Marley kept her hoodie over her face so Jake couldn't see her bruises, it was dark when he picked her up so he hadn't seen them.
"Where are we going?" Marley asked after they'd been driving in silence for twenty minutes.
"South. It's warmer south. You okay with that?"
"Yeah, I guess." Marley kept her eyes looking outside the window.
"Tell me about your life." Jake stated as he turned onto the highway.
"This is not going to be one of those things where I tell you my life story and you tell me nothing. So, lets make it fair. You ask a question, I ask a question."
"Okay, fair enough. How old are you?"
"17. Where are you from?"
"Lived in Ohio my whole life. Just outside of Lima. Why aren't you in school?"
"I graduated early so I could leave. How old are you?"
"18. Just graduated. Why are you escaping your life?"
"Pass." Marley said as she pulled her hoodie over her face more.
"No, that was not part of the rules. Why are you leaving?" Marley knew he wouldn't let it go.
"Pull over."
"Why?"
"Just do it."
"Fine." Jake pulled over and turned the car off.
"You gonna answer my question?"
Marley brought the hoodie over her head and set it in her lap, still not looking at Jake. She had changed into a long sleeve top that covered her bruises. She had an tank top on underneath and started lifting her shirt up.
"What are you doing and how is it going to answer my question?"
"Chill for a sec, you'll see." Marley pulled the shirt off and looked over at Jake, who's mouth dropped.
"What the hell happened to you?"
"My step-daddy."
"He hit you?"
"Yeah, after mom died became the punching bag."
"I'm sorry."
"Look, I didn't tell you this so we could get all deep with emotions and shit. You asked, I answered."
"Okay. Your turn." Jake started the car and got back on the highway. He didn't know why but he wanted to beat the hell out of her step-father.
"Why did you leave?"
"I need a fresh start. After my mom died I was waiting to graduate to leave. How did your mom die?"
"He killed her."
"What? Who?"
"Who do you think? Nick, my step-dad. Right in front of me too, I was thirteen. I watched her die, I heard her last words. That's why I got this." Marley said as she brushed her hair to the right side to show Jake her tattoo.
"She told me to be free, and that's what I am now. Free from the hell I was living. How did your mom die?"
"My mom had an OD. She was a great mom, but she had problems, bad problems that started five years ago. Why would you leave all your friends behind?"
"Friends? What friends? I only had two friends, a bitch who ruined my life by pretending to be my friend, and Matt. He was my friend for a while and then we dated, but we broke up a while ago. I don't think there's anything else I want to know about you."
"Out of questions? We'll stop then. In a couple hours, once we get to Tennessee we will get a place to stay."
"How long are we going to be traveling? A couple days? Weeks? Months? Years?"
"I don't know. As long as we want to I guess, I don't have anywhere I need to be."
"If we are going to be doing this for a while are we going to be friends?"
"Sure, never really had a lot of those. I suppose this is a good place to start."
"Well, okay then. Why Tennessee?"
"It's the first state we come across. We can stay there for a bit and explore the place. Then we can move on to the next, and so on."
"Tennessee it is."
Jake drove for a few more hours until they reached Tennessee, they found a small town that had a hotel, that was good but not too expensive. There was also a gas station and a few other stores, but what Marley really loved was what surrounded the town. There were beautiful hills and plain land, she felt like she could breathe, there was so much space. She remembered one time with her mom when she said she wanted to go to Tennessee. She smiled at the memory of when her mom was happy and alive. Jake had gone into the hotel office to get them a room with two beds.
"Room 116." Jake said as he got a bag out of the trunk.
Marley got out of the car with her bag and walked inside with Jake following her. Once they entered the room Marley sat on the bad and laid back. "I'm hungry."
"Want to order something, there's a pizza place down the road that I saw."
"Pizza sounds great." Marley sat up again.
"I'll pay." She said as she grabbed her bag.
Jake found the menu that had a list of local places that delivered. He got the pizza place number and called.
"I just want a pepperoni pizza, and something to drink. Get whatever you want." Marley smiled as she went through her bag. He told her the total was 22.00, she gave him the money.
"I'm going to get a shower. I'll be out before it's here."
"Okay," Jake smiled at her as she walked into the bathroom with her clothes her brush, toothbrush and toothpaste. He turned on the tv and looked through the channels until he found a scary movie that was on. He heard the shower turn on and was watching tv when he heard her sing.
"I've made up my mind,
Don't need to think it over,
If I'm wrong I am right,
Don't need to look no further,
This ain't lust,
I know this is love but,
If I tell the world,
I'll never say enough,
Cause it was not said to you,
And that's exactly what I need to do,
If I'm in love with you"
Jake listened as Marley sang, her voice putting him in a trance, he pressed the mute button to hear her better. He felt the emotion she put into singing and it made her voice all the more lovely. Jake had not realized he'd been listening so long until she stopped singing and turned off the shower. Once Jake realized she was done he turned the tv off of mute and watched it. Marley came out in a tank top and sweat pants, and Jake only had one thought on his mind.
"Damn, this girl is sexy as hell."
Jake took his gaze off of her once he realized he was staring at her. "So, you sing?"
Marley looked up surprised. "Oh, you heard that. Sorry it's just second nature to me I guess. I sing when I'm away from Nick, he doesn't like when I sing. So when he's not around it just kinda comes out."
"Don't apoligize. Your voice is beautiful."
Marley blushed a little. "Really? No one has ever really heard me sing other than my mom and Nick. My mom always said I was great, but Nick said I was the worst singer he'd ever heard. I didn't really believe my mom."
"Nick's an idiot if he thinks you can't sing." There was a knock on the door.
"Must be the pizza." Jake stood up and walked to the door. He paid and set it on the table.
Jake then went into the bathroom to change, he had on a tshirt and sweat pants. Marley could see every muscle on that boys body from how tight his shirt was. She ignored her thoughts and sat on her bed with the pizza.
"Come here." Marley patted the spot next to her and Jake took a seat next to her. Marley put two pieces of pizza on a plate and handed it to him.
"Thanks." Jake smiled at Marley.
"Your welcome. So what exactly are we watching?" Marley shifted her gaze to the tv.
"Halloween, it's number five I think."
Marley practically squeled. "I love number five! It's my favorite, but you have to stay over here with me because I'm scared."
Jake chuckled at Marley. "Okay, I'll stay over here."
"Thank you. " Marley smiled at him then took a bite of pizza.
Jake wasn't even paying attention to the movie, he was staring at Marley. He thought she was beautiful, he really liked her smile and her eyes. Marley started to notice him staring. "What?" She looked over at him. Jake was caught, he had to think of a way out of this.
"I was uh- just waiting to see you scared."
"Not cool. Why do you want to see me scared?" Marley nudged his shoulder.
"Sorry, I just thought it would be funny."
Jake and Marley ate then set the leftover pizza on the table and continued to watch the movie. Marley jumped under the covers when a scary part came on and Jake laughed.
"You okay?"
"Yes, just tell me when it's over."
After five minutes the scene was over. "It's safe."
"Thanks." After the movie ended Jake went over to his bed,
"Goodnight, Marley."
"Night, Jake." Marley always had trouble sleeping, she always had so much on her mind. Jake usually fell asleep around three a.m. he had no idea why, he just did. Marley, who still couldn't sleep grabbed her phone to check the time.
"Marley?"
"Yeah?"
"You're still awake?"
"I usually don't fall asleep until really late."
"Me either."
"Let's try that question thing again, except general questions. My mom and I would play games until I fell asleep."
"Okay, you first."
"What's you favorite food? Mine's pizza."
"Pizza. Favorite color?"
"Purple."
"Mine is green. If you could have any superpower what would it be?" Jake said as he looked up at the ceiling.
"I would be invisible, so Nick couldn't see me."
"I'd fly, fly away from everything."
Marley and Jake played the game for another twenty minutes asking each other questions.
"You tired yet?" Marley asked as she turned over.
"Yeah, are you?"
"Yes. Thank you, Jake."
"Anytime. Night."
"Night."