I smile at a picture frame of Nike and I. This is what I needed to accept that we would never be on the same side again. We would never be back here. I guess I was looking for closure in a way. I never thought that it would affect me this much to get away from my toxic family. It was supposed to be easier. It was supposed to be relieving. I guess I was never really grateful for what I did have.

My smile turns bitter as I take the picture out of the frame and slip it into the cover of my phone. This way, she'll always be by my side.

Sweeping the room with my eyes, I tear my eyes away and grab my backpack from the hook next to me.

It's time to say goodbye.

Walking back to where I'd left the old pickup truck, I curse when I realize it isn't there anymore. Someone must have towed it away. I kick the air. I'm hundreds of miles away from the academy.

I could ask for a pick-up. No one's picking up a seventeen-year-old on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere unless they're asking for trouble.

I grimace, my only option was to walk long enough to get service and call an Uber.

I start along the path I came from, going towards the academy. I think.

As I walk, I try not to think about anything. I've done too much thinking the last few days. Reliving to many old memories. It was time to make new ones. It was time to move on.

After about three miles, I take a break. Sitting on a nearby rock, I study my surroundings. There were redwood trees all around me, for miles and miles. It was peaceful. The forest ground is covered in dry dirt. The weather had been surprisingly warm the last couple of days after the rain.

Probably specially designed to make sure I suffer.

Getting up again, I make it another three miles before taking another break.

After 5 breaks, I finally made it to a small town. Finally. I might be Corporis but even I can't walk 15 miles under the burning sun, with a 25-pound backpack on me and a thick coat around my waist.

Taking my phone out of my jeans, I turn it on, only to face disappointment. No service. Moving the phone around, I make a face when there's no service.

"Well, shit," I say. Walking around the town with my phone in my face, I realize that I look like a teenager in any stereotypical movie. Shaking my head at myself, I pocket my phone. I could just ask someone to let me borrow their cell. If only there was someone around.

Spotting a nearby coffee shop with a "FREE WIFI" sign on it, I jog towards it. I open the door, squinting my eyes slightly at the bell that rings above my head. I could be a Villain, a Hero, and in line for the throne of Heroes but I'll still cringe at those damn bells. They were created with no better purpose than to make sure that whoever enters is the focus of the entire shop. Luckily for me though, the shop was as deserted as the rest of the town.

The shop was small but well kept. With wooden walls and floors, it was unfortunately cozy and didn't help with the heat. Another bell chimes and I cover my small jump, as an elderly woman enters the shop from the kitchen.

"Hi, I was wondering if I could have the wifi password? I'm just a little lost," I say as politely as I can manage. Sniffing the air discreetly, I wonder what the awful smell is before realizing its coming from me. Ugh, that makes this so much better. I smell like a gallon full of sweat.

The woman has a warm smile and says, "Of course. But you'll have to buy something, store rules." She gestures to the store.

I refrain from asking what the cheapest item is, I only have 5 dollars on me and the CASH ONLY chalk sign in the corner daunts me. Looking at the menu above me, I'm not surprised to see that half the items are crossed out. I should carry more money. I could help this woman's family. Sighing to myself, knowing it was rude to make her wait, I point to the $5 Iced Tea on the board. "I'll have the iced tea," I say.

She nods, her smile warm. "Coming right up," she says.

I smile back at her and sit down on the barstool at the corner. The lights are off, thankfully, the light from outside is already giving me a headache.

In barely two minutes, the woman brings out a glass of tea.

Smiling at her, I say, "Thank you." Taking the cold tea from her hands, I soften my eyes, realizing how good she'd have to be at pretending to not notice the horrendous smell of sweat coming from me.

Glancing at the glass, I realize it's not disposable. I guess I'll be staying here.

Taking a sip from my tea, I try not to throw up. Covering it up as best as I came I cover it up with a smile. I wouldn't get anything from hurting this poor woman's feelings.

"So, how's your day going," I say making friendly conversation. I guess it was my nature, despite converting to a Villain, I couldn't help being unfriendly. I was on the border of Hero and Villain in that way.

Her smile widened infinitely and I wondered when someone had asked her that. "It's going good, not much happening..." she started, and I had no idea how much "not much" was.

After what I guessed was thirty minutes of her talking about her day, her history, and basically her entire life story, I was intrigued. Who would've guessed that this woman was a spy in the Vietnam War? It was amazing what you could learn about a person by just sitting by them and listening to them for a couple of minutes.

If I wasn't involved in the Villain and Hero world by birth, I'd be a reporter. It'd fit me. Nike used to talk about that. My smile dimmed and the woman, Clarissa, noticed.

"Oh, what have I said now...my husband always said I couldn't keep my mouth shut if my life depended on it, affectionately of course," Clarissa says.

Before I can answer, she interrupts, making me smile fondly.

"Oh dear, you haven't even had two sips of your iced tea. Is it bad? You'll have to excuse me, I don't make tea often, most everyone in these parts just wants a cup of coffee," she says, impossibly fast.

I can't help but wonder again what this woman was like in her primes, she must've been a force. I smile.

I shake my head quickly. "No, no, it's very good. I'm just not really thirsty," I say, politely.

"Of course, the wifi password. I completely forgot. It's just password234," Clarissa says.

I grimace. I could've guessed that. "Thank you," I say, pulling out my phone as Clarissa nods and disappears into the kitchen.

Finally putting in the wifi password, I call an Uber.

Getting up from my seat and grabbing my things, I look around wanting to say goodbye to Clarissa before I leave.

She returns a few minutes later with an envelope in her hand.

I look at her, my eyebrows scrunched together. "What's that?" I ask.

"It's for you," she says. "A young woman left it about four or five months ago, saying a teenager about your height would pop in here sometime in the future and make me spill everything about myself in less than 20 minutes. She told me to give him this letter."

Nike? I doubt Mother could be mistaken for a young woman anymore. I take the envelope from her hand with a smile. She knew me too well. "Thank you."

Clarissa nods and waves at me as I step out of the coffee shop and into the sunlight.

I smile again, more forced this time, before sitting in the Uber and driving away.

After a few miles, I take the envelope out and throw it out the window.

I'm over my family. I can't afford to care anymore. 

Dee:

Hi! Did I just update two days in a row? Yes, I did! Woo hoo! Go me. 

Anyway, another side of Storm but as you can tell this was just a filler chapter. Hope you liked it. 

Seriously rushing these words onto paper because I have about 14K words so I need 6K more in 5 days- ugh.