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Category: Mainstream
Description: Marty grew up in the lap of luxury, at thirteen began experimenting with drugs, and ended up in rehab. At sixteen she escaped, crossed the state line, and with a fake id, got a job dancing in a strip joint. At twenty she cleaned up her act, moving twelve hundred miles away. JoAnne came from poverty, with an alcoholic father. She started working at age fifteen to help her mother support her younger siblings. When her youngest sister graduated high school, she left, vowing never to return to her father's house. The two met for the first time in Shreveport, Louisiana, became roommates and best friends for life. When one wins big at the casino, they go on an adventure most only dream of. If you liked Thelma and Louise, you'll love Marty and JoAnne.
eBook Publisher: Solstice Publishing/Solstice Publishing, 2011
eBookwise Release Date: February 2011

Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [184 KB]
Words: 40591
Reading time: 115-162 min.

Chapter One

"Where am I?" Marty rolled over and saw the empty beer cans lying on the floor next to her. She didn't remember what brought her here, but after a few minutes it all comes rushing back to her. She'd had to find a place to hide and ducked in here, fearing the cops or her parents would find her.

She'd packed an extra pair of jeans and T-shirt in her backpack before leaving the center. She wished she'd thought to pack clean underwear. At least this dump had running water, so she could bath before hitting the road again. She looked at her watch; it read 7:00 a.m. If she hurried, she could make it to the state line before noon. She'd have to find her way through the woods, taking the highway might be too dangerous.

Marty hoped to get to Big Dave's before nightfall, she knew he'd take care of her -- he said he would.

They'd met two months earlier at a party she attended without her parents' permission. Of course, being only sixteen, her parent's didn't give her permission to attend many parties. She usually slipped out after they went to sleep. Big Dave promised he'd arrange for her to get a fake id, and put her to work in his strip club across the state line. That was before her parents took her back to the drug rehabilitation center.

She first went to rehab at age thirteen, when she started smoking pot. After that, she was in and out. By age fifteen, she'd graduated to harder drugs, and stole from her parents to feed her cocaine habit.

Marty wished she had a toothbrush, but settled for the mint gum she swiped from her counselor's desk. At least she washed her face and combed her hair. She stuck her purse into her backpack and threw it over her shoulder.

Walking slowly out of the abandoned house, she looked in every direction to make sure no one saw her. She'd found out about the old house from some of the kids in rehab. Seems the old woman who owned it died, and the heirs lived twelve hundred miles away. Empty beer cans lying around, and used needles in the bathroom, showed evidence of others being there.

Heading for the woods, she stayed close to the riverbank. Luckily, she'd run before and knew her way around. Cars coming by made her nervous. She felt positive the councilors from the rehab contacted her parents by now. She had to be careful. She held her breath as a patrol car pulled up to the curb less than a hundred feet from her. Act normal and don't look at them, she told herself.

She pulled her hood over her head, looking like any other ordinary kid on her way to school.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she made it to the edge of the woods. Knowing the creek ran toward the edge of town, she followed close enough to hear it running, yet far enough away to avoid spotting.