Going Rogue by Anja Ulven

"Whatever," I yelled as I slammed the front door, entering the chilled air of outside. I jumped from the porch and began my journey to nowhere.

"Where you gonna go, Blakely? Face it, you're stuck here," my father said as he walked towards me. He grabbed my elbow and turned me towards him, "Get back inside, now. We can talk about this."

"Talk about it? You say that everytime, no. I'm done," I replied, yanking my arm from his grip. We locked eyes, then all of a sudden I felt pain. My hand went up to my now sore cheek.

"Fine. Leave. But don't you dare come back," he said turning away from me. After he went inside, I stood internally debating on going inside or not. I finally decided against it, and began to walk.

It got colder the more I walked so I wrapped my arms around myself. I passed a cafe and decided to go in.

I opened the door, the aroma of baked goods surrounding me.

"Hello, my name is Sam. Welcome to The Cafe, may I get you anything?" a stout woman said apon my entering. I asked for a coffee and settled down at the counter. I looked around the cafe, it was pretty empty. Just me, the woman, a cook, and an elderly couple quietly talking in a booth.

The woman handed me a steamy mug just as the door opened capturing my attention. Two men, perhaps in there early twenties or younger, stood in the doorway. The woman recited what she had said to me, and they asked for two waters. They were taking off their gloves and I noticed one had a burn on his hand.

"See something you like?" one of the men said, studying me. I blushed and quickly looked down, mumbling a short sorry. They chuckled and I felt my face get more red.

I got out my phone and looked at the time; 3:27am. Then I texted my friend K.J. :I'm coming over. and locked my phone back, tucking it safely in my boot. I paid the woman, left a tip, and then walked out all in about 17 seconds.

K.J. lived about four blocks away from me so I knew I'd have to go home and grab a jacket so I wouldn't freeze. I didn't get very far when a white car pulled up next to me.

"Do you need a ride somewhere, miss? It's pretty cold out here," a man's voice came from the drivers seat. I couldn't see very well, but when my eyes adjusted I noticed it was one of the guys from the cafe. His brown eyes looked me up and down, and his question hung dryly in the air for a while before I found my voice.