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Why was everyone leaving?

“Carol, we agreed to sit down and tell her.”

What?

Then they started arguing as they always did, so I ran out onto the driveway as the realization hit me. I stopped as the spot which Drake’s car once filled was vacant.

Drake wasn’t saying, see you later. He was saying goodbye.

Was he no longer going to Harvard?

Had he really given up all his dreams and hard work for the last year years to find his dad?

Why couldn’t he do both?Search for his dad and go to college.

“Melinda, come in, so we can sit and talk about this as a family,” Dad said as he tugged at my arm, trying to drag me back in. I ignored him as tears started streaming down my eyes.

I didn’t care if he was leaving, Drake was the one I needed to find. I had to talk to him. I had something to tell him, but I never had the chance and now I wondered if he would even care.

My dad was talking as I re-entered the house. I wasn’t listening to a word as I couldn’t stop crying. Sure, I wasn’t an idiot. My parents no longer had meals together. Nor went to family events. The only time they did talk was when they were arguing, but I couldn’t care about them. I didn’t.

I had to talk to Drake.

And as soon as Dad finished with whatever he had to say, I would make sure to go and find him.

Melinda

Eigthteen Months Later…

“Fuck!”

I had ten dollars left in my pocket, and my poor beat-up Ford which should have died on me a hundred miles ago was now running out of gas.

“Please, don’t do this. Please…”

I had been in Fairmont when I was told about the cleaner’s job in Queen’s Bay Inn. The job sounded great, because I could stay in one of the rooms, so I would get paid and I wouldn’t have to worry about rent. It was a win-win situation and one that I couldn’t afford to pass up.

I had next to no money and I calculated it, Grace my car could get me as far as Shady Oaks, yet I had a feeling that I wasn’t going to make it. I had $20. It had to last me until the next paycheck in two weeks’ time.

I’d been living hand-to-mouth for so long that twenty dollars should be enough to live off. My BFF and roommate, Bridget, had bought me enough food and supplies to last me until pay day. The money was extra. I lied and told her that I had a couple of hundred bucks. I hated relying on people, especially because her mom’s last dying wish was that she went to college. She ended up as a single mom going to community college and still caring for her son, Charles.

She was an inspiration, and watching her work and attend classes made me feel lazy.

“You’re too hard on yourself, Melinda. Your parents got a divorce and your mom told you to get rid of it or get out. She was one cruel, hard woman. I don’t know how you could even refer to her as a Mom, that witch! You had never worked before in your life. You’ve had it rough…”

She tried to console me, but truth be known I’d had an easy life and I never knew it until the shit hit the fan.

Everything that could go wrong, did all at once, and now I was paying the price.

I took a deep breath as I stopped for gas. I’d never taken so long to get out of the car before. The whole idea of spending my last dollars was weighing heavily on my mind. With high petrol prices, I couldn’t put only $5 in the tank. Now, I needed at least $10.

$10 to last me for two weeks, if I put $10 gas in now?

Shit!

How did I stoop so low?

I closed my eyes and tied my blonde hair in a bun, then saw a reflection of my blue eyes before getting out of the car.

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