This is so AU, it's not even funny. Takes place the summer before the Cohens adopt Ryan. Taylor runs away from Newport, and guess where she ends up? That's right: Chino, baby.

P.S. – I love everyone who reviewed my other two stories! It made me smile.

P.P.S - For anyone who's already read this: I totally made a mistake. I uploaded the entire story when I only meant to do chapter 1. So here it is: only chapter 1. I'm not sure how much of it I posted before, but I really wanted a story with multiple chapters. Sorry!


This wasn't a good idea, Taylor thought as she walked down the street. She curled her body into itself as she walked, taking short, quick steps, head low and arms covering herself protectively. She knew what she must look like: a scared little girl who got lost on the wrong side of the tracks. But she didn't get lost. She had come here deliberately.

She had fought with her mother. It sounded stupid now, but she remembered how awful she felt. Her mother had called her a cheap whore. How could a mother be that awful? To be fair, Veronica Townsend had been drunk and high on coke at the time. So Taylor had thrown a few possessions into her Prada bag, and left the house.

Now here she was, walking the cold streets of Chino. She had gotten on a random bus, and this is where she ended up. It didn't look nice. The men on the street leered at her, and she cursed herself for not changing her clothes. She must look ridiculous and out of place. She must look like a cupcake to these people: a pleated pink and blue dress, and her hair twisted back very fashionably.

She eventually noticed the man following her. He had been doing it for a while, and Taylor had tried to lose him a few times. No such luck. She picked up her pace, and decided to go somewhere very public. There it was: a grocery store. She looked both ways before making her way across the dirty street, heels clicking loudly on the pavement.

A bell sounded somewhere as she entered, but no one even looked up when she walked in. The man entered as well, and she hurried towards the back of the store. She pretended to browse, all the time watching where her stalker was. She was just rounding the corner of one aisle when she ran into someone, hard.

"Ow!" Taylor pressed her hand to her forehead, where she had clashed with the other person.


Really short chapter, but I had to end it there. Cliffhangers are just so awesome, although I'm sure everyone can guess who she ran into.