Sophia
I knew it was my right to go out whenever I wanted to but somehow hearing Stanford saying it made it feel real.
Made it feel like someone still thought I mattered. That I was worth saving.
I tried to smile at the thought. I really did.
But my face wouldn’t move. Like even my muscles had given up on pretending.
I looked up to see a rusted convenience store that looked like it hadn’t been cleaned since 1993. From the boards and billboards around us, I could tell we’d crossed into Stamford. Home—or something that used to be.
Yes, Stamford was a town that used to mean distant cousins, clean front yards, and Fourth of July cookouts. But mom could never allow me to stay with them this period…. they were green snakes under the green grass….I knew that much.
Maybe the safest place f
