Chapter 3:
Brittney was in her room lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling.
" I wonder if anyone else knows that my father was once in prison," Brittney thought," What would the kids at school think if they ever found out?"
Brittney got up and stared out the window and into the backyard, the same backyard where she learned how to ride a bicycle, the tree she scraped her knee on and to hide from her father after she was caught in a lie.
" Now I found out my father is a liar," Brittney told herself," Both of my parents are."
Meanwhile, downstairs Sara was hurt over the way Brittney ws hurting.
" What do we do now Michael?" Sara asked," Our daughter is heartbroken."
" Like I said," Michael said," Give her time, Brittney will come around. She usually does."
" What if she doesn't?" Sara asked," Then what?"
Michael sat down with Sara and put an arm around her," Then we check on her," he said," Maybe we should of waited. This ruins her 13th birthday."
Sara then heard a knock at the door.
" That must be Lincoln and Veronica," Michael said," They did call saying they were on the way."
Michael went to the door and there stood Lincoln and Veronica.
" Hey," Lincoln said hugging his brother," Where's the birthday girl?"
" She's upstairs," Sara said," She won't come down."
Veronica just looked at Sara.
" What happened?" Veronica asked.
Michael sat down again.
" Michael," Lincoln said," What is it?"
Michael and Sara looked at one another.
" She knows," Lincoln said," You told her?"
" We told Brittney about me being in prison," Michael said," We didn't tell her why."
Back upstairs, Matthew knocked on his sisters door.
" Brit," Matthew said," Come on downstairs. I hear Uncle Lincoln and Aunt Veronica."
" Leave me alone," Brittney said getting up and opening the door," I am not coming down."
" Where's the birthday girl?" she heard.
" Uncle Lincoln and Aunt Veronica," Matthew said going down the stairs.
" Great," Brittney said," They must know that my father was in prison too."
Sara went to the bottom of the stairs.
" Brittney please come down," Sara called.
Sara saw Brittney at the top of the stairs.
" Come down," Sara pleaded.
" No," Brittney said going back to her room and shutting the door.
" She's very unhappy," Sara said sitting back down.
" Brittney should be happy," Veronica said," It is her birthday."
Michael stood at the bottom of the stairs.
" Please come down my sweet angel," Michael thought.
Nobody knew it, but Brittney was packing her backpack with whatever she could fit.
" I'm not staying here with a bunch of liars," Brittney thought," I'm going to run away."
Brittney then went to her parents bedroom and looked down the fire escape, the same fire escape her father told her to stay away from.
" Let's see if this gets their attention," Brittney thought.
Brittney went down the ladder and ran through the backyard, hoping nobody would see her.
It was some time later, Sara was worried. Matthew was asleep on the sofa.
" I have to go check on her," Sara said," It's been hours."
Sara went up the stairs and into Brittney's room, she was not there.
" No," Sara said.
Sara went to her room and noticed the window open that led to the fire escape.
" Michael," Sara said running down the stairs," Michael, she's gone. I think Brittney has run away."
Michael went upstairs and noticed the same thing.
" She's gone," Michael said," We have to go out and look for her. Now."
Michael and Sara went down the stairs.
" Brittney went out the fire escape," Michael said," We're going out to look for her."
" Someone needs to stay here with Matthew," Sara said," I have to find my daughter."
Veronica went up to Sara," I'll stay here with Matthew," she said," You three go look for Brittney."
" I can call LJ," Lincoln said," LJ might be on runs, but he can keep an eye out for Brittney."
Michael and Sara agreed and Lincoln was able to get a hold of LJ who said he would keep his eyes open for Brittney. The three of them left and all Sara could think about was finding Brittney before something terrible happened.