PROLOGUE: FRESH START

Coachella, California. I never thought I would end up in California, across the country from where I was born and raised in New York. But, I guess if you're going to change your life and shed away the bad things, you may as well go big or go home. My mom finally decided after years of abuse that she'd move us away from my well, Charlie. You couldn't exactly refer to him as my father because he wasn't one. Biologically speaking, yes half of him is in my chromosomes, but if you're referring to the actions of a father, he sure as hell did not act like one. It didn't quite matter how you treated Charlie because the end result would be abuse. If you were nice, he'd hit you. If you were rude, he'd hit you. It was a lose, lose situation with him. And I guess my mother had finally had enough.

After awhile, I had lost count of how many bruises and cuts I had. I lost count of how many visits to the ER I made. People started to take notice that something wasn't quite right in our family. Unfortunately, nothing was ever done about it. Which just goes to show that our society fucking sucks, please excuse my French. But when a kid has a new bruise everyday and he's constantly in the doctor's office wouldn't you think calls would be made? Well, they weren't. Thankfully after seventeen years of this hell my mom decided to get out. I don't know what the straw was that broke the camel's back, but I'm thankful that there was finally that last straw because I just couldn't take anymore hands across my face, fists in my stomach, and feet in my ribs. I couldn't bear to just sit there and fail at trying to save my family. I needed to get out just as much as my mother did.

Hello to you the state of California. Hello the city of Coachella. Hello new school. You're my fresh start.