Chapter One: Life is not science
"No, I don't feel bad for him. He is nice and that's all that matters," I say calmly to Jacob. Okay, so maybe I was 15% lying when I said that because I kind of wish that Steve could be more like me. That's one of the reasons why I hang out with him. But he is nice and that does matter. I don't feel bad for him. Well, I do, but that is not why I hang out with him.
A little bit about me. My name is Hollywood. I think the name is dumb, so I have everybody call me Will. I have long, blonde hair and blue eyes. I almost always wear hats and sunglasses wherever I go. I have a terrible farmers tan, but that's okay with me. I go the Jefferson Academy and a straight B student. Sometimes C and D. I play football and I wrestle. I am the captain of both of those teams (not to brag or anything. Maybe the best captain of both that the school has ever seen.). I think my parents are plain out horrible because they don't let me do anything. Zero freedom. The only thing they will let me do is sports for school and surfing. Do you know how much I want to drop out of school? I am the dumbest student in the grade. If it weren't for Steve, I would have a Fantastic in each class, or an F-, for short.
My mom is a short, 5 foot lady with an a-t-t-i-t-u-d-e. Well, at least I can spell that. She somehow finds ways to yell at me every single day. I 'dislike' her. My dad is a different story. He just has THE WORST TEMPER IN THE UNIVERSE. They are both over protective. I sometimes want to scream at them to leave me alone.
I am a popular kid. So many kids in the grade know who I am and I barely know who they are. It is annoying. I am like the city celebrity. Who cares about the mayor, dumb polls and things like that. I wish I was the mayor's son. That would make me even better!
I am also a kid that gets scared easily. I am a kid who believes in Bloody Mary, the slender man, and things like paranormal activity. I get scared really easily and that's the one thing that gives my friends a laugh.
Chapter Two: Good things that come out of running away
I was on Facebook with Steve and I was talking to him about my escape plan. He said that I was taking crazy talk.
Me: Do u kno wat i hav to go thru @ hom?
SL: No, but I do know that running away won't be worth it. Try it when you have a bank account.
Me: Im not joking.
SL: I am not either. But you did sound like you were.
Me: Ur funy :P
SL: Did you know... that you type like a girl?
Seriously, Steve? I thought as I glared at the computer screen.
Me: Wow. I am about ready to kill you.
SL: Now you are typing like a regular person.
Me: I am running away to the poor side wether you like it or not.
SL: You are funny. Have fun, Will. Good night.
Me: I will. Also, how much dough should I get from the bank?
SL: I dunno.
Me: I'll just survive off of my allowance then
SL: You would never do that. You are saving your allowance for a new cell phone.
Me: Freedom is better than a phone.
SL: You are serious?
Me: Yeah.
SL: Meet me at the country club after school.
Me: Outside? It is way to cold outside.
SL: No, smart one.
Me: In your grandfathers old office?
SL: OMG nooooo. Duh, Will. Bye.
I feel bad that Steve's grandfather just died a few months ago. Nothing I could do. Now, is office is just empty. They did nothing about it.
Chapter Three: The road to freedom
After school the next day, I met Steve up ate the office. Steve was just sitting there on the beat up wheelchair cross-legged, and looking too formal in his uniform, other than his neon yellow tennis shoes. He actually cares about having no wrinkles in his pants. I am the exact opposite. I seriously wish he was more like me.
"Hey," he said casually.
"Hey," I replied.
"So, I didn't really know what to do so I wandered around the crummy side of town. I found this one really good place by the water. It is this huge abandoned glass factory. It is also covered up by a hill and a bunch if trees so it would be less likely for you to be found. The only bad thing is that is kind of far from the buildings. Only about five miles. You are good at running, right?"
"Yeah." Actually, excellent.
"Well, I drew a map of the whole area at least to my knowledge," Steve said quietly. To me, it looked like there was a trace of regret in his eyes. Strange to me. "I also wrote out a plan for you to get a month start."
I took a look at the sheet of computer paper and immediately noticed he has really neat handwriting. I laggardly looked over the paper. I think I could do all of this stuff.
Chapter Four: Rumors
That night, I was lying down in my bed just staring up at the ceiling and I remembered about this rumor about a kid named Nathaniel Ross who ran away a while back. One day he was at home, next day he vanished. He was all over the news for about a good two months. He was a very smart kid from what I have heard. If he hasn't been found yet, it is possible for me even though I am not that smart. But hiding away is not academics. If I am not good with academics, then I might be a little bit better with street smarts. I did take martial arts when I was little. I should be good.
Chapter Five: Freedom
The next night, It was approximately two in the morning. Steve and I were in my room going through the list checking off everything I need.
"Credit card?"
"Check," I said.
"Water?"
"Check."
"Hoodie?"
"Check."
"And that's the end of the list."
"Will, if you can, send me a letter sometime, okay?"
"Yeah," I said.
He turned to climb back out the window. I have a tree right outside of my room. He won't fall. At least I don't think so.
"Good luck. This is where you will need your brain the most," he said with humor in his eyes.
"Wait."
"What?"
"I just want to say, thank you, Steve."
"For my paintball gun? You know that I don't want that. It is useless to me. Or are you talking about the phone? You know that I hate texting."
"No you idiot! I mean for helping me run away. God, Steve."
"For that? I've had that plan for a while in case I needed it. It was from a good five years ago."
His handwriting was that neat then? How neat is it now?
"Well, bye, Will."
I turn around from my desk to say bye. Steve is gone with no trace that he was here. I get everything and crawl out my window onto the tree. I knew the second I shut the window I had to follow through with this plan because these bags are too heavy to put back through the window. I sat there on the tree for a good hour not knowing whether or not I should shut it. There is probably a bunch of slosh inside from the gelid snow and rain mix. I finally shut it and that was the wall that ended my old life. I whispered goodbye to my parents and all my friends I knew I was leaving behind. I slowly trudged in the slush away from my, correction, the house that was no longer mine. I am starting a new life and I belong to nobody and no place.
"No, I don't feel bad for him. He is nice and that's all that matters," I say calmly to Jacob. Okay, so maybe I was 15% lying when I said that because I kind of wish that Steve could be more like me. That's one of the reasons why I hang out with him. But he is nice and that does matter. I don't feel bad for him. Well, I do, but that is not why I hang out with him.
A little bit about me. My name is Hollywood. I think the name is dumb, so I have everybody call me Will. I have long, blonde hair and blue eyes. I almost always wear hats and sunglasses wherever I go. I have a terrible farmers tan, but that's okay with me. I go the Jefferson Academy and a straight B student. Sometimes C and D. I play football and I wrestle. I am the captain of both of those teams (not to brag or anything. Maybe the best captain of both that the school has ever seen.). I think my parents are plain out horrible because they don't let me do anything. Zero freedom. The only thing they will let me do is sports for school and surfing. Do you know how much I want to drop out of school? I am the dumbest student in the grade. If it weren't for Steve, I would have a Fantastic in each class, or an F-, for short.
My mom is a short, 5 foot lady with an a-t-t-i-t-u-d-e. Well, at least I can spell that. She somehow finds ways to yell at me every single day. I 'dislike' her. My dad is a different story. He just has THE WORST TEMPER IN THE UNIVERSE. They are both over protective. I sometimes want to scream at them to leave me alone.
I am a popular kid. So many kids in the grade know who I am and I barely know who they are. It is annoying. I am like the city celebrity. Who cares about the mayor, dumb polls and things like that. I wish I was the mayor's son. That would make me even better!
I am also a kid that gets scared easily. I am a kid who believes in Bloody Mary, the slender man, and things like paranormal activity. I get scared really easily and that's the one thing that gives my friends a laugh.
Chapter Two: Good things that come out of running away
I was on Facebook with Steve and I was talking to him about my escape plan. He said that I was taking crazy talk.
Me: Do u kno wat i hav to go thru @ hom?
SL: No, but I do know that running away won't be worth it. Try it when you have a bank account.
Me: Im not joking.
SL: I am not either. But you did sound like you were.
Me: Ur funy :P
SL: Did you know... that you type like a girl?
Seriously, Steve? I thought as I glared at the computer screen.
Me: Wow. I am about ready to kill you.
SL: Now you are typing like a regular person.
Me: I am running away to the poor side wether you like it or not.
SL: You are funny. Have fun, Will. Good night.
Me: I will. Also, how much dough should I get from the bank?
SL: I dunno.
Me: I'll just survive off of my allowance then
SL: You would never do that. You are saving your allowance for a new cell phone.
Me: Freedom is better than a phone.
SL: You are serious?
Me: Yeah.
SL: Meet me at the country club after school.
Me: Outside? It is way to cold outside.
SL: No, smart one.
Me: In your grandfathers old office?
SL: OMG nooooo. Duh, Will. Bye.
I feel bad that Steve's grandfather just died a few months ago. Nothing I could do. Now, is office is just empty. They did nothing about it.
Chapter Three: The road to freedom
After school the next day, I met Steve up ate the office. Steve was just sitting there on the beat up wheelchair cross-legged, and looking too formal in his uniform, other than his neon yellow tennis shoes. He actually cares about having no wrinkles in his pants. I am the exact opposite. I seriously wish he was more like me.
"Hey," he said casually.
"Hey," I replied.
"So, I didn't really know what to do so I wandered around the crummy side of town. I found this one really good place by the water. It is this huge abandoned glass factory. It is also covered up by a hill and a bunch if trees so it would be less likely for you to be found. The only bad thing is that is kind of far from the buildings. Only about five miles. You are good at running, right?"
"Yeah." Actually, excellent.
"Well, I drew a map of the whole area at least to my knowledge," Steve said quietly. To me, it looked like there was a trace of regret in his eyes. Strange to me. "I also wrote out a plan for you to get a month start."
I took a look at the sheet of computer paper and immediately noticed he has really neat handwriting. I laggardly looked over the paper. I think I could do all of this stuff.
Chapter Four: Rumors
That night, I was lying down in my bed just staring up at the ceiling and I remembered about this rumor about a kid named Nathaniel Ross who ran away a while back. One day he was at home, next day he vanished. He was all over the news for about a good two months. He was a very smart kid from what I have heard. If he hasn't been found yet, it is possible for me even though I am not that smart. But hiding away is not academics. If I am not good with academics, then I might be a little bit better with street smarts. I did take martial arts when I was little. I should be good.
Chapter Five: Freedom
The next night, It was approximately two in the morning. Steve and I were in my room going through the list checking off everything I need.
"Credit card?"
"Check," I said.
"Water?"
"Check."
"Hoodie?"
"Check."
"And that's the end of the list."
"Will, if you can, send me a letter sometime, okay?"
"Yeah," I said.
He turned to climb back out the window. I have a tree right outside of my room. He won't fall. At least I don't think so.
"Good luck. This is where you will need your brain the most," he said with humor in his eyes.
"Wait."
"What?"
"I just want to say, thank you, Steve."
"For my paintball gun? You know that I don't want that. It is useless to me. Or are you talking about the phone? You know that I hate texting."
"No you idiot! I mean for helping me run away. God, Steve."
"For that? I've had that plan for a while in case I needed it. It was from a good five years ago."
His handwriting was that neat then? How neat is it now?
"Well, bye, Will."
I turn around from my desk to say bye. Steve is gone with no trace that he was here. I get everything and crawl out my window onto the tree. I knew the second I shut the window I had to follow through with this plan because these bags are too heavy to put back through the window. I sat there on the tree for a good hour not knowing whether or not I should shut it. There is probably a bunch of slosh inside from the gelid snow and rain mix. I finally shut it and that was the wall that ended my old life. I whispered goodbye to my parents and all my friends I knew I was leaving behind. I slowly trudged in the slush away from my, correction, the house that was no longer mine. I am starting a new life and I belong to nobody and no place.