at all. It never felt like home with all those men in our house and my mother acting like dad never existed. The only person who saw I wasn't doing so well, was my teacher. He tried to help me. I stayed at school till all the teacher went home. Everything was better than getting home.

With my ticket to Tucson I went back to Elly. She was waiting outside for me, leaning against her old Toyota.

'Are you sure you want to do this?' she asked.

'What other choice do I have? I can't stay at home since they kicked me out, I haven't spoken to my family in almost six years, I can't stay at your place. Only aunt Hannah sometimes stopped by our house, she is the only family I have left. I need to find her.' I give Elly a hug. 'I promise to call you when I'm there. Don't worry, I can run fast.' I whisper in her ear.

'Bitch.' she giggles.

'No, your mother is a bitch.'

'I can't agree more.' We let go of our embrace. Her face suddenly serious. 'I'm sorry for all the shit I gave you when you first came to school. I mean, you just lost your dad and was dumped into a new school. Me letting everyone hate you just because you won the competition was not fair. I'm so sorry.'

'It's okay. And I'm sorry too.' I say to her.

'Sorry for what?'

'I may or may not have thrown your favorite running shoes into the trashcan just before the third competition we did together.' I tried to stand just like Elly, just how she was talking to her mother this morning. 'Mom, I told you I hated her three years ago.' I even tried talking like her.

We both laughed out loud until the bus to Tucson came.

'I never knew you were this fun to hang around, Maya.' Elly's face went from laughing to serious again.

'I tried my best to stay anonymous for a long time. Now the whole school will know my name. Maya Picori, the girl that got pregnant at the age of fifteen and got kicked out of her house by her mother and stepfather. Now she is ditching school and running away to Tucson.'

'You should write a book about it.'

'I wouldn't read it. It would be bad, so bad. You don't know how twisted my life is. Nobody wants to read about my life.'

After one more hug I turn around and step inside the bus.

'I would read it.' Elly yells at me.

'You're an idiot.' I say while laughing.

'So are you.'

'I can't agree more.'

The door closes and I sit down watching Elly waving at me. I made a friend today and now I had to go. She had no idea how screwed up I am. She had no idea who the father of the baby is. I don't think she would believe me even if I told her. I wave back and when the bus turned a corner, she is gone and I am leaving for good.