Chapter 1

My name is Silvia Marie Grayson, it is June 6th 2014. It is also my graduation day. I am an orphan well not really but it feels like it. I have spent most of my high school years alone. My mom worked at the local race track and well my dad was were ever he is at I don’t see him much. We live in Farmersville, California and have my whole life. Which sucks because this place is always on fire, flooding or hot. Plus is smells like cow shit all the time.

I didn’t go to school in Farmersville like my neighbors did. I was to far ahead for those classes, it’s a small town they can only offer so much. I went to Tulare Western, it was about a 25 minute drive but they let me do it because I used my Aunt Lola’s address so that way I could take there culinary classes to get a scholarship to Johnson & Wales there is one in Providence, Rhode Island. I have been looking forward to it for quite sometime. I just want to get out of this hell hole. Everyone is either on drugs or turning there backs on the people who are good to them.

I am laying here thinking about how I didn’t tell anyone I was graduating today but I don’t think they would care. My mother got remarried and only pays attention to Steve Jefferson’s kid, Ashley, Steve Jr., and Jerold. I sleep in the basement since mom never wants to see me. I used the self-help books from the library to fix it so I didn’t freeze my ass off because even when I told my mother it was too cold to sleep down here she said and I quote “All you do is bitch just be grateful I kept you I should have just let CPS take you back then.”

The thing is I have a name for my father but the last time I seen him and didn’t just walk the other way was when I was 9 years old my mother dragged his bike down the road with a chain attached to the 4 wheeler. Yeah that was a fun day my dad trying to beat the hell out of her for messing up his bike and no one had notice I was standing there the whole time just wishing the someone would come save me.

Well that was till the cops showed up and they took my mom in destruction of property, and child endangerment. My father got arrested for assault, battery, child endangerment and domestic abuse. They both also got charged with the drugs in there system, all over the house and on them so lets just say CPS took me and my dad didn’t want to fight for me so he gave up his rights.

My mother on the other hand couldn’t stand to look bad. Everyone knew what she was like but she liked to pretend like he shit didn’t stink. It is kind of funny to watch as those women she wants to be friends with talk shit behind her back they know she’s a liar. She did the classes and pretended to be the best mother. If they ever checked in after they would see she does drugs still. But they don’t after the judge cleared her she went back to the way she was before.

I am not supposed to know because she thinks I would tell Steve and I will just not till I leave. She actually thought locking me up would keep me from knowing all the dumb shit she has done. If I do it before she will start digging into my stuff and I don’t want her to find out that I have a degree in coding. I do hacking on my free time for money for my life when I get to Rhode Island next month. She think’s I am stupid and she can find out later that I am not.

I shake my head to clear all the dumb thoughts that are about to not matter anymore. When I inhale to deep I flinch due to the pain. I have bruises on my ribs, I am sure one of them is broken because it hurts to take a deep breath. Steve works out of town or even this state sometimes. He works for Wal-Mart building/remodeling there stores. It is a good job but my mom parties while he is gone and even brings my father Robert Long in. She thinks I don’t know he is there because she brings him in after locking me in the basement. You see my mother never really left him and I didn’t know what they were doing until about 6 months ago and I found it all. It will be delivered to Steve when I leave. Can’t have mom being able to reach me. Her name is Misty Mason. I also learned Robert might not be my dad. I always guessed since I have seen how many men she sleeps with and I don’t see how she would know.

I look at the messages on my phone and seen no one has said anything. It doesn’t surprise me my boyfriend Rick is mad that I am leaving to go to school. He didn’t try hard enough and can only go to the local college, but if you don’t try why would you get more than that.

At one time I loved him or I thought I did, he was so sweet till I said I would study with him but not do his work for him. That I had my own job at a café on Mooney in the town over in Visalia. I didn’t have time for his shit he needed to try harder. He didn’t leave me but he would always ask ever few months for me to write his paper and I always said no. We have been dating for the last 2 years for me it was just I didn’t care enough to break up with him.

I see a text come in from my best friend Sophia Richardson, but I don’t think it was meant for me.

[Sophia:

Hey I had fun last night I cant wait till this weekend to go on our date!!!!!]

Date??? When did she start dating someone and how can my best friend not even tell me. She knows everything about my life for the most part and I though she told me everything as well. So I start asking questions.

[Me:

Date? I didn’t know you were dating how can you not tell me?

Sophia:

It’s a secret for now I am sorry he is really shy and doesn’t want anyone to know.

Me:

Fine I will wait till he is ready. See you later.]