Sophie

                Annabelle looks in her bathroom mirror. She stares at herself, long and hard trying to figure herself out. But the seconds get cut short and the next thing the mirror is broken in shards. Annabelle runs out of the room, covers her bleeding hand, packs and takes one good look around her room.

                "So it's come down to this." Who knew that being sixteen and pregnant would bring so many choices. She wipes the traitor tears away, throws her military duffel bag out her window, and pushes herself out.

                "Dad is going to hate me forever for this," Annabelle says to herself as she walks over to her beat up, rust bucket of a car. Tony Barnes is a simple man, but a simple military man, hoping his only child will follow within his footsteps. I t would be unbearable to see her parent's faces if she has to tell them she's pregnant, and if she didn't they'd obviously notice the change in body mass.

                Annabelle quietly shuts the door of her rusted beetle she named "Sally," started it, takes one long last look at the place she's so accustomed to, where she took her first steps, said her first words, and snuck out for the first time. The traitor tears fall again, but this time she just lets them fall, over the only home she'll ever know. Annabelle steps on the accelerator and speeds away without taking another look back.

                Houses pass; dogs bark. This is really happening, she realizes. Annabelle pulls over to a wide spot and rests her head on the steering wheel and lets the tears fall. Not just little drops, these are full bullets of tears. She cries until she can't cry anymore, and then cries even harder. While sitting there for awhile just letting it out, Annabelle starts to think about what she's going to do for the next nine months. It only takes a couple minutes of thinking before she figures her plan out. She'll drive until she has no gas left, so she starts her beetle for the last time and speeds away.

                Obviously her parents haven't filled her car up in a while because Annabelle only got about three towns over before "Sally" sputters and dies in an old café parking lot. There's a big billboard sign that says Paulie's diner. Right on cue, Annabelle's stomach starts groaning so loud that she has to go in and see if she can get something to eat, especially now that she's eating for two. Annabelle grabs her savings and heads inside.

                The diners unique.( frag) Annabelle had to hand it to the owner, this place is cool. It's one of the old fashioned places where the waitresses are rollerblading in poodle skirts to the customers sitting in the car-like booths. Annabelle takes a seat at the counter and looks around and spots something that creates a pang in her heart. Up on the wall are a bunch of photos of smiling families, and one of those smiling faces is hers.

                "Oh, Annabelle sweetheart wipe your mouth, your spilling your food everywhere,"  Mom says.

                "Lenny she's six years old. What more do you want from the girl?" dad says. Mom gives him a look. The waitress comes over and gives them a grin.

                "Are you guys ready for your picture?" she asks?

                "Our last family road trip of course!" Her father says giving her one of his famous bear hugs. They crowd around the table and give the old camera one of their biggest smiles.

                "Say cheese!"

                "Honey, are you okay?"