Crash! That’s only one. There should be another one coming up.
Crash! And there it is.
This is what I listen to many nights before I go to bed. It’s usually a plate, vase, or glass cup shattering against the wall or floor. My parents are both workaholics, and they never seem to pay any attention to me. They are CEO’s of Winter Enterprises; a big business that owns many things across the world. Usually, my parents are away on a business trip for three weeks each month, and I’m left alone to fend for myself.
Crash! That should be the last one. These crashes are from my father. My mother and he always get home late and when they do, they’re fighting. They fight about the business and what’s best for it, and my father always seems to find something to break.
I’m sick of this. I’m done.
At night when I am lying in bed listening to them fight, I yearn for the times when I was a child and the business barely even started. I was the center of their love and attention. We would always go out for ice cream, go to the park, or watch movies. Those were the good days. Then all of a sudden, it stopped and I was left alone.
Deciding to stop reminiscing about the past, I call my Aunt Steph; she lives in California and is a photographer and she couldn’t be happier. She lives in Santa Monica, which is twenty minutes away from my dream college, The University of California Los Angeles. I applied about a month ago and was just accepted yesterday.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
“Hello?” Steph’s soft voice speaks.
“Hey Steph it’s me Kylee.”
“Kylee! Hey how are you my dear?”
“Not good,” I whisper, “Can I come out to Santa Monica?”
“Of course! How long will you be staying?”
I stay silent for a little bit until I notice I’m crying. I quickly recover so that my aunt doesn’t notice, but unfortunately she does.
“Has it gotten that bad with your parents?”
I nod even though she can’t see me.
“Alright, book the ticket and I’ll prepare a room for you in my house. I’ve waited for the day that my niece would be running away from my sister and her husband because they put too much time into their business. Pack whatever you need most, and then we can go shopping for everything else when you get out here. It’s only 9 p.m. your time, see if you can find a flight that takes off around 2 a.m. Your parents should be asleep by then, and you should have enough money from babysitting every summer. Text me when you get to the airport. I love you Kylee, be safe, and congratulations on your admission to UCLA.”
“Thank you Steph, I really appreciate everything.”
“Nonsense, I would do this anytime in a heartbeat. Good bye.” 
“Goodbye.”
I then hang up. Quickly but quietly, I gather a bag of a couple swimsuits, some leggings and sweatshirts, some summer tops and shorts, jewelry, a phone charger, headphones, and shoes. I’ll get other toiletries when I’m in Santa Monica. Everything is packed and ready to go.
I then quickly get on my laptop and purchase a ticket, the plane departs at 3 a.m. Perfect. I can hear that the T.V. is on in the living room, and the shower is on in my parents’ bedroom. Good, both are busy and won’t be able to hear much. I print off the ticket from my own little printer and put it in my bag along with my wallet and license. I finally put my MacBook Air laptop in my bag as well.
I’m ready to leave this place.
It’s about 12 a.m. right now and my parents are asleep. I will call an Uber to pick me up at 1:45 a.m. since the airport is only twenty minutes away.
Time flies by and before I know it, the Uber is on the street outside my house. I quietly sneak out my bedroom door and down the stairs. I grab a few snacks from the cupboard and race out to the car. Once I am buckled in, I take one last look at the house; the house that is now full of neglecting memories instead of loved ones. Deciding I’ve had enough, I tell the driver to go to the airport.
Once we arrive, I pay the driver and head inside. I head over to Delta security and go through. My bag and my body are scanned, and I am free to go to my gate to wait. I text Steph about my flight and she said it’s a four hour flight from here, Minneapolis to Santa Monica. I will touch down in Santa Monica at 7 a.m. our time and 5 a.m. California time.
“Now boarding Delta airplane 2215 to Santa Monica, California,” the attendant announces over the speaker.
I grab my belongings and get in line. I give the lady my ticket and head to find my seat. Where is 14A? Ah, here it is. I sit down and buckle in and wait for takeoff. I quickly grab my phone to text my aunt that we boarded.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for choosing Delta Airlines. We will be departing in a few short moments, so we ask everyone to buckle their seatbelts and store their carryon’s onto the floor beneath the seat in front of you. Since this is a smaller airplane with fewer people, please do not be afraid to press your call button above you for any needs. Again, thank you for choosing Delta Airlines and we hope you have an enjoyable flight.”
The plane then takes off. I’m finally free.
We touch down in Santa Monica and I get off the plane only to see Steph standing there, waiting for me. This is it, a new life, and I can’t wait to start it.