LbN: Prompt was "Runaways". Song is "Take Me Away" by Fefe Dobson.
Take me away
Take me far away from here.
I will run with you.
Teenagers aren't as stupid as people think. Sure, they're learning, but they're not idiots. You understand that better in certain situations, and Dani had come face to face with that happy reality two months after running away. She'd wandered all the way to Texas, hitching rides and stowing away at times. When she got to Austin, she'd found quite the network of homeless youth. Sometimes there would be a gift left for her - a book, some food - or sometimes a clue to where the good spots to set up camp were. She'd even been able to get a couple of jobs, but now….
She shivered and tried to burrow deeper into the sleeping bag. It didn't help - the bag was soaked from the steady rain. She felt someone shaking the bag. At first she thought about ignoring them, but more than once she'd been helped out by a random passerby, so she peeked out into the gloomy night.
A girl, not much older than her, was kneeling next to her. "Come on. Roll your bag up, let's go."
"Go where?" Dani asked, struggling out of the soggy cocoon.
"I've got a car. And somewhere you can get warm."
They walked about a block and a half to a public parking lot. An old Camry was sitting there, and they tossed Dani's sleeping bag, backpack, and guitar in the trunk.
"Th-thanks," Dani said, teeth chattering. She started to get into the car, but the girl shook her head.
"Come on, we're going right here," she said, pointing to the building looming over them. It was a 24-hour fitness center.
When they got into the gym, they headed straight for the locker rooms. Finally the girl introduced herself to Dani.
"I'm Santana," she said, holding out her hand.
Dani shook it, smiling. "Dani."
"I think I've seen you around the park. Guitar, right?"
"Yeah. What's with this place?"
"I can usually make the fifteen bucks a month it costs, and it means I have a place to shower. Which you can go do now. I'll wait. Here are some clothes."
Dani accepted the small red drawstring bag and gave Santana a curious look. "Why are you helping me?"
Santana shrugged. "You're not from around here, are you? We help each other. We don't have anyone, kids like us. Go on and get changed. We can talk later."
The shower was glorious. If there hadn't been someone waiting on her, she might've stayed in for a full hour. As it was, she scrubbed off about a week of grime, changed into blessedly dry clothes, and went back out to meet her fairy godmother.
Santana was sitting in one of the chairs, reading a magazine. She smiled when Dani approached. "Feel better?"
"So much better. So...what next?"
"Next, we run back to the car and get some sleep. I'm tired as hell."
Dani couldn't help but feel like this was a trap, and her facial expression must've said so because Santana grinned at her.
"I'm not going to chop you up for soup, Dani. I'm looking for a way out of this BS, and I don't want to go it alone. You seemed like the least psychotic option, and I knew you were struggling. Come on, we'll get a few hours sleep and then get breakfast. I had a good week - we can go somewhere good."
Dani, figuring she had nothing to lose, nodded and followed Santana back to the car.
The rain had let up, and Santana's Camry was toasty warm in no time. Dani reclined the passenger seat and took the blanket Santana offered. She tried to stay awake until Santana fell asleep, just to make sure she wasn't about to be kidnapped, but she couldn't help it. After days of walking around the city, sleeping on benches and sidewalks, this warm car with its soft seats was paradise. She fell asleep.
They were moving when Dani woke up. She had a moment of panic before she realized that they were pulling into a parking lot, breakfast as promised. They made their way into the Kerbey Lane Cafe, and didn't really talk until the waitress had taken their orders.
"You said you wanted out of all this," Dani said finally.
"That's right. I got a legit job down in San Antonio, but I still can't afford an apartment. I need a roommate. I think I could get you a job too."
"What is it? And how'd you get it?" Dani asked. She was grateful for the offer, but she didn't want to start dealing drugs, or hooking. She wasn't quite that desperate yet.
"Receptionist at a really big gym down there. I'm talking really big. Big enough that I know it won't close and put me out on the streets again. Got hooked up with this guy - he mostly helps ex-cons get jobs once they're released, but he works with homeless people too. I'm 18, so it wasn't as much of a problem as with some of the kids he meets. Plenty of us want jobs, but Child Services gets called if we're runaways and it's a mess."
"Preach," Dani said, remembering a particularly stressful week in Houston.
The waitress returned, dropping off a plate of chicken biscuit/eggs benedict for Santana and a mountain of breakfast tacos for Dani. Dani got a bit of tunnel vision at that point, completely missing what else Santana was saying to her in favor of her bacon, egg, and potato tacos.
"...at the bookstore nearby. Dani?"
"Hrrm?" Dani asked. She swallowed a mouthful of potato and said, "Sorry."
"Don't be," Santana told her, understanding in her eyes. "How long has it been since you've eaten?"
"Only a day and a half."
"Oh only," Santana said sarcastically. "So...you in?"
Dani took another bite and chewed slowly to give herself time to think. "What's the catch?" she asked finally.
"None. It's not like I'm letting you stay for free. And we'll have to bunk in the car for a while while we save up. But I can't do this alone."
Dani stared at her for a moment and then nodded. "Okay. I'm in."
Don't be afraid.
Navigate and I will steer
Into the sun
It was nine months later, six since they'd moved into their apartment. Dani had settled in nicely. She actually loved the bookstore, and they were making enough that they didn't have to eat Ramen every night. She was counting down the minutes until she could go home. For once, she and Santana had the weekend off together, and they'd already started work on their epic pillow fort. Dani had piled Disney movies high that morning, and she couldn't wait to get home and chill.
"Danielle."
She looked up from where she was restocking the Harry Potter books and gaped. It was her mom. "M-mom?"
Mrs. LaCroix stared as Dani stood. Then she slapped her across the face. "How could you?" she asked. "We searched for you! How could you do that to us?"
"Easy," Dani said as three other employees rushed toward them. "I was tired of the abuse. How the hell did you find me?"
"Dani...you okay?" her manager, Grace, asked.
"I'm fine."
"You're coming back with me, this instant!" Mrs. LaCroix snapped.
"No, I'm not."
"You are!"
"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the security manager said.
"Not without my wayward, runaway daughter."
Dani shook her head at the security guard. "I'm not leaving. I've got work to do."
Mrs. LaCroix sneered at her at turned on her heel to leave.
Dani took a few deep breaths as Grace wrapped her in a hug. "I'm...I'm sorry."
"Talk to your mom," Grace said. "Parents...we make mistakes. You should go back with her."
"I can't," Dani said. "You don't understand."
"I understand how it is to be a mom who doesn't know how to connect with her daughter. You're a runaway?" she asked.
"Was," Dani said. "I was a runaway. Now I'm an adult who's working her butt off, saving for college."
"I'm sure your parents would love to support you in that."
Dani sighed.
We will run.
When Santana got home from the gym, she found Dani sitting on the futon (their cheap, Walmart substitute for a couch) and staring at her phone.
"What up, Tiny Dancer?" Santana asked.
"My parents found me," Dani whispered.
"What?" Santana yelped, sitting down next to her.
"They hired a private investigator. My mom came to the store today. Caused a big scene, and got me fired. She wants me to come back to Louisiana."
"Wait, she got you fired?"
"I'm sure Grace thought she was doing the right thing," Dani said, snuggling closer to Santana. "Or she was picturing a tearful Lifetime Movie-worthy reunion scene where firing me would force me to confront my past. Either way, she fired me."
"But...you're not going, right? I mean, you're 18. She can't make you. And you've been doing classes online, so it's not like you're delinquent on the whole school thing."
Dani shrugged. "I don't want to go...but I don't like her knowing where I am either."
"Does she know where we live?"
Dani nodded. "Magnum P.I. has been tailing us for about a month. I'm sorry."
"Hey, no," Santana said, hugging her. "It's not your fault."
"What should we do?" Dani whispered after a minute.
Santana was quiet for a long moment, and then she kissed Dani on the forehead. "I hear Colorado's a really gorgeous place to live."