Joey felt powerful as he packed a backpack full of things he might need -- snacks, socks, some cash he took from his stepmom’s stash. He didn’t know what he was doing, but he was doing it anyway. By morning, Joey would be gone, far away from here.

    ‘Like a bat out of Hell,’ he thought.

    He never would have imagined that he would actually do it. He was leaving, for good, not saying a single goodbye, not even to his girlfriend, Laurie. He would miss her, but his escape was much bigger than any ridiculous high school relationship. He could always find a new girlfriend, anyway.

    Closing the window behind him, Joey took a deep breath.

    ‘Here goes nothing.’

    Just as he took a step, he heard the window open.

    “Where are you going, Joey?” The voice was small, and upon hearing it, guilt hit Joey’s gut like a bolt of lightning.

    “Hey, Ellie, don’t worry about it. I’m just going out for a few days, but you can’t tell mom and dad.” Joey wanted to make sure his younger sister wouldn’t tell on him, but he knew she probably would. It’s just something that six year olds do.

    Ellie was about to cry. She took her thumb out of her mouth and gave her big brother a hug through the open window, knowing that he wouldn’t come back. She may be six, but she knows he hates it at home and that a few days means forever. Or until he gets caught.

    By the time Joey made it to the bus station, the sun was starting to come up through the clouds. He didn’t really feel like the bat out of hell he felt like while leaving just hours earlier. He thought of Ellie.

    Looking around, he tried to find a postcard or something, anything, he could mail her when he got wherever it was he was going. Shaking his head, he gave up.

    ‘I’m trying to get away from my family,’ he thought. ‘That means no writing to Ellie. They could find me, and it would get me into even more trouble.’

    As he went to find a place to wait for his bus, the lady working the ticket table waved for him to come over to her.

    He gulped. If he was going to get caught, he didn’t want it to be now, not before he made any progress. He had nothing cool to tell any of his friends at home if he got sent back.

    “Young man, are your parents with you?” The lady’s blue eyes were wide, as if she was genuinely concerned.

“Uh.” He didn’t know what to say. “Yeah. I’m just…”

She eyed him carefully.

“I’m meeting my uncle in Toledo.” He mentally hit himself. ‘That’s not even what your ticket says, dumbass.’ He hoped she wouldn’t notice. “My parents decided that I’m old enough to travel on my own, being 17 and all.”

Nodding, she let him return to his seat. He knew he only barely made it out of that. But, then again, if she had let him say Toledo when his ticket said Springfield he knew that she wasn’t the brightest ticket-taker in the station.

    Before he could get too comfortable, the overhead speakers called for his bus. He let out a sigh. ‘Now or never,’ he thought.

    Standing, he looked back for a second to wave goodbye to the oblivious ticket taker, but he froze when he saw her talking to what looked like police officers. She pointed at him. He ran.

    All he had to do was get onto the bus. If he could make it there, seated with his earbuds in, he would be able to blend in with the rest of the passengers.

    ‘But how did she call them so fast?’ Joey thought. Moving quickly to find a seat on the Greyhound, he remembered his little sister. Tattle-tailing is something six year olds do well. If anyone called the police, it was because Ellie told his parents.

    The doors of the bus started to close, but were stopped by the officer. Joey couldn’t hear what he said to the driver, but he was almost sure he heard his name. The officer moved towards him.

    “Excuse me, son, are you Joey?” The officer didn’t sound angry, but he knew he was in for a world of hurt when he would arrive back home in the back of the officer’s Crown Victoria.

    Joey, afraid to speak, only nodded. The officer pointed to the empty space next to him, indicating he wanted to sit. Joey moved over, giving him more space.

    “You know I have to take you home, right?”

    Joey nodded again. He then opened his mouth, inhaled sharply and paused before saying: “Did my parents call you?”

    The officer chuckled. “No, actually.  A little girl. Said her big brother Joey ran away. Told me not to tell your parents.”

    Joey felt relieved. Not that he was being ratted on by his sister, but that he might get out of this one without any lectures from his dad and stepmom.

    Not wanting to hold the bus up any longer, the officer offered to drive him home.

    “I’ll go with you, but only if you drop me off a few streets away. I don’t want to explain to my parents why Ellie called the police.”

    In that moment, Joey wondered if his parents even realized he was gone. It was almost 9 a.m., and usually his dad would be awake and in the kitchen making coffee and breakfast. He knew his stepmom wouldn’t care. She never really liked him anyway and Joey never liked her, but it would still mean a lot if she noticed his absence. If she asked, he could make something up about sneaking out to see Laurie; he was always doing things like that anyway.

    Then there was Ellie. Looking through the window, worrying about him. He decided then that if he went home, he would do it for her.

    The ride home was quiet. The officer didn’t have any music on, but he let Joey ride in the front seat, so he wasn’t going to complain about it.

    Getting out of the Crown Vic, he thanked the officer and started walking towards his house. As it came into view, he saw Ellie in the window.

    She ran through the door towards Joey. He couldn’t be mad at her if he wanted to. He ran towards her, too.

    He scooped Ellie up into a hug, and promised her that he would stay with her as long as she wanted him to. No more running away.