To Get Away From It All

Short story on the pressures of school and a troubled home life, written in spring 2009.

 

Alicia snuck out that Saturday night to get away from it all. Days when she didn’t have school were the hardest. Unlike her peers, she liked school. It was an escape, a less-scary escape than sneaking out at night. She was too young to get a job, so on holidays and weekends she was forced to listen to her parents argue and her older sister, Margaret, practice the same songs over and over again on the piano. It didn’t occur to Alicia that her sister was trying to drown out the arguing. It only occurred to her that everyone thought Margaret was better than Alicia because she was applying herself.

She walked quickly by the dark alley on the way. Some frightening-looking tall men looked leeringly at her from the depths of the alley.

As she walked on, she realized the tall men were following her, jabbing one another in the ribs and laughing as she sped up and looked over her shoulder.

It didn’t take long for the men to give up. They were just looking to scare the girl, and it worked, but not enough to send her home. After all, she would have had to walk back by that alley.

As soon as she arrived at the high-schooler’s house, “Have a drink?” asked the creepy sophomore (she was only an eighth grader) who asked her that at every possible opportunity. He never quit, despite the fact that she’d never drank before.

In a matter of seconds, Alicia’s eyes scanned the room; her brain scanned her memories. She thought about the dark alley with the tall men. She thought about Margaret on the piano and her parents’ yelling. Among everything and everyone else, she saw Naomi from school, the girl with the perfect life. The girl who, like Margaret, was preferred to Alicia every time.

“Yes,” she replied to the sophomore, “I will.” And when he handed her the beer, she chugged it.

 

Author's Note

Tell me what you think...

Reviews

[Jason]

This is a good piece of writing . Along with your many other writings i have read i never get tired of. The realism of this is solid and it gives it great creditability. You always do a great job of making the characters seem real. Another great piece.

[Doctor JKC]

Margaret had found an escape in art,
but her mental state was probably
compromised in some fashion.
Ah, the moment of self-medication.

Very well written,
Dr. Callaghan but just call me Jack