Chapter 3

“I know, you’re right.” One last hug from him, and then I grabbed all my stuff and left the room, ran downstairs and out the front door that still stood wide open. Dad was nowhere in sight. He was probably in the basement watching TV and drinking Bud. I stopped on the sidewalk and turned to look for the last time at the house I’d lived in since birth. Rhys waved at me from the doorway. I nodded, then turned and walked away, past Dad’s old Ford Bronco, an uncertain future ahead of me. 2

I knew I looked odd when I arrived on campus later that evening, especially since I was sweaty from the bus ride and half-mile walk from the stop. I didn’t own a car, though I had a license. I needed to save every penny, especially now, with this new phase in my life. I carried everything I owned with me, along with the handprint on my face. My cheek was throbbing, a reminder that my dad was an unforgiving, close-minded bastard.