The small, cramped room smelled like mothballs combined with the lingering scent of a lavendar perfume. Clothes lay littered across the floor, and every other horizontal surface available. Expensive perfumes and jewelry were thrown into the mix, lying uncared for, along with the various shirts, skirts, scarves and shoes. Records, missing their sleeves, lay scattered amongst the piles. The only surfaces not covered in stuff were the top and bottom bunk that Daisy and I shared.
Our roommates had ditched their last-minute summer packing in an effort to mingle with the families that had already arrived to pick people up for the summer long vacation. Amy and Angela were boy-crazy and planned to flirt with everyone’s older brothers for a bit before packing up. It was unusually quiet and peaceful without the two nasty chatterboxes to bother us.
Daisy’s old, tattered backpack sat at the edge of the door, waiting to be picked up upon exiting the room. Her things were not abundant or expensive, and I shook my head at the sheer carelessness of the way the other girls treated their things.
“Ugghh,” Daisy sighed, flopping onto her sterile-looking bottom bunk. The bare plastic mattress cover crinkled under her weight, the fabric covers already sent down to the laundry.
I set my book down on my still-fully-made bed and leaned over the wooden railing to look down at her.
“What’s up?”
She looked up at me, her face upside down in my view.
“I really don’t wanna go. I wish I could stay here.”
“Me too. But it’ll be alright. We can call each other, right?”
“I hope so.” She looked back down at her hands and started wringing them, then looked out the small window towards the lush, green, gated yard that surrounded the back half of the boarding school.
The sky was gray and threatened to crack open and drench the whole of Chicago. The grayness stretched on for what seemed like eternity.
It was my turn to sigh. I turned back over and picked up my book. It was all I could do to distract myself from thinking about spending the entire summer without Daisy.
Distant footsteps echoed beyond the door in the hall. Right as I found the spot on the page where I’d left off, a knock sounded at the door. I sat up straight and Daisy hesitantly opened the door, revealing Sister Mary Angela.
“Hello, Daisy dear. Your father has just arrived, so say your last goodbyes and come to the front doors.”
And with that, Sister Mary Angela left Daisy and I to our final hug before being separated for the summer. We’d never been separated before, because the money her mom had set aside before she died had always covered Daisy’s tuition as well as year-round room and board. Apparently in the last few months, that money had mysteriously dried up. Daisy blamed her dad for drinking or gambling it away, and it left a bitter taste in my mouth too because I knew she was probably right.
We weren’t even sure she’d be able to come back in the fall.
My throat closed a bit and tears stung their way into my eyes but I blinked them away. Slowly, I climbed down from the bunk and looked at Daisy, who was still standing near the now-closed door. Daisy was looking down at her socks and biting her lip, her long, dark-brown hair curtaining her face.
“I’m gonna miss you a lot,” I said, reaching my arms up to embrace her. “Can I call you? Does your dad have a phone?”
Instead of accepting my offered hug, she looked up at me, a hardness in her expression.
“Don’t.”
My face contorted in confusion.
“Come with me.” Her expression softened a bit.
“To your dad’s?”
“No. I’m not going with him. I don’t want to live a summer of hell. Remember how bad it was last time, with his new wife? And that brat of a child? I don’t want to do it again.”
“What do you mean? Where are you going?” I gently reached for her hand.
She looked towards the window again. “Aunt Mabel’s.”
“Aunt Mabel’s?! But do you even know where she lives?”
“No, but I’ll figure it out. Will you come with me?”
“You mean… just leave?”
“Yeah, pack a bag and we can go out the basement door, like we’ve planned.”
My heart pounded at the thought. Just leave? But we’ll get in so much trouble if they catch us!
I whirled around and grabbed my cheap backpack off the closet door hook and looked around at my stuff, not sure what to bring along. I quickly grabbed an extra pajama shirt, my book, and the old watch that my second foster mom had given me. My gaze darted back and forth, but I couldn’t think of anything else due to the rising pressure in my chest.
The clicking sound of footsteps got louder and louder as we heard someone creak up the wooden staircase and down the hall towards our room.
Daisy and I made wide-eyed eye contact and she darted into the open closet, hiding behind one of Amy’s long dresses that was hanging from the post.
The knob spun, the latch clicked, and the door opened to a navy blue wimple revealing Sister Mary Angela once again.
She looked at me, then swept her gaze across the room. “Where’s Daisy?”
“S-She’s just left, Sister. Didn’t you see her go down to the front?” I put on an innocent, sweet voice to sound more convincing.
“Oh. No, dear, I had not. Her father is still waiting in the car at the circle drive.” She adjusted her round, wiry glasses and began to shut the door.
“Maybe she’s gone to the ladies room?” I silently patted myself on the back for the convincing fib I’d just delivered.
“Yes, yes. Quite. I hope nothing’s gone amiss.” The door squeaked closed again and her clicking footsteps walked back down the hall and descended the stairs.
Daisy emerged from behind the dress, eyes even wider than before.
“That was close! C’mon we have to go right now!” She whispered, slipping her tattered shoes on and her arms through the backpack straps.
I slung my black, half-closed bag over one shoulder, quickly tied my shoes, and we dashed out, tiptoeing down the other side of the hall towards the seldom-used service staircase. Daisy clicked the door open quietly and our eyes adjusted to the dim, yellow light.
“I can’t see a thing in here!” I whispered, blindly grabbing for a railing. Instead, my knuckles collided with the wall, shooting pain up my hand. “Ow!”
“Shhhhh!” Daisy hissed.
We could barely make out the shape of the stairs in front of us and held onto the cold metal railing for dear life. The only light we had was from the exit signs overhead, casting an eerie glow against the paint-peeling walls.
Down, down, down we went, passing the platforms for the third, second, and first floor. The stairs were slick with dust under our feet as we descended, adding an element of danger to our endeavour.
As we reached the bottom floor, I could barely make out that a puddle had formed on the floor, likely from the dripping water pipes. A drop splattered on my head and I jumped. Daisy turned the knob of the boiler room door and we squinted in the brightness of the overhead lighting. It was brighter than the staircase, and shocking to our eyes as we ran towards the maintenance hatch on the other side of the room. Dodging pipes and machinery, we avoided slipping on the damp floor and made it to the large, gray door.
We’d never gone this far. We’d never actually had the guts to push that door open in fear of an alarm going off. In our many years spent at Providence, we’d mostly figured out where it led on the outside of the school, but weren’t sure. Our hunch was that this was the door to the loading zone, where we’d snuck from outside one time during Christmas break to see the snow plows in action. We’d discovered later in the spring that the huge tree along the loading zone’s gravel drive had cut into the surrounding wire fencing, leaving a portion loose enough for a small person to squeeze through if they ever needed to.
This was our plan. We’d had this escape plan for so many years and almost gone through with it a few times: back when we got bullied by the horrible clique of girls that ruined our art projects, and when Daisy was suspended to our room for fighting back. The closest we’d ever gotten was when Mother Gertrude threatened to kick me out and void my full-ride scholarship over something I hadn’t even done. Daisy was so angry, she hatched the plan for how we’d escape together. We’d gotten exactly to this point but chickened out at the last second, sneaking back up to our room undetected.
We shared a silent look that lasted only a split second but seemed to last forever. A lot was riding on this. We could get caught. We could get in trouble. Daisy might get taken away. I might lose my spot at Providence. I might end up back in temporary homes. If this goes wrong we might never see each other again. How could I ever live without my best friend? This has to work. It’s all or nothing now.
Daisy paused for only a split second before giving the heavy door a good shove. The handle clanged and startled us, thinking it was an alarm going off. After a moment, we realized there was no alarm. Before us stood the gravel access road and the fence. The large tree was farther down the road than we’d anticipated, meaning there was a higher chance of us getting spotted from anyone passing by or looking down from any of the windows facing this side of the school.
My heartbeat pounded in my ears and we ran along the fence as fast as our feet could carry us towards the big tree, which had recently leafed out. The branches cast shade on the gravel and on the sidewalk along the opposite side of the fence. Sidewalk, houses, buildings, freedom. Gardens, dog-walkers, cars parked along the street, freedom. Rain, clouds, fog, freedom.
The air was thick in my lungs and smelled like rain. My backpack bounced against my back with every stride. My hair blew backwards and I could feel the wind on my neck as I ran, faster, faster, faster. The gravel under my feet crunched with each step.
Someone yelled in the distance. I didn’t know who it was or where it was coming from, but I kept running forwards, never looking back.
Once we reached the base of the tree, Daisy knelt down and pushed the piece of loose-hanging gate out of the way, then crawled forwards. Once she was through, she stood up and held it for me. My backpack caught in the wire and I struggled with it, ultimately letting it slip off my shoulder and thud to the ground.
“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!”
Daisy held the piece of wiry fence out of my way as I stood up on the other side of the fence. She dropped it and grabbed my hand, jerking me forwards and into motion once again.
I looked back right before my foot left the ground and saw Sister Mary Angela running after us, habit blowing in the breeze. Behind her were two men from the office, clothed in dark grey. My heart jumped into my throat again and I took off, following Daisy into the unknown.
My bag left snagged in the fence, I ran away from the huge brick building I’d called home for the last few years. No more classes, no more bullies, no more being punished for menial things, no more rules.
Just Daisy. And freedom, freedom, freedom…