It was a bout 5am; I had just wakened from an argument between Mom and Dad. I slide from beneath my purple poke-a-dot comforter and on to the floor. I crept down the short flight of stairs that were in the west wing of our average sized house. As I made my way down, I heard a horrendous crash, and sudden sobbing. “JOHN!” screamed Mom. I crept closer and closer to the landing. 3 more steps, I thought to myself, 3 more steps! The leg of my pajamas pants caught on a lose nail on the staircase. I tripped and tumbled down to the hard, oak wood floor. It had the smell of freshly cut oak and dog slobber. The argument that had erupted before me had now subsided. I could he footsteps increase towards me.

“Christina what we-” Mom started but was interrupted. “What were you doing?” Dad sounded concerned as if he knew I had heard everything from before. “I-”I began, but was to shaken up. “No, its not what you did… its what we were doing. Did we wake you Chrisy?” Mom only called me ‘Chrisy’ when see was asking for my forgiveness or feeling guilty. “No-oo, I… came down to get a glass of water.” That was a close one. “Okay…go back to bed then.”

I can’t believe this, what could be that big of a problem that would make them argue that much? I was so focused on the argument, that as I made my way up the stairs, I collided into the door at the top of the staircase. Right outside of the door, was Max’s room. Max is my brother. He is tall and slender, with long, black hair swept to the side. He’s the shy type; mostly kept to himself. Most of the time he is all caught up in his room. But for some strange reason, his door was slightly open; which isn’t normal.

As I got to Max’s room, I noticed something sticking out from the door. As I got closer, it looked as if it was a…black garbage bag! What could Max hide in a garbage bag? A list off things ran into my mind. I scooted towards it more and more. When I realized, it was a garbage bag, but the object inside, looked like…a BODY! I was trembling in fear, so I got up from the spill, and sprinted back to my room. My heart was beating at the speed of light.

The next morning, I was exhausted from the night before. I couldn’t sleep with the thought of a body in Max’s room. I wasn’t sure if it really was a body, but I was extremely curious and anxious to find out. Mom had already washed my clothes and put a clean outfit at the end of my bed. I pulled on my long blue jeans, and black T-shirt. Across my room laid a pair of black Converse. As I sat on my bed tying my shoes, I realized Max’s door was still open. Instead of going downstairs into the kitchen for breakfast, I wandered into Max’s room, hoping to get a closer look. At the very moment I stepped in, Mom called me down stairs. “ Coming!”

“Yea, Mom?” I was curious why Mom would call me down this early. “Chrisy, we need to talk to you, about, Max….” ‘Chrisy’ apparently there is a family problem or something. “Anyway?” “ As you probably have noticed, Max has not been home for the last 2 days.” Yes, this was strange. Dad cut in, “Lets just get to the point-” “John, wait, I thing we should tell he, gently.” Mom sounded terrified of what was going to come. *Clears throat as if to cough*. “Max…was in a …shooting, outside of the alley, by Collins St. He was the main shooter and, um, oh, John, you tell her, I can’t!” Mom started to sob uncontrollably. She walked away to go clean up. “Well, he, um, killed one of the students and injured another. The students were from the high school. Max was sent to prison.” Dad seemed uncomfortably awkward with the whole shooting. “Is he going to be alright?” If Max is in prison, what am I going to do, its going to be weird if someone asks me were he is. God Max! “I don’t know Chrisy, I don’t know…”

“Christina, you’d better hurry or you’re going to miss the bus!” Mom seemed to be back to her old self, after a little freshening up. “What about breakfast?” I called, just before I walked out of the door. “Just grab an apple, you’ll be fine.”

On the way to school, I stared out the dirt incrust bus window. Today was one of those warm, but breezy days. Were the sun is just barely popping out from behind the clouds. When we arrived at the school, there weren’t that many students at the school, it looked kind of deserted. I walked towards the school and entered through the main doors. In the hallway, Mr. Callaway was leaning against a locker. “Hello, Ms. Cantana.” “Hello, Mr. Callaway.” He nodded and walked into the office, which was a stretch of lockers away.

In First hour, the speaker came on, “Christina Cantana, please come to the office, your father is here to pick you up.” That strange, Dad usually works until 10. Why would he be here now? As I walked to my locker, number 536, I saw …wait, is it who I think it is, oh my gosh, its MAX! What is he doing here! He was wearing one of Dad’s old business suits that he kept in the back of his closet. “Max, what are you doing here?” I was astonished at the sight that I was unbelievable seeing. “Thought, I’d come to see my lil’ sis.” “Cut the crap, why are you here?” I was furious at the fact that Max would do such a thing as to pretend to be nice. “Okay, I met this girl name Mary, she helped me escape from prison, so, we decide, since we’re both criminals, why not move to California together. So, I thought about it some more, and what the heck, why not bring Chrisy. Otherwise you’d tell Mom and Dad, and I wouldn’t want you to do that now would I?” I thought about it for a second, and I realize if I go, what will mom and dad think if I don’t come home after school.

Mine as well just go, most action I’ve see in years. As we got in the car, my best friend Beth was just arriving at school. “Hey, Christina, where you goin’?” Oh god… this will be fun… “We’re-” interrupted, of course. “Going to the doctors.” Luckily, for once, Max cut in. “The doctors, don’t you have to have your parents take you?” Beth, why do u have to be so complicated. “No, they are out of town right now, so they asked me to take her.” “Oh, okay, see you later!” Whispering under my breath. “Not…” “Did you say something?” Beth asked as she started to walk away. “Oh, no, bye.”


On the driver to the airport, Max and I didn’t speak a single word to each other. This was going to be along night. When we got there, I noticed a bathroom. “Can I use the restroom?” “I guess, but you’d better come right out. I’ll be watching.” In the restroom, there was a lady at the sink. She had light brown hair, and was wearing a purple blouse with tan slacks. Maybe this lady can help me get out of here. “Can you help me, I’m being kidnapped.” “Yea, were is the person taking you?” She seemed concerned. “California.” Oh, please please please help me! “Okay, I’m going Arizona, do you want to come with me?” yes! “Yes, anything to get out of his clasp. Thank you so much!” “Okay, here.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a wig and a lime green shirt. This was a weird coincidence that she would just so happen to have the 2 things to hide me from Max. I pulled on the brown haired wig and lime green shirt. As we left the restroom I noticed Max watching the ladies restroom thoroughly. Yes! We got passed him! “Hey, what’s your name, by the way?” I hadn’t had an enough time to catch her name in the restroom. “Paige, and you?” “Christina.”

Paige and I quickly walked pass Max, he didn’t even notice me! This is good, this is very good. When we got on the plane, Paige picked a seat all the way to the back. The whole plane ride we talked about what I was going to do. “If you want you can…live with me until we get your parents up here to get you.” “Okay, sounded great!” Oh my gosh, she’s my savor! The rest of the ride to Arizona, I slept. I was entirely tired from the day behind me.

When I had awaken, Paige was gone! Max was there, in here place. “Where’s Paige, what did you do with her?” Just when I thought everything was going good. “She’s safe, for now…” Why does Max have to be like this! “He-” Max slapped his hand over my mouth. “Shut up!” He said this in a hissing whisper. “If you don’t let me go, I’m gonna-” My mind when blank. What am I going to do, what am I going to do if Mom and Dad can’t find me? “Now, we are going to Arizona, we are going to be there in about 10 minutes, so be quiet!” “Fine…” Now, I’m screwed…

“Attention ladies and gentlemen, we will be landing in 5 minutes, I repeat 5 minutes. Please be seated and we will instructed you from there. Thank you and I hope you had a great flight!” 5 minutes, that’s not enough time to think of something! “Get up.” “What, the flight attendant said to stay seated.” Confused I got up. “We need to get ready to get off.” “Okay…” What is Max trying to pull? “Attention ladies and gentlemen you may now get your bags and other items down from the bins above you. Thank you for flying with South West Airlines. Have a good, hope to flying with again.” “Go, Go, Go!” Why was Max in such a hurry? Now we had stepped off the plane. “Where are ‘we’ going to live?” “Somewhere.” This was one of the most common answers from Max. “WHERE?” Max took of running in a random direction. In the corner of my eye, I could see something in the distance, or someone.

Paige! It was Paige! But I thought Max had gotten ‘rid’ of her? “Paige! Paige!” When I started to scream her name, she turned around and…. wait a second, she’s running…AWAY FROM ME! What has gotten into this world lately! Where’d Max go? Now I’m really confused. If Max ran that way, and Paige ran that way…oh, no, they’re working together!

I ran to Max and Paige, surprising I caught up. “Don’t tell me see’s involved?” If he says yes, I’m going to pull my hair out! “Yup!” “No wonder you had a wig in your purse, gosh, I should of known!” “Now everything is adding up. But I have one question for you Max, why was there a body in your room?” I wonder what excuse he’ll have for me this time. Mom and Dad didn’t tell you about the shooting? Well I was in the alley-” “Yes, yes, I know they told me, what’d you do take the body or something? Ha-ha.” What a joke. “Um, yea, how’d you know? That’s why I’m running away.” Okay, so where are we gong to live then?” This is was actually concerned about. “With Paige, of course.” Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse. I sat down on the bench that just so happened to be by the Airport drop off. I drifted asleep.

The next morning, I was surprise to see that I was in my own bed. “What the- How’d I- when did-” I looked around, yup it was my room. I got out of bed, to find a fresh pair of clothes at the end of my bed. This is strange. As I wondered, I came to my door, I pried out to see max’s door closed. I came out and knocked. “What do you want?” It was Max! I opened the door and ran to him. “I’m so glad you’re here!” I gripped him like a old teddy bear. “Why? It’s only been one night, gosh, what’s your problem? You’ve never missed me before.” One night, wait a second…it was…all a dream! I dreamt all of that I never went to California? But it seemed so real! Oh, thank gosh.

I skipped down the steps into the kitchen. “Mornin’ Mom, mornin’ Dad!” I was so ecstatic to be home and not across the country. “Morning Sweetie.” “I had the weirdest dream last night, you’ll never believe what it was about!”