Free    by Anne Newton

    "Miss Reed? Would you care to put the problem on the board?"
    I looked up from my worksheet to see the sagging eyes of my algebra teacher focus upon me along with everyone else. I looked down at my paper. I had defenitly gotten the problem wrong. I didn’t even do it! I had been busy drawing all over my paper. "I...I..." I stammered.
    The bell rang and I quickly ducked out of the classroom before Miss Hoover could stop me. I walked down the hallway, looking at me feet as I did. If I looked up I might make eye contact with someone and that would be suicidal. People don’t like freaks looking at them and I was the biggest freak here. I guess they thought if I looked at them their hair would turn green like mine. I turned the corner and set my messenger bag down next to my locker. I opened up my locker and put back the books I didn’t need. taking out the ones I did. I picked up my bag again and looked in the small magnetic mirror I put on the door of my locker along with the pictures of my favorite bands. I looked white as a ghost, like always and my green eyes were almost hidden under all the black eye make-up I wore. I even had black lipstick to match. I sighed. I liked the way I looked, why didn’t anyone else? I closed my locker and locked it only to be slammed into it.
    "Freak!" yelled the over-grown ape in a letter man jacket as he and his friends passed by, laughing.
    I rubbed the sore spot on my hip where I had been shoved into the handle to my locker. That was gonna leave a bruise. I put on my black The Clash hoodie and put up the hood to cover my hair. I walked out of the school to the student parking lot. My car was pretty easy to find. It was not a brand new Jetta paid for by daddy, but a grass green Yugo with a huge chunk of paint missing on the driver side door. I got in and threw my bag in the back seat. I pulled off my hood and started the engine. eventually it started and I drove on out of the parking lot. I didn’t wanna go home. My mom was there. She always was and she always had a bottle of some kind of alcohol in her hand. That’s been the case sense my dad left. I’ve come home to a hopefully passed out mom sense I was twelve. If she wasn’t passed out, she was pissy. i turned on to my street. I would sneak in real quiet, get my work clothes, and leave as quiet as I came.
    I got out of the car and took out my keys as I walked up the pathway to my house. It was probably the not one of those houses you see on the home and garden network. It was puke yellow in some places and white in others with shutters falling off and the lawn was completely dead. I unlocked the door and peeked in. My mother sat in the living room, gazing at the TV. It was vodka this time. I opened the door a little further and quietly shut it behind me. It wasn’t quiet enough. She turned around.
    "What the hell are you doing Eva?" she asked scowling at me.
    "I’m getting my work clothes." I said.
    She made a ‘psh’ noise and turned back around. I signed in relief and walked upstairs to my room. My room was the only place in the world I didn’t feel out of place. The walls were green, which if you haven’t guessed by now is my favorite color. Poster of my favorite bands were everywhere, my stereo lay on the floor by my bed, the CD rack stood next to it with about a million CD’s on it. i was gonna have to get another one real soon. The best thing about my room was the computer that sat on my desk. My dad had gotten it for me for my tenth birthday. I know you are not supposed to have a favorite between your parents but I couldn’t help liking him more. Can you blame me though. Without my mom’s knowing, i had contacted my dad a couple times. I told him how mom was acting and he promised he get me out of here. I smiled as I looked at the picture of him that sat next to my PC as I got out my work clothes. White dress shirt, black skirt, and red apron. I changed into the and looked at my watch, another gift from my dad. I had a few hours till my shift so I decided to get online. I sat down at my desk and got on. I signed on instant messenger. i frowned when I didn’t see my dad’s screen name and decided to check my e-mail. Maybe he sent me something saying when I could get out of here but there was nothing. I sighed and suddenly jumped when I heard thunder crash so loud it sounded as if it were right out my window. Out of now where, it began to pour. The sky was so dark. I ran my hand through my hair and got off line and turned off the computer. I went downstairs to find my mom on the phone.
    "Alright, goodbye." she hung up the phone. She was shaking with anger. I had to get out of there. "That stupid no good son of a bitch!" she screamed. She swirled around, throwing a empty glass across the room. It missed me by inches and shattered when it hit the wall. I looked at my mom. Her unkept blond hair hung in front of her face she was breathing heavily. "I guess you should know," she said. "Your jackass of a father died this afternoon. Heart attack, and now his little bitch-wife isn’t gonna pay me my alimony or child support!"
    I was stunned. I stood there with my mouth open, unable to speak. "Dad’s dead?" I asked in a low whisper.
    "Didn’t you heard me you idiot? He’s dead and he took my money with him!"
    My only hope of getting out of here was gone. I had nothing, nothing to lose. "That’s all you care about isn’t it?" I stared my mother straight in the eye.She looked up at me.
    "What?"
    "Money. That’s all you ever think about."
    "It’s that money that pays for the food I put on this table you ungrateful little twit!"
    I walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. "This food you mean!" There was nothing but a bottle of rum and a jar and mustered. "The food you don’t buy! Just the food you freaking drink! Face it mom you are a worthless drunk!"
    She hit me hard across the face. My hand traveled to my cheek where she’d smacked he times before and then, or the first time, hit her back. It was only a fraction of what she deserved but it was something. I shoved past her and ran out the door into the rain.
    "Ava! Get back here you stupid bitch!" she screamed for me but I would never go back there.
    I ran. I was never gonna be a freak, I wasn’t gonna be put down or hit. I was gonna be free, free from it all. The thunder rolled so loud as I ran into the street. I didn’t even hear the black Carola coming towards me until it hit the breaks with a loud screech. I turned to see the head lights blazing and I shut my eyes to brace myself. I knew i couldn’t escape it. The pain was nothing compared to what I had felt before. I lay there, feeling the cool pavement on my hot skin. I had never looked directly up when it rained, never realized how beautiful it was watching it fall from the heavens. It was the last thing I saw.

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