Chapter 2

Azalea had been walking for a little over two hours. She had brought a jacket with her, just in case the night had cooled off and she needed it. July weather was nice and warm, even at night. Azalea looked up at the night sky, admiring the stars. She sighed as her throat started to throb and swallowing started to hurt more and more. She winced at the thought of her dad, who had found out she had failed her math test that morning. She felt bad for leaving him, remembering all the times she had seen him cry over her mother. Azalea quickly shook off the feeling of guilt, remembering that it was his own fault for this. If he would just stop hurting her, she'd be okay. Another car passed, and she put her thumb out. She knew the dangers of hitchhiking, but she also knew that if she didn't reach Oklahoma City soon, she'd have to figure out how to camp in the middle of nowhere. The cars kept passing, and Azalea started losing hope. After about another twenty minutes, a car finally pulled over for her. It was silver, and though she didn't know much about cars, she could tell it was a Honda from the symbol on the back. The car had Oklahoma plates, and Azalea relaxed a little. Oklahoma plates meant that they weren't passing through, so the chances of getting hurt or worse was low. She got to the passenger side window, and smiled at the lady behind the wheel. She was pretty, in her early thirties it looked like, with dark red hair that was curled and pretty amber eyes. It was clear she dyed her hair, but it complimented her well.

"Hi, I'm headed to Oklahoma City, can I get a ride?" Azalea said gently, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. The lady smiled at her and nodded.

"I'm headed there too, I can drop you off anywhere you'd like." The lady replied, gesturing to her to get into the car. Azalea was a little uneasy, considering this was her second time hitchhiking. She got into the car and closed the door behind her, placing her backpack on her lap. The lady driving put her blinker on and slowly pulled back out onto the highway, speeding up to reach the limit. She reached over to the radio and changed the station to something country. Azalea fought the urge to cringe, she hated country music. She settled back into the seat and relaxed a little. This was going to be the longest forty minutes of her life.

"You're awfully young to be out here all alone, are you running from something?" The lady asked suddenly, catching Azalea off guard.

"No ma'am. My car broke down in Wellston and I need to be in Oklahoma City by tomorrow morning so I can get it fixed." She lied, knowing if she had told her she was on the run from her father, she'd be turned in. The lady nodded in silence for a little, seemingly hesitant in her belief at Azalea's story.

"How old are you?" She asked, trying to keep the conversation going. Azalea thought for a second. She needed to be believable enough, without revealing her actual age.

"I'm nineteen." She replied after a second, looking out the window. The lady gently sighed.

"I remember my nineteenth birthday. My father came out of the closet and asked my mom for a divorce. I was moving out soon, and he had kept it in all those years." She said thoughtfully. Azalea stared at her, a little shocked. The lady looked over and chuckled slightly.

"Sorry, I guess that's a little too much information huh? Looking back on it now, it's funny." She said with a smile. Azalea laughed nervously, not knowing what else to do. They stayed in silence for a little longer, Azalea watching the horizon out her window.

"You're really quiet, I was hoping for some casual chitchat so I don't fall asleep behind the wheel!" The lady said, breaking Azalea's concentration.

"Oh, I'm sorry. What are you headed to Oklahoma City for?" Azalea asked quickly, as to not offend the lady behind the wheel.

"I'm helping my mother move. She's going to Missouri. She asked me to help her so I decided it'd be nice to get away from work for a little while." She replied, clicking her brights off for the car on the other side of the highway.

"That's nice of you." Azalea said wistfully. How nice it must be to have a relationship with your parents, she thought. If only. Azalea went back to looking out the window.

"What's that?" The lady asked, drawing Azalea's attention to the road. There looked to be a person, standing there, in the middle of the road. The lady slowed to a stop, right in front of what looked to be a kid around Azalea's age. The boy was tall, with slightly long brown hair that covered his forehead. He was wearing a flannel jacket over a black T-shirt and jeans. He stood there with his hands at his sides, staring into the car, even though the headlights surely blocked his vision. The lady honked her horn.

"What the hell?" She exclaimed, honking again. Azalea turned her attention away from the boy, scanning their surroundings. There didn't seem to be anyone else, though Azalea had an odd feeling this boy wasn't alone. The car engine died suddenly, Azalea snapping her attention back to the lady behind the wheel. The lady looked just as confused, taking her key out and attempting to start the engine again. When the car didn't start, Azalea's heart started to race. She looked at the boy, still standing in the road. Something wasn't right. There was no way he could stop the engine at will, but something about him made Azalea uneasy.

"No service. Perfect." The lady mumbled, putting her phone back in the cup holder. They both watched the boy walk over to the drivers side, and the lady reached over to lock the car. She cracked the window slightly, curious as to what the boy wanted.

"What are you doing in the middle of the road? That's incredibly dangerous, you could get seriously hurt, even killed! What were you thinking?" She lectured, pausing to give the boy a chance to explain himself. He ignored her, asking his own question instead.

"Are you Azalea Caldridge?"