HOOKED ON HER

ANIE'

uickly and locks the door. She pulls on the handl

tighter and wrap my arms aroundme. A b

escape, but suddenly a knot begins to form in my stomach and fear rises al

gia accent as she stashes the key in her pocket and turns to face me. He

face. She smiles tenderly for a moment and someh

in the night before quickly turning and looking

nearby tree and I watch as they coast through the sky far away from here and I frown

d every person I have ever met will be but a distant far awayme

y hand tightly, pulling me down the steps from the run-do

harder forcing me tofollow along faster. "I know

e, somehow start to make ev

every time I did, they didn't last long. No one wants their daughter associating with white tr

end my only sleepover I have ever been to in

n I would come to school. Holes in my sneakers, stains on my dress, I was oblivious to it a

lesson of where I belong, and I didn't belong on the

forced since I was little, but tonight she is hell-bent on not letting me go as if she is worried that I

. The only choice is to follow. After a few more minutes, I force my hand

lence as I try and piece together everything that led to Momma's sudden decision to flee. To leave everything

d tease me or when bullies follow me home. I could never imagine a reason why she would run

ember. Soon after Daddy died when I was five, Momma

l and a sad shadow of the woman she once was. Still, I know the woman in f

drop her suitcase and wrap her coat around her. She begins to cough, a nasty

u shouldn't be smoking

lets it out. The white cloud mixes with the cool damp

e backs away and tries to smooth out her appearance as

."She laughs, but I can't help but frown as I see her shaking hand come up before she takes a

watch her as she takes drag after drag fro

egin with that word, and I fear I will never have any of the answers. But Momma has never steered me w

I stand next to her in the gravel and wait, scared, nervous, anxious, trying to unders

have to look. Headlights shine down the street in front of us

e doors swing open and a man who looks like he has been u

, as he eyes Momma up and do

r and I swallow over a nervous lump in my throat as he turns to look at me a

and and we both quickly grab our suitcases. Once eac

surface a finality of sorts, taking me away from all that I have ever called home.

alk towardsthe back of the slightly empty cab. "From the

st row. The doors close as I slump down into my seat and worry my bottom lip

say to me. I close my eyes as tears thr

rom looking back." She smil

jerks and bounces us down the gravel road

easing, bullying, and lonely d