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She said she was leaving and that I couldn't
change her mind. She was tired of all the shit
and she wasn't going to stand around and watch
things crumple all the time. She wasn't going
to try and fix things, it wasn't her fault and it
only made things worse and turned him on her, she
was missing half an eyebrow from the last bottle
he'd thrown at her. She said mother or no mother,
the woman wouldn't leave and she wouldn't stay
to be there when he finally killed her.
I said she was right to be leaving and I didn't know
what I was saying but she was so tired determined and
tiny and I wasn't going to change her mind. I promised
to let her know how things were, she didn't want to
know what was happening, she didn't make sense but
she was clutching her backpack and she grinned at
me. She didn't want to think about black eyes and
bruises, she was thinking of a boy in California
who had a couch and a job, she was thinking of
somewhere far away. She said that the only way
to hurt him was to leave. She said the only way to
fight back was to survive, and she said that her
mother would never leave unless he killed her but
godamnit she was young and she was gonna
make it. I was seventeen and scared and the bus
driver revved the engine and I hugged her and she
tripped her way up the steps and I watched
her small face disappear.
She was young and she was gonna make it. | 
