Hey Guys! This is going to be a multichapter AU story. I'm a big fan of AU stories, and stories with original characters, so I'm going to throw in one of my own. Hope you all enjoy!
I walked up the moonlit street and shivered. It was early June in Las Angeles, but I was still a bit cold in my shorts and tank top. I'd forgotten my light jacket on the bus last week, so all I had left were the clothes on my back. It was getting late, and I had hardly slept since I left Ohio, so I knew I had to find a place to crash soon.
I'd love to tell you what my name is, but I truly don't know myself. You see, my mom left my father and me in the hospital the day after I was born. She wasn't ready to be a parent, and I guess she didn't love my father as much as everyone thought. I've never met her, and my dad never talked about her. When I asked about where I came from, all he would say is that I was an angel sent to him from heaven. That's what he would call me, too. Angel. That was only when it was just the two of us though. Whenever someone else was around, he'd call me baby girl. I never understood why, but it didn't matter. It still doesn't. I'd rather not know what name my mother gave me before she left, anyways. If she didn't want me, why would I want to be tied to her?
When I was little, I honestly thought my name was Baby. It was the only thing I'd respond to. My dad used to tell me that my preschool teachers used to call me by my given name, but they soon gave up and called me baby, along with all my classmates. I grew up in a small town in Southern Ohio, where everybody knew everybody. Pretty soon, the name Baby caught on. I haven't been called anything but in years.
I lived a really good life with my dad. He was my best friend, and we did a lot together. He coached my soccer team, came to my swim meets, and taught me to drive. We'd cook dinner together almost every night, and he'd always be there to help me with my homework. I never thought I could live without him, but I never thought I'd have to, either.
Three weeks ago, on his way home from work, my dad got in a car accident. He was on his way to pick me up from school, my last day of sophomore year, when it happened. The light turned green, and he pulled forward, but so did the drunken day drinker to his left. The force of the crash knocked him off the road and into a ditch, where his truck flipped over and caught fire. I was told he died on impact, and that it was painless, but I don't believe it. I have nightmares about it sometimes. He's sitting in the burning car, banging on the window, screaming my name. I know he wants out; I can here him begging for help. I'm running from the school, trying to reach him, but I never gain any ground. It's like I'm running on a treadmill, never getting any closer to my destination.
I spent the days leading up to the funeral at a friend's house, bawling my eyes out while lying in bed, writing in my journal. Eventually I ran out of tears, and my body was mostly numb. I knew what was coming. I couldn't stay with them forever, and even if I could, that town had memories of my father around every corner. Every second I spent there, I felt as thought I was suffocating. I needed to get out before I was sent to a foster home. I had no grandparents left, and my father was an only child. I was too old to be in the system. Nobody would want a teenager like me. I'd only be trapped until I was 18, and that was two years too long.
When the funeral ended, and everyone started heading back to the church for a dinner, I snuck away to a bus station and hopped on. I didn't have an exact place in mind, but I knew it needed to be out west, somewhere warm and near the ocean. I'd stop in at local libraries on my way, to read my town's newspaper articles about me. The search for the "Missing Girl" lasted for about a week and a half. I hadn't had time to grab my journal from under the mattress, and somebody found it. I had written about running away, and they had found out. The articles told me that the search was called off at a town meeting that concluded with a prayer for my safety. That was the best part of living in a small town; the unity within the community. My dad used to tell me that it took a village to raise a child, and that's why we lived where we did.
A few weeks later, and here I am, walking down an L.A. road in the middle of the night. I had read on the internet that this city was famous for illegal street races, and I assumed that's what the revving of engines I heard from a few streets away are. I had little interest in those, however. I've never really been into cars. I was always more interested in sports. Soccer, softball, swim, volleyball, running.. Anything but basketball, really. And while I definitely wasn't afraid to get down and dirty, I still loved doing my hair, wearing makeup, painting my nails, and getting dressed up. Honestly, I have a mixed personality. I'm like a chameleon, I think. I could blend in anywhere.
The road I was traveling down had been moving uphill for the last mile or so, and soon I found myself at the top of the hill. I like to think that my dad keeps watch over me, and I constantly look for signs that he's with me. When I saw where the road dead ended, I knew I had found one. There, sitting right in front of me, was a local garage. Toretto's, the sign said. I could feel it in my gut that this was a good place to crash for the night, and when I walked around to the back, I knew my instincts were correct. Somebody had left the back door unlocked, and when I opened it, no alarm rang out from the inside.
I made my way through the maze of cars and their various parts until I reached the far wall, where I found a worn couch that would serve as my bed for the next few hours. I had the idea to set an alarm on my watch before I fell asleep, but when I lay down, the thought completely left my mind, and I was asleep within seconds.
Well, that's it for the introduction chapter. I promise, the following chapters will be longer. I hope to update every week! Leave a review & let me know what you think! I'd love to hear your opinions & ideas!