Chapter 1

We pulled up to the rickety old house, and I felt a spark of excitement cut through the gloom I''d been drowning in lately.

The house wasn''t exactly new or fancy, but it was way more than I''d expected.

We''d just moved from California, where we''d been crammed into a two-bedroom apartment in the absolute worst part of town. Walking to work every day had become this constant nightmare. Don''t get me wrong—I was grateful to get out of there, but I couldn''t help expecting the worst.

I''ve been stuck living with my mother and her husband for three years now, and saying I hate it doesn''t even come close. My amazing grandmother raised me for most of my life, but she passed away a few years back. My mother was the only family left who could take me in.

''Melissa,'' she insists I call her. Like I''m just some random kid she found on the street.

Melissa and I basically have zero relationship—she pretends I don''t exist, and I stay out of her way. The real problem is her husband. Frank drinks way too much, and when he does, he turns into a complete asshole. I''ve learned to keep my distance when Frank''s been hitting the bottle.

We''d just moved all the way to Georgia because Melissa got some job offer. Frank could barely hold down a job, so Melissa covered most of the bills. I usually worked part-time and used my money to buy stuff Melissa refused to provide—you know, like actual necessities.

The new house was way bigger than I''d expected. It looked pretty old, with chipped white paint and this crooked porch sticking out from the front.

The only thing I was actually looking forward to about this cross-country move was finally getting my own bedroom. Back in California, my "bedroom" was just me hanging a curtain to block off the unused dining room. Frank insisted he needed the second bedroom as his office.

I climbed out of the car and stretched, slinging my backpack over my shoulder as I headed to the front porch. I could already hear Melissa and Frank starting to argue, but I''d gotten pretty good at tuning them out.

The front porch creaked and groaned under my feet, but I didn''t mind. Frank only ever went outside to run to the liquor store, so I''d have plenty of peace and quiet out here.

Melissa opened the front door and stepped inside behind Frank. I didn''t waste any time heading upstairs to check out my room.

"The smallest room, Aurora. Don''t forget it," Melissa reminded me. Not that I could.

I went upstairs and looked around, instantly grateful there was a bathroom close to my bedroom. I actually smiled when I peeked into Melissa and Frank''s room. They had their own bathroom connected to their bedroom, which meant Frank would finally leave me alone.

Frank always pushed boundaries when he was drunk. He was smart about it too—never did anything when Melissa was around. I''d learned to always be on guard around Frank. He''d gotten handsy a few times, but when he was wasted, he was pretty easy to dodge.

I walked into my bedroom and took in the peeling paint on the walls. Once I found a job, I could maybe make this place look a little less depressing.

I''d been building up a small savings account since I was old enough to work. Even though I was a straight-A student, I needed a backup plan in case scholarships didn''t work out. Getting the hell out of here the second I turned eighteen was pretty much all I thought about.

I dropped my backpack on the floor and looked around. It was small, but it had a door that actually closed and four solid walls. A beat-up queen bed sat against the far wall next to a dusty oak dresser.

I ran back downstairs and grabbed my big suitcase from Melissa''s trunk, nearly falling over from the weight. Melissa and Frank were still going at it, which gave me plenty of time to haul my suitcase upstairs.

Everything I owned fit in that one suitcase. I didn''t have many clothes, but I''d gotten used to that depressing reality.

I shoved what clothes I had into the dusty dresser and pulled out an outfit for school tomorrow.

Melissa had wasted no time enrolling me at the local public school. Anything to get me out of the house and away from Frank''s thinning patience.

I stuffed my debit card in my back pocket and headed downstairs.

Melissa had her back to me, still arguing with Frank as he set up their tiny TV in the living room.

"Where do you think you''re going?" Melissa snapped, whipping around to face me as I opened the front door.

I bit back the urge to roll my eyes. She''d never cared where I went before.

"Gonna find something for dinner," I shrugged.

I''d stopped eating with Melissa and Frank ages ago. The court made Melissa my legal guardian until I turn eighteen, but I refused to hand over any of the money I earned. Instead, I took care of myself as best I could.

"Get me a six-pack while you''re out," Frank barked, his beady eyes glued to the fuzzy TV screen.

I clenched my teeth. This guy was such an idiot. "I''m seventeen."

I turned and walked out the front door, ignoring Frank''s mumbling.

I stepped onto the main road and sighed. I had no clue where I was going. I looked left, then right, then finally just picked right.

All I needed was a gas station. I could grab a bag of chips and a bottle of water and call it dinner.

I walked down the main road for maybe fifteen minutes before a small corner store finally came into view. Thank god.

That was one thing I''d actually miss about California. There, you could walk in pretty much any direction and hit a gas station or grocery store.

I walked into the dimly lit corner store and said hi to the cashier—a girl not much older than me. I grabbed chips, a couple bottles of water, and a granola bar, then headed to the register.

"Hey, um, do you know where Westlake High School is?" I asked as I swiped my debit card. She looked like she was in her early twenties, with jet-black hair and a bright green streak running through it.

The girl nodded while punching buttons on the register. "Sure do. Just follow this road until you hit the traffic light, then turn left. You can''t miss it."

"Thanks." I gave her a small smile as she handed me my receipt.

The girl looked up from the register. "You new around here?"

"That obvious?" I laughed. I hadn''t seen much of the town yet, but it was pretty clear it wasn''t exactly huge.

The girl nodded with a little smirk. "Town''s pretty small. Most people live way out in the woods though." She shrugged like it was no big deal.

I frowned. That seemed weird. "Why not just live in town?"

"I dunno. People around here really like their privacy, I guess."

I left the corner store feeling confused and kind of uneasy. The girl hadn''t exactly given me much hope for school tomorrow. If this town really was as small as she said, there was no way I''d fly under the radar.

This was the middle of my junior year. After I finished this year, I only had one more to go. One more year, and I could finally escape Melissa and Frank for good.