Chapter One

Chapter one

I think he changed when he entered 10th grade after his older brother left for college. He used to be a good kid he had As in every class. Except for math wich was where he got Fs. maybe thats why he had me stick around so often after that, before I was just another one of his minions. Not the girl minions who would fawn over the boy driving beside me, I would follow him. I believed at teh tender age of sixteen that he was the one I wanted to be like. I wanted to strive to be as popular as him. BUt as time grew I became more of a shoulder for him to push around constantly. It wasn't like it was bad it was more of the fact that it pissed me off. I never said anything. Better to keep my mouth shut than face him.

Bram sighed, turning the wheel at an angel uch like a woman swerving her grocery cart out of the way when we went to Publix last. Damn.

"Look at all this traffic Arlo we could have out run this traffic if you didn't "oh Bram five more minutes wont killl us fucking pathetic"> I sigghed almost as soon as the words left his mouth. For smoe reason I had to agree with him I was fucking pathetic. I had maintained my good grades. Head of teh studentd council and never had detention/ while he was a cigeret smoker who hung out at parties every weekend. I was pathetic enough that when we had the chance to hang out last I refused to.

"I was just saying bram besides the traffic isn't that bad". He gave me a look the same look he's been giving me since I skipped out on martha greves party last weekend. Man I could still recall Bram climbing through my window and flopping onto my bed a purple nad black bruise forming on his scull.

"Shut up". He growled spinning the wheel so we nearly hit something something small and furry. I held on to the seat rest my fears going straight to my head. One: he was going to kill us. Which was where things were headed.

Two: I was never getting to see my family again. That was something I had alread determined that seeing my family again was probably the thing even if I made it out alive. Bram wouldint alow it. Well it wasint that he wouldn't allow it it was the fact that we were runaways to LA one who runs away to LA anyways, I shook my head staring sadly out the window. When he gave a huff the cigarette smoke making the smell in the car even worse.

"Just think Lo will be in LA before anything happens okay?" he waited for me to respond but was it really okay? I nodded looking at the scenery. THis wasn't just normal talk for us. When we were kids he and I had the best conversations from how cool disney theme parks were to the new james smith books that were coming out this summer.. BUt we didn't talk about that stuff any more. I laid my head against the window. Looking at the happy people. THe people we used to be were not my past time.

"Yeah, I will be in LA". I stared at my fingernails which were crusted with blood that ran down my wrists and down to my vain. He didn't know and I wanted to keep it that way. Then he'd start acting crazy and screaming. I had been the subject of his punching way too many times.

"We booked a hotel right?" He asked if he was probably thinking about bringing a girl there or even just staking the refrigerator with drinks and other things. I shrugged.

"Didn't you book a hotel with the money you earned from your days at dip a donut". He shrugged it seemed like we were having a shrugging match now. I rolled my eyes this seemed like junior high all over again.

"You didint book a hotel! Bram your the freaking one who was supposed to.. You know what Bram never mind I dont care!" again I would be the one covering up for him being an idiot I wouldint be the one doing it agin.

"Look Lo ive been really busy". He gives me a smile his lips curling over his cigarette the smoke now flying into the air. I coughed so did he.

You've been busy I thought? Try having to say goodbye to your god damn mother I looked down at my shoes then at him getting a better scope of all of his features. The pale white structure of his face. He could have been a vampire for all I knew. Then the most annoying things about him was his cool blue hair that slipped over his black eyes. They were like staring into your soul whenever. I shook my head watching as his cigarette meddled with his lip ring. He had scared his mother when he showed her the lip ring after he got it at a party. He literally let a boy, I think his name was Justin, who used to be a friends of mine. He still was but. He let him give him a lip ring and a few days after it became infected.

"Listen we can stay on the street for tonight will be fine arlo Damn your such a worry wort." I was a worry wart but I was for the right reasons when this idiot couldn't take care of ourselves. I was the one out of both of us who could actually take care of ourselves when he was driving us around recklessly. To say I wasn't peeved right now was an understatement, I knew I shouldn't have come with him. It was pretty much a death sentence to be in the same car as him.

"Yeah sure staying on the street sounds like a good idea". He smiled, reaching over to scuffle with my hair.

"There Arlo I knew you werent a party pooper". He grinned the cigerette smoke dancing in his face. We drove for two more hours sometimes chatting here and there. BUt thats where we stopped at our conversations would never be the same again. I dug my fingers into the pal of my hands watching the blood slowly brim to the surface.

The story of my life. We had two choices though to admit that we were somewhat wrong or just face the facts of life that we were all doomed. I knew my answer did Bram knows his.