(I hope you guys LOVE this book...it's going to be sooo good:) p.s. I have music right above this:D ^^

1 Thessalonians 5:11 "So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing."

Chapter One

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"Are you sure you want to do this?" My best friend Vanessa asked. "I mean...you can still back out."

"I'm not backing out," I said quickly not looking at her packing my backpack stuffing everything I could in there. "I've been waiting for this day for years."

"Well...if you say so," she sighed. Vanessa was my best friend. She was Hispanic, and was one of the most sweetest girls I knew here. When I first met her we had the same intentions and thoughts and we branched off from there considering we were roommates.

"I suppose you are well prepared," she continued. "I mean, YOU LOOK prepared," she looked down at me as she was on the top bunk of our bed.

"I am... I got my plane ticket yesterday and I have enough snacks to feed off of for AT LEAST two weeks without buying anything," I told her.

"Oh wow well....do you have money?" She asked me concerned. "Gotta have that." I nodded.

"All here," I showed her a wad of cash. Her eyes widen.

"Omg, Amanda!" She squealed hysterically. "Where did you get all that!?" She asked.

"I saved up. All the money I ever made since I've been in different homes, I saved to this. Last time I counted it, it was 600 even," I told her truthfully.

"$600!" She whispered-yelled. "You never spent ANY of it?!" I shook my head.

"Nope." I then stuffed $250 of it in a lipstick tube for emergency only, $150 in my wallet, and the other $200 in different compartments of my backpack and cross-body purse just in case something happened and I lost either one of those.

"Whoa...you are dedicated..." Vanessa said seriously to what I think was herself. I finished packing everything and I looked at her.

"Yes I am." There was a short pause between us.

"Are you still heading to school tomorrow? I mean...it is the last day. Minus well," Vanessa asked in a suggestion.

"Yeah I am," I nodded. "My plan is this..." I turned to look up at her still on the bed. "I go to school and make it through the day and since curfew changes for the summertime, I'm not coming back here. Tonight is my last night," I told her. She stared at me. "My flight is actually to Philadelphia from here because it's surprisingly cheaper than Richmond," I nodded my head at her.

"Oh. So your parents are at the capital of Virginia?" She asked me. I shook my head.

"Well my files say their at Chesapeake.... That's about 2 hours away from Richmond and 5 hours away from Philadelphia," I told her. "But Philly was my cheapest flight...so that's where I'm going." She widen her eyes at me.

"Whoa. You're 17 and already going to travel half the part of the U.S. to the East coast... By yourself! Aren't you scared of anything?" She asked me shaking her head. I sighed as I was still sitting on the floor.

"Of course I am. But I figured out if I just don't talk to strangers and stay with where the people are in the cites and not take the back roads, I'll be fine. The only problem is, is I didn't have enough to rent a car which would've been easier than flying and calling cabs everywhere and riding my penny board," I told her. She nodded with a chuckle.

"True, true..." I sighed as I turned off the light and slid myself on the bottom bunk, the TV as our only source of light in the tight room at a low volume.

"You know....I'm kind of annoyed of all this at this Christian foster home and whatever," Vanessa admitted as I and probably her too was laying on her back looking up at the ceiling, well I was looking at the bottom of her bunk. "But I'll pray for you. Pray that God will protect you....or send someone to protect you. Like an angel....but maybe...maybe just random people like angels in disguise... I don't know," she said thoughtfully. I sighed.

"Me too girl....but thanks. I'm probably going to need it. There are a lot of strange people in this world and if you're doing what I'm doing, protection is something you really need to become best friends with and fast," I nodded in a joke. She chuckled.

"Hehe....yeah..." I turned over in bed and breathe out,

"Goodnight."

"Night....oh and....Amanda?" I opened my eyes.

"Yeah?"

"You can trust me....I won't tell anybody about your journey. When they ask me where did you go....I'll just say....I don't know....she was at school today. They'll investigate on me....but I won't say a word. You helped me through this place....you know? After I lost my parents? You built me up....you encouraged me....so I'm going to do the same to you..." She said thoughtfully. I smiled a little.

"You're welcome and thanks.... You're the best friend I ever had Vanessa...in a long time....and even though we're a year a apart....you're still like the little sister I could relate to," I told her. She chuckled.

"Haha, Thanks.... Goodnight Amanda..."

"Night Van," I said back closing my eyes as Vanessa turned off the TV. Right then I was debating rather to stay for Vanessa or not....OR so I wouldn't be called a runaway around Dallas Texas... but I already had my ticket and packed my bag and basically was already one step closer to home....

Besides....who would guess I was going to Philadelphia anyway?

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(Please vote and tell me what you guys think! I'm open to suggestions and I guess a little criticism;) See ya in a bit<3