I went upstairs and changed into my jeans and a long sleeved red Guess shirt. I put on my tennis shoes too. I couldn’t find my suitcase for about fifteen minutes, until finally I found it under an afghan blanket under the bed. The blanket was the first thing I put in there. After packing a few more things, I switched on a night light that was in the corner of the room, turning the lethargic darkness into a quiet dim light with caverns in every other corner. I pulled my dirty blonde hair into a low ponytail. The end of it reached a little below my shoulders still, so I picked it up a bit so that it wouldn’t cover my neck in case it got hot. I quickly put on some make up, then packed that too. I glanced at the clock. 2:45...I had to get out. My mom was asleep below, and I’d written her a note already.

“Mom,” it said, “I love you. That’s why I’m leaving to go see dad. I’ll be back, so that I can help you and myself. Love, Josie.”

I left it in her box of cereal. Paul never touches Special K. He’s allergic. The chances of him opening that box and finding the note were slim to none. Had he found the note, he would have beat my mom to her wits end for sure.

I wouldn’t let that happen.

***

My mom was thirty-four right now. She had me when she was eighteen. You see, my mom had been believer in free love. She had unmarried relations with a man named Nick Jones, and that’s where I came from. It was when she was living in the “city” that I was born, and I was born a love-child, meaning I was from an unmarried relationship. Once I came, Nick fled, frightened of parent hood. Mom and I stayed in NYC until I was a year old. The move was caused when she recieved a post card from him saying that he was in Long Island. She didn’t want to be even in the same state with him, she was so upset for him leaving her because of me. She moved up to New Jersey to get away. She kept the post card though, and she showed it to me once. That’s how I knew where my dad was.

***

I looked down at my watch. I didn’t have a car, so I couldn’t drive, and mom always hid the keys from me. Even if I knew where they were, though, I would have left them in case she needed a quick getaway. I was planning to walk all the way to Long Island. I had the name of the address where he was located written down on a post it note in my pocket, and I had a great sense of direction in my mind. I couldn’t leave with out saying goodbye to Seth. I could write to Natalie or something, but Seth was like a brother, and I loved him...in a brotherly way, of course. Never in a million years could I ever have a real crush on him...he just...wasn’t my type. A great friend though.

Seth lived in a small one story home in a quiet neighborhood. At night, or in this case 3:15 in the morning, it was so quiet, it was actually pretty eerie.

Once I reached his bedroom window, which was on the front of his house, I noticed it had been cracked open to let some breeze in. I remembered then, that last week he’d told me the air conditioning had broken down in his house. He was mad because it was hot for September, and the air-con guy wasn’t available until next week Thursday...it was Wednesday.

I looked around to make sure there weren’t any cars passing to see me crawl in his window and suspect I was some kind of murderer. I push up my sleeves once I felt the humid air in his home. He was asleep on his bed in boxers but no shirt or blanket. The comforter had been kicked off and was partially lying on the foot of his bed, and partially lying on the floor. I grinned when I saw him. He slept like a baby, all curled up and on his side. I pulled my duffle bag off my shoulder, and placed it, along with my backpack filled with food, water, and $113 dollars from my birthday money in July, on the floor by the window. Then I walked over to the side of his bed, and knelt down facing him.

His solem faced was etched with the look of a pleasent yet emotionless dream. He had his arm up under his head, and his fingers moved a bit when I whispered,
“Seth.” He shifted. “Seth,” I murmured again, and finally, I shook him a bit with my hand. He turned over, but he didn’t awaken.
Oh well. He’d had a good day. I would want him to have a good night too.

I opened up his desk drawer and got a pencil. Then I found a peice of scrap paper that was on the floor, and I picked it up. I wrote:

“Seth,
Sorry to do this, but I have to. I’m going to find my real dad. I mean, I know his name, and I know he’s just off the border of New Jersey, in Long Island. I have to get help, I’m dying, I really think I am. I didn’t leave any numbers for my mom, but I’m going to give you a number. I’m going to be walking, and I have enough money to stop at one motel or maybe a small inn. Most likely Berre’s Inn off of Freed Road. That’s twelve miles, right? I looked up thier number. It’s 323-555-1822. If you need me, just call them, and ask them if I’m there. I let them know what to do if you call. I’ll be fine. I know I don’t have a car, and I don’t know what could happen, but I’m going to get to my dad, and when I do, everything will be good again. Don’t worry. If I don’t come back, tell my mom I loved her, and tell Natalie she can have my grades, hehe.
Josie”

The note was about a half page long, but that’s what I wanted. I put the note on his bedside table. The I looked back at him, now laying on his back. Shy Seth. I’d miss him. I knew I’d be back though. I hoped I would be back.

***

I got to the inn about five and a half hours later. It was early in the morning, but my feet were sore, and I’d only stopped and sat on the shoulder of the road for about fifteen minutes at a time. I may have gotten there sooner, but I acidently fell asleep for about an hour once during a rest. The lobby of Berre’s Inn was cozy. There was even a small fire place off to the side. The girl at the desk was about fourty or fifty years old, and was looking at a McCall’s catalog while smoking a half-done cigarette. The smell repulsed me.

I walked up to the desk. “Um...excuse me. Room for one, please?”

She looked up and stared at me for a second, I guess wondering what a kid was doing here at nine in the morning. “Okay,” she muttered in her raspy voice as she looked for the key, then she handed it to me. “Room 211, that’s thirty five ninety nine a night.”
“Thanks.” I took it and handed her the money. Then I walked up to my room.

***

The phone rang. It rang again, waking me up. I didn’t want to turn around, but I knew it was my wake up call. When I’d gotten to my room, I’d promptly fell asleep, and I woke up at 4:30. I took a saunter to a near by Kwik-Mart, and bought myself a hot dog and a bottle of Dr. Pepper, then came home, ate, watched some T.V, ordered my wake up call, then gone back to sleep at 8:45. Now it was 5:30 AM. Then phone’s ear splitting tone echoed through my room one more time, the sound waves made my eardrums tremble. I picked up the phone and cleared my throat. Drowsily, I spoke into the phone, and I left my eyes closed,

“Hello?”
“Wake up call for Josephine Michaels.” It was the old raspy woman from yesterday morning.
“Oh...thanks.”
“Whatever,” she said, seemingly scornful, then she hung up.

I hung up the phone, then layed back down and stared up at the dark ceiling. I ran my hands through my hair and groaned, exasperated. I hate waking up early, but I was on a mission, and missions are supposed to be accomplished.

I took my shower and fixed my hair by drying it and pulling it halfway back with a clip. Then I put on my favorite shirt, a blue plaid one that had a collar and sleeves down to my elbows, and the same jeans and shoes I’d worn the day before. What was I doing fixing my hair and making myself look nice if I was going out practically hitchhiking to Long Island? You never know who you’ll meet up with.

I dropped the key off at the desk, and stepped out into the parking lot. It was still dark out, but the sky was more of a navy blue than black. In front of the small walk way that led from the parking lot to the door was a familiar car. It was a dark green Toyota, and was small. It only seemed to have two seats. The car was parked right there in front with the moter still running. Someone was inside. I ignored it. Just another car, right? I started walking in front of it so that I could get to the road, but it honked at me. Geeze, what, were they looking at something? I stopped, and they honked again. I faced the car window and peered in. They stopped honking. Because it was so dark, I couldn’t see who was inside, so once again I ignored it and began walking past it. Then I heard the car window roll down, and someone shouted at me.

“Josie!” What? I stopped and looked at the persons sillouhette in the darkness. They drove up and I walked to the window. That’s when I saw him.
“Seth!” I gasped and I reached in the window to hug him. My bags nearly pulled me down.
“Good, I found you, hop in.”
“What? What do you mean?”
He looked at me seriously, “Josie, you know I won’t let you go out there by yourself. It’s too dangerous.”
I laughed, “Seth, you know nothing’s going to happen to me,” although surreptitiosly I was glad to get a chance to ride in a air conditioned car.
“Please...I already have my stuff packed, and I told my mom where I was going.”
I looked at him with a look that asked, “Are you sure?” He looked back at me and smiled.
“Come on.” I grinned and put my things in the back seat. Then I got up in the front with him. He started driving.

“So, how’d you find me?” I asked.
“You remember. You left me the number of the motel, I called them and asked them how to get there.”
“I can’t beleive you’re taking me all the way to New York, Seth. You didn’t have to, it’s too much work. You’re going to be missing school.”
“I’m not letting you go out there by yourself. You’d get hurt.”
I paused, knowing that I wanted to protest, but I decided against it and just smiled at him. “Thanks.”
He smiled back. I loved his smile. His eyebrows kind of...I don’t know. They were dark and sort of gymnastic. When he’d talk they’d move, like one would go up or something. When he smiled, they, came down to meet his dark eyes and so he looked twice as handsome. Plus he had brown, wavey hair, and a dark pale color for his flawless skin. He’s my friend, maybe I shouldn’t talk about him like that...but it was true.
“Mind if I sleep?”
“Go right ahead.”
“Thanks.” I pushed the little button that made the seat go back. Once I was fixed, I layed down on my back and looked up at the celing of Seth’s car. The CD player had Natalie Imbruglia playing quietly, so you could hear the beat of the drums in every song playing clearly. The air conditioner was on low, and made a smooth wooshing sounding that went along with the car’s beat against the road. It was still dark, and very, very peaceful, especialy because Seth was here, and he made me feel comforted. I moved over a little closer to him. He looked down at me and smiled.

“Go to sleep, Josie.” I grinned back at him and turned over on my side. I drifted, and then I slept.