Finding Freedom at Seventeen

I went missing at 17, but no one knew the real reason why.

At 17, I got into a stupid fight with my aunt over how I

folded the towels. She screamed that I was ungrateful, even though I'd

basically raised myself after she took me in. I kept calm,

just reminded her that I'd been cooking and cleaning alone since I was 12. That set her off.

She told me if I didn't like it, I could leave.

So, I did quietly. I left my phone on the counter, took the keys to

my beat up Honda, and drove by. Then, I'd been working part-time for 3