We Stared at each other, breathless, until the door slammed.
Father stood there, face twisted with rage. "I heard you caused a scene in the neighborhood!" he roared. "Ungrateful children—kneel! Now!" He jabbed a finger at Mother. "You too!"
My throat tightened. Why does Mother stay with him? He barely provides, never hits her, but his neglect is a constant poison. He mocks her, cheats, hoards every coin—yet she endures it, all for our sake.
"Kneel!" Father repeated. Mother stepped forward, her voice trembling. "Please, let them—"
Slap. The sound echoed. She crumpled to the floor.
Something inside me shattered. "How dare you hit her!" I rushed to lift her, but she pulled away, eyes pleading. "Apologize, Valeria," she whispered.
"No." I turned to Father, trembling. "I'll never bow to a coward."
"Then get out of my house!" he bellowed.
The words spilled out before I could stop them. "Gladly. I'd rather rot on the streets than breathe your air."
I stormed to my room, stuffing clothes, cash, and my ATM card into a bag. As I turned to leave, my brother clung to my leg, tears soaking his cheeks. "Don't go!"
My heart splintered, but I steeled myself. Mother wept silently in the corner as Father shoved her aside with his boot. I walked out, rain slashing my face, memories of happier days blurring with the storm. Clutching the cross around my neck, I whispered a prayer. This was goodbye.
The downpour drowned my tears as I vanished into the night.
I stumbled into the nearest cheap hotel that night, exhausted and frayed at the edges. The fluorescent lobby lights buzzed like angry wasps, but I didn't care—sleep was all I wanted. The next day, I boarded a train from Texas to Hillsdale, a grueling 17-hour journey that left me squinting through the midnight haze when I finally arrived. My friend Ava, now a Hillsdale local, had promised to pick me up. But when her car pulled into the dim station lot, my relief faded. Her headlights cut through the dark like a blade, and her silhouette looked... different. Sharper. Older.
"Valeria! I can't believe it's you—I've missed you so much!" Ava lunged at me, her embrace tight enough to bruise.
I forced a smile. "Good to see you too. My best friend's all grown up now, huh?"
She scoffed, tossing my luggage into her trunk. "Hmm. Alwaysbeen grown up, Val. Let's go—it's late."
The drive to her apartment was quiet, the silence prickling. When we arrived, her place felt sterile—a boxy studio with flickering lamps and a couch that smelled like lemon disinfectant. "Nice, right?" she said, too brightly. "You're lucky my roommate's gone. Her boyfriend got a place near campus. I was about to find someone new, but then you called…"
"Wait," I interrupted. "Let's keep looking for a roommate. Split costs fairly."
Ava shrugged. "Whatever you say, Val." Her tone softened. "But cheer up. This is Hillsdale. You'll love it here—especially the guys." She leaned in, eyes glinting. "Got a boyfriend yet?"
"You know I don't do that. I'm here to study. To survive."
"You can still—"
A sharp knock shattered the moment.
I opened the door to a stranger—tall, tousled hair, a smirk that didn't reach his cold blue eyes. "Hi," I said warily. "Who are you?"
"I should ask you that," he drawled.
"Ava!" I called. "There's some guy here!"
She sprinted to the door, breathless. "Matt! I thought you were staying at the lab tonight—"
"Plans changed." His gaze slid to me. "Who's this?"
Ava hesitated. "Valeria, my best friend. Matt's… doing an internship nearby. Just for one night. Please?" Her pleading look left no room for argument.
I forced a smile, retreating to the kitchen. "Coffee?" I offered Matt, sliding a mug toward him.
"Matthew. But call me Matt."
"What's your major?"
"Mechanical engineering."
"Impressive. I'm aiming for law."
He smirked. "A future judge? Better watch myself."
Ava reappeared, her voice taut. "Matt, it's late. Time to pray and sleep."
He rolled his eyes. "You're no fun."
"Come on," I interjected, eager to defuse the tension. "Let's just… get through the night."
We prayed—Ava's idea, though Matt mumbled through it—before she dragged me to her room, leaving him in mine. The walls felt thinner suddenly, every creak of the floorboards magnified.
"He's harmless," Ava whispered, but her hand gripping me and shaking gave her off .
I'm about to pee on my pants val
Ava cried out to me.
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