My names Bethany. Bethany Johnston. I’m a senior in high school. I’m also senior captain on my cheerleading squad and have many friends. I have nice clothes and try look good for school. My boyfriend, Brody Underwood is quarter back and head captain on the football team. I get good grades and have a lot of teachers that like me. Sounds like a perfect life right? Well it’s a different case at home. My stepdad hits me and punches me because I didn’t wake him up for work in enough time. The only thing my mom does is smoke, drink and do drugs in the house. I take care of my own baby brother who is 5. He calls me mom which makes me feel sickened of my own mother. I’ve tried to run away with my brother Brandon many of times. But my stepdad has always caught us.
I think that I should just stop trying to run away to my grandparents’ house, which is 20 miles away, but they don’t even communicate with my mom anymore because she has taken them out of her life. My grandma knows what’s going on. She’s come to try to take my brother and me away multiple times as well. Sadly, my mom starts threating her own mother to leave. And grandma would, and now we would be stuck. But today, January 14th 2019, that’s all going to change.
It was 5:30 in the morning. Time to get my stepdad up. I run as fast as I can to his room to not waste any time. I knock on his door and say, “Steve, its 5:32.” I hear him get up fast as I back away from the door frightened. He comes out with the angriest face you can imagine. “5:32? FIVE THIRTY TWO BETHANY??” he yells. I hear my baby brother crying so I get up and walk to his room. All of a sudden I’m getting my hair pulled straight down to the ground and having Steve really close to my face, angry. “Don’t you ever, wake me up two minutes late again.” He pushes me to the ground and walks away to go get ready as I lay there and cry. My mother wakes up from being passed out of the couch and just stares at me. She tilts her head to the right and just shrugs her shoulders and walks past me. I look down at the ground and close my eyes. “I need to get out of here.”
I walk over to my brother’s room and get him ready for school. It’s very early for a kid but he’s too scared to sleep with Steve and my mom now awake. I take Brandon over to my bed and he closes his eyes and falls asleep. I start getting ready for the day. I put on my nicest clothes I have. My Hollister top I borrow from a friend. My jeans I found in a dumpster that I washed and now look brand new. And my shoes I’ve had since 8th grade. I grab Brandon and we head out the door. I dropped my brother off at this daycare right next to the school. I walk into the school with my head held high and walking with pride, even though I’m hurting.


As I walk down the halls, I always hear “Hey Bethany!” “Awe Beth you look so cute today!” “Hey Beth how are you?!” I always answer them in, “Oh hello! Why thank you! And I’m great thanks for asking!” but I’m not great, I’m always miserable. I try to put on a front in front of my friends. Hours go by and school goes on and now it’s time for lunch. I walk into the lunch room and see my friend Madison. She’s my only true best friend that knows everything. How my mom, stepdad and how my house is. She also knows that I’m going to run to my grandparents’ house soon. “Hey Beth, feeling good today?” Madison says. “Yeah, I guess so.” She knows that I’m broken inside, but I still put a smile on my face just to get through the day.

School is now over, Maddy comes with me to pick up my baby brother. We walk home and we get to my house. Maddy gives me a big hug and asks, “So you’re doing it tonight, right?” “Yes, tonight.” I say. Brandon pulls on my hand as I turn around and wave to Madison. “What you talking about Bether?” He says. “It’s nothing Brandon now keep quiet.” I get in the house and go right to the kitchen. My mom and stepdad are nowhere in sight. Thank goodness. I feed Brandon then let him come to my room and play as I start packing. “Bether, why you packing?” I glance over at Brandon and put my arms down and start stroking his head. “We are getting out of here Brandon. We are going to grandma and grandpa’s house forever okay?” I say with a sweet tone. “Okayyyyy.” He says. I kiss him on the forehead and go back to packing. I go to his room and pack some of his clothes also. I get a chat message from Madison from my computer. It reads


Maddy136: “10:30 is the time, right?”


I reply.
ItsBethers: “Make that 11:00, Mom goes to sleep


at 10:30.”


Maddy136: “Got it, Over and out!”





Maddy136 signed out.

I close my laptop and hear a loud bang noise. It was the sound of the front door slamming from Steve coming inside. He pays no attention to us and just goes in his room and watches TV and smokes. I roll my eyes and start playing with Brandon.



10:30 pm



It’s almost time. Half an hour left. I look out of my room to the living room and see my mom passed out on the couch already. “Perfect.” I whisper. I walk over very quietly to my brother’s room. I wake Brandon up a little so he can have time to run/walk. I pick up Brandon from his crib and he gets up and grabs his luggage. “I’m already Bethers.” He says with a bright smile. A tear falls down from my cheek. I cry because I know we are going to have a better life now. I go to the kitchen very quietly and pull out a piece of paper. I took a pen and started writing a note. It reads.
I will not tell you where I’m going. I’m telling you that I will never come back here ever again. By the time you read this, I’ll already be long gone. Don’t worry about Brandon and I. We will be fine. Even though you won’t care a bit. I never thought of you as a mother or stepfather. This is the last time you will ever hear from me. Goodbye and good residence.



-Bethany
I laid the note on the table and walked over back to Brandon. I walk to my room, “Brandon?” I whisper. I’m looking around nervously. I walk fast over to Brandon’s room. Next thing I know I see Steve with his hand over Brandon’s mouth and he is crying. I see a knife sticking out of Steve’s hand next to his side. “LET HIM GO!” I scream. “No, you’re staying here. You’re not getting out. You’re my kids now.” He says with a smirk. “NEVER!” He then slaps me in the face.
All I can remember to do is hit back, so I did. Brandon goes and cry’s in the corner and watches. I’m punching and kicking him even though it hurts my hands from punching so hard. I’m thinking in my mind that I have been waiting to do this for so long, but never had the guts. I’m getting angrier and it’s making me hit harder.

I give him one last punch and he is knocked out for good. I check his pulse and it’s going really slow. “We should be good.” I say. I go over to Brandon with my bloody lip. “I’m fine buddy, I promise! Come on, let’s get out of here.” We grab our things and run as fast as we can out the door and never look back. I get to my grandparent’s house and they are sitting outside waiting for us. We slow down from running and I drop my things. I start crying really hard now. My Grandma gets up “You did it Bethany. You did it.” She hugs me and Brandon and Grandpa comes over to us and hugs us too.