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Emerson
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I USED TO BE ABLE TO count the number of times Colton James had climbed through my bedroom window on one hand.
Five times.
The first time was after his mom’s funeral. But then, every year after that on the anniversary of her funeral, not her death, he climbed up the tree between our houses and slipped through my open window.
That all changed the night he slipped into my bed.
We’ve been climbing in and out of each other’s windows ever since and have never spent a night apart.
For nine years he’s been my rock, my best friend, my savior.
He’s been the sole person to care about me, and tonight will be the last time I climb through his window because tomorrow we’re both leaving for college. And I can’t wait.
I double-check I locked my door, though it’s not like Mom or Dad will come looking for me. I haven’t seen them in three days and doubt they’re aware I’m leaving for college tomorrow. Pulling the window open, I’m halfway out when I realize Colt’s window is closed and his blind is down, which means one thing.
His girlfriend, Eliza, is over. Again.
Blowing out a huff of air, I climb back in my window, put my earbuds in to block out the sounds of my mom screaming at Dad, and lay back on my bed to wait.
The earbuds only do so much. They don’t drown out the sound of shattering glass or the thud of something heavy against the wall, but they dull it enough I can almost trick myself into believing the thuds are part of the music.
If I was someone else, I might go downstairs to check everything is okay, but it happens so often, I filter it out. I don’t care anymore. It doesn’t take long to figure out your father doesn’t want you when everything that goes wrong is your fault. It doesn’t take long for the fight-or-flight response to kick in, and for flight to win out every single time.
Mom doesn’t care about me the same way my father doesn’t. She’s as explosive and toxic as my father, but turns to the bottle first before she gets violent. It’s not in me to care anymore.
When I was ten, I discovered my safe haven. The place I could escape to when things got bad at home. It was the same day Dad ran over Colt’s basketball with his truck.
My dad is a monster. When he is home, I run and hide. Out of sight out of mind. It’s both mine and my dad’s motto. If I keep out of his sight, I’m out of his mind.
Survival 101.
I just have to survive one more night.
Tomorrow is a new day. A new beginning. And I can’t fucking wait to get the hell out of this dump, away from both my parents and all the bad memories this place holds.
I pat the bed in search of my phone, hoping that Colt has got rid of his girlfriend by now.
Surely Eliza won’t stay all night.
I smile when I unlock the screen to find a single word text from him.
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COLT: OPEN
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SITTING UP, I SWING my legs over the side of the bed and stand. With one last look around my room and no goodbye to my parents, I pick up the small duffle bag stuffed with clothes and the few small possessions that mean something, sling it over my shoulder and climb out the window for the last time.