What felt like never ending.

It was a cold, dark night and Savannah was struggling to stay warm. In the alley where she attempted to get a couple hours of sleep with no interruptions, she laid down with her warn out sweater barely covering her shoulders.  She shivered as the cold wind blew against her face and wondered what had went so wrong all the years that she tried to keep her and her family together.1

Savannah was an only child and her parents were worthless. They never gave Savannah any attention, nor did they discipline her as a child so that would explain why Savannah constantly ran away from home and got into so much trouble at school. Savannah had dropped out in her 10th grade year of high school. She found it pointless to stay enrolled in school considering that she had been suspended almost every week anyways for fighting or smoking a cigar in the girls bathroom.2

Savannah ran away from home thinking she would be happier on the street and living by herself. She thought the outside world was where she would get attention and love. She thought being anywhere but home was better than being with her parent's who never loved her.3

The morning sun arose the next morning before Savannah knew it. It was time for Savannah to start a new day.4

Waking up in the alley where Savannah had decided to sleep, she wiped her eyes and grabbed for her backpack that she had used for all two years of high school before she dropped out. She started walking down the alley to enter the beginning of the main highway where she stopped to wait for traffic to pass.5

As she walked down the alley in the mid morning, she could feel the sun rays beating down on her face as the warmth of the sun burnt her cheeks. She heard the birds chirping as she walked by a long corn field and thought about what her day would consist of.6

Two hours into walking with only one fifteen minute break in between, she came to pizza joint where she had stopped to rest for a couple minutes. Taking out the only source of fun she had with her, she opened up her crossword puzzle book and starting searching for the words she had to find.7

“What can I get you to drink?” asked the waitress.8

“Oh, nothing! I am alright” replied Savannah as she tried to sound lonely and sad.9

“Are you sure?” asked the waitress double checking to make sure she didn't want anything to drink.10

“Yes, I am sure.” Savannah replied taking a deep breath before returning to her word search.11

Savannah felt that she was being starred at. She looked up to see the same waitress that has asked to take her order looking at her funny. Savannah knew hat she was just an outcast and that she wouldn't be considered normal to anyone until she had nice clothes and at least looked decent.12

A couple minutes later, sitting right in front of her was a medium cheese and pepperoni pizza with the biggest cup of coca cola that they sold.13

“It's on me!” said the waitress as she smiled at Savannah.14

Savannah didn't know what to do except thank her and smile in return. As Savannah gobbled down her lunch, she mesmerized eating a lunch like that everyday.15

While Savannah was eating, she kept looking up to see the waitress looking at her. Savannah's eyes wandered around the pizza joint looking to see who was sitting around her. She finished more than half the pizza and sipped down her coke like she had never had one before.16

“Is everything all right? Can I get you anything else?” asked the waitress in a soft voice.17

“May I get a box to take with me?” asked Savannah as she hesitated.18

“Most definitely!” said the waitress.19

The waitress grabbed her pizza and went to put it in a box. A minute later she returned to Savannah's table.20

“There you go. Have a good night!” the waitress said as she handed Savannah the pizza box with the pizza in it.21

“You too and thank you” Savannah replied.22

The waitress winked and returned to continue working. Savannah grabbed her belongings and looked back at the waitress who had been so nice to her. She walked out the door with the biggest smile on her face.23

“Maybe there are some nice people in the world after all” Savannah said to herself.24

Savannah walked two miles until she came a pay phone booth and decided to sit down on the curb and think about a few things. She wondered what would happen if she went back to her parent's house.25

With over an hour of thinking and debating, Savannah called her parent's with the only two quarters she had and told them that she was ready to come home and obey the rules.26

“Where are you?” asked Savannah's father in a flimsy tone.27

“Two miles from the pizza joint on Crest line Boulevard, near the only pay phone booth” Savannah said with a sigh of relief.28

“Well be there in 35 minutes” said Savannah's father as he hung up the phone.29

Savannah sat on the rough curb next to the pay phone booth. All she could do was cry as she realized how living on the street was a lot worse than living with her two worthless parent's.30

“At least I have a roof over my head and some food.” Savannah said to herself with tears rolling down her face. Savannah hoped that somehow her parent's had changed and that they were finally ready to be parent's.31

The sound of a squeaky car horn startled Savannah as she looked up and saw her mother in the drivers seat.32

“Hop in” said Savannah's father. Savannah got in the car and they slowly made there way back to where Savannah thought was home.33

“ I love you mom and dad” and I am sorry if I have caused you any trouble.34

“It's alright.” We forgive you. We just want our family back said Savannah's mother as she stopped at the stoplight.35

“Me too” Savannah quickly replied.36

As they entered the driveway to their home, Savannah realized the she had no good memories of her childhood or her life as a teenager. She wanted to start a new beginning and she hoped that her parent's wanted the same too.37

Savannah grabbed her things and followed her parent's into their home. Nothing had changed.38

With her eyes closed, Savannah went into her old room and prayed to god that a miracle would happen and that her parent's would change for the better. Savannah ended up falling asleep to a soothing song on the radio that was near her nightstand in her room.39

Four hours later, still exhausted from her journey on the city streets, Savannah awoke to hearing the television blasting and her mom and dad bickering back and fourth real loudly.40

“She is going to have to get a job because with her living here, it takes away from my alcohol and my cigarettes” yelled Savannah's mother harshly.41

“I will tell her” replied Savannah's father only caring about the television and his “ I love lucky” show.42

“No, you don't have to tell me. I heard myself” said Savannah as she raised her eyebrows and died inside.43

Savannah walked into her bedroom and stuffed a couple more things into her back pack. She knew that her prayers weren't going to be answered as she cupped her hands into her face and silently cried.44

Savannah walked out the front door and knew that her mom and dad wouldn't even notice her departure. She walked three hours until she reached the greyhound station. She had a plan.45

Savannah didn't know much about buses or transportation but she knew that she was in desperate need of help. Savannah got into one of the bus lines and promised herself that she was going to move out of state and get her life back together, weather she had to do it on her own or not. The line got shorter and shorter but Savannah realized that didn't have any bus tickets. With people on the bus and people still waiting to aboard the bus, Savannah's stomach turned. She was scared. The lady in front of her handed the bus driver two suitcases and the driver ripped off the ticket the he needed and handed her back what was left of it. He pushed open the bus door, allowing the lady on the bus and closing it after her.46

“Benny, I need your keys to open up the other luggage compartment. This one is full.” yelled the man who was in charge of the luggage.47

Ben, the bus driver pointed his index finger and told Savannah that he would be right back.48

“No problem” said Savannah.49

Savannah took a look behind her to see that no one was paying attention to the front of the bus line. Without thinking, Savannah quietly opened up the bus door and shut it so now one would realize that they had been open.50

Savannah took a seat next to a stranger. She slouched down in her seat and tried to keep her head down so when the bus driver arrived back on the bus, there wouldn't be any trouble. That was the last thing Savannah needed with all the problems that she had already had.51

“Hi, I am Nick!” said the 17 year old boy that was sitting next to her.52

“Hi, I am Savannah. It's nice to meet you.” she said.53

Savannah wasn't used to people saying hello to her or even saying a single word to her. She was surprised and for the first time in her life, she felt butterflies in her stomach.54

“Greyhound bus headed towards South Carolina, Idaho, Missouri, Nevada and Ohio. First stop will be Missouri so please have a safe trip and buckle up!” said the bus driver cautiously.55

Savannah turned her head to take a glance at Nick who was smiling from ear to ear.56

“When you smile, you smile big” said Savannah as she let out a chuckle. For the first time in her life, Savannah felt that she had a friend. Someone who didn't look at her different from all the rest.57

Savannah and Nick talked non stop until it was time to take a nap.58

“Bus is stopping at Cleveland Ohio in 15 minutes” said the bus driver.59

Savannah and Nick both closed their eyes and fell asleep.60

Three hours later Savannah had awaken to see a new bus driver driving the bus and Nick still sleeping.61

“Nick, where are you getting off at? Savannah asked Nick as she tapped him leg startling him.62

“What?” Nick asked still half asleep.63

“Where are you getting off at?” Savannah asked as she repeated herself.64

“ I am getting off in Idaho” I am off to visit my dad for the Summer.” said Nick as he yawned.65

“Where are you headed?” asked Nick curiously.66

“ I am off to Idaho as well. Isn't that a coincidence” said Savannah trying to sound convincing.67

“Why don't you get off with me and come stay with my dad and I. He would love to have you and so would I. We can get to know everything about each other.” said Nick excitedly.68

“Really?” asked Savannah.69

“Yes, really” said Nick.70

“Al right, that sounds great!” said Savannah.71

Savannah and Nick smiled at each other.72

“This is going to be a very long Summer.” Savannah thought to herself.73

Savannah eventually got what's called a “New family.” Savannah moved in with Nick's dad and Nick decided to move in with his father and visit his mother in Summer. Savannah agreed to take Nick's hand in marriage on July 17th, 2005.74

Savannah's nightmare of feeling alone, betrayed, and unloved was a nightmare that only felt never ending but it's her love for Nick that will always be never ending.75