Laurel awoke to the sound of speeding cars and the sun rising from the east. She opened her eyes to see Jerry and Mark by her side, a bottle in hand, the high fences of a highway overpass, and a pounding headache. This was her 37th day away from home and on her own. Every morning she woke up in a new place, and went on her way from there. They walked to the nearest diner to sit down for some breakfast. Money wasn’t of the essence, so most of their meals were a “dine and ditch.” As they ran away from yet another diner, Logan pulled up next to them in their 2nd stolen vehicle. Laurel hopped into the front seat and they set off on a new adventure.
May 21, 2005, Laurel’s 18th birthday, was the last day her parents saw their innocent daughter. Corrine and George Fly always raised their daughter to be a lady, to have manners, and to follow the catholic religion. As her teenage years began, Laurel started to rebel to any rules or restrictions given to her. Punishment after punishment, her freedom decreased. At the age of 17, she met a boy named Logan. He came from the same kind of family as her, and they began to relate on a stronger level.
Logan was only 2 months older than Laurel which could not have been more perfect for their secret plan. Young love took over their lives like an addiction, and they needed to get away so they could always be together. For weeks, Laurel and Logan would talk every night about driving out to California to live the life they wanted, not the life their parents wanted for them. After weeks of talking about their dreams, they took the initiative to make a plan to escape their unfortunate fate. Logan had already turned 18, so they were going to wait until Laurel’s 18th birthday and runaway together.
The day before Laurel’s birthday came sooner than they expected. Laurel sat down to write the letter that would inform her parents of her naive decision. The letter brought inner conflict to her, but she put her conscience aside and made the choice that was truly important to her. Laurel woke up for school as she did every morning, but today was different. She left the note on her desk as she left her room for the final time. Her parents wished her a good day and she was off to California from there.
For the next month, Laurel and Logan cruised through the United States without a care in the world. They had no money, shelter, or people to rely on but themselves. From night to night they would go to parties, meet new people, and live the life that would have never been possible back home. Their love was all they needed, and they couldn’t ask for anything more. One night in New York, they met Mark and Jerry who were in the same predicament as them. From that day on, the four of them were inseparable.
Somewhere in Arizona, they used the last of their money on gas and proceeded on their journey. They drove day and night until resting was the only option. The gas light had been on for several days, but they refused to stop until they were on the west coast. That morning, the car began to sputter and stopped in its tracks. Logan took Laurel’s hand, looked her in the eyes, and said, “We’re here, and I have no regrets. Now can we start our life?” Laurel smiled, and at that moment she knew that she had made the right decision.
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