One day, after weeks of secret planning, seventeen-year-old Annika Dietty leaves home at dawn to run away with her boyfriend, the charming and popular Dylan Sopick. She tried telling her friends and family how amazing Dylan is, but seeing as they all seem set against the relationship, she’s decided their only chance is to run away together.
But not everything goes according to plan, and Dylan seems to be having more and more trouble dealing with every obstacle they encounter. At first Annika is sympathetic, knowing that he’s had a harder life than she has, but very soon Dylan’s behaviour becomes unsettling, and Annika realizes that her safety is at stake. She finally admits to herself that Dylan needs support that she can’t provide. She wants to get him help — if she’ll get the chance.
One day, after weeks of secret planning, seventeen-year-old Annika Dietty leaves home at dawn to run away with her boyfriend, the charming and popular Dylan Sopick. She tried telling her friends and family how amazing Dylan is, but seeing as they all seem set against the relationship, she’s decided their only chance is to run away together.
But not everything goes according to plan, and Dylan seems to be having more and more trouble dealing with every obstacle they encounter. At first Annika is sympathetic, knowing that he’s had a harder life than she has, but very soon Dylan’s behaviour becomes unsettling, and Annika realizes that her safety is at stake. She finally admits to herself that Dylan needs support that she can’t provide. She wants to get him help — if she’ll get the chance.
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Overview
One day, after weeks of secret planning, seventeen-year-old Annika Dietty leaves home at dawn to run away with her boyfriend, the charming and popular Dylan Sopick. She tried telling her friends and family how amazing Dylan is, but seeing as they all seem set against the relationship, she’s decided their only chance is to run away together.
But not everything goes according to plan, and Dylan seems to be having more and more trouble dealing with every obstacle they encounter. At first Annika is sympathetic, knowing that he’s had a harder life than she has, but very soon Dylan’s behaviour becomes unsettling, and Annika realizes that her safety is at stake. She finally admits to herself that Dylan needs support that she can’t provide. She wants to get him help — if she’ll get the chance.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781459740372 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Dundurn Press |
| Publication date: | 03/20/2018 |
| Pages: | 192 |
| Product dimensions: | 4.90(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.60(d) |
| Age Range: | 12 - 15 Years |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
6:00 A.M.
ANNIKA
The clock's large red numbers glow 6:02 a.m. I must've missed the alarm. It was set for five thirty; sometimes I sleep through it and it beeps for ten minutes straight before giving up on me and going silent again. Any other day this would be fine, but this morning the rest of my family must still be asleep, oblivious to the plans for my day.
I listen for any signs of life in the house but hear nothing. My terrier, Roxy, is nestled in bed with me as usual. I ruffle the top of her head and her ears. She rests her head against my rib cage and my throat gets thick at the thought of leaving her behind. I can't take her with me though. The plan is for Dylan to pick me up after I let Roxy outside, that way she won't bark and try to follow me out of the house. When I let her out in the morning, she quickly pees and then stretches out on the patio, enjoying the morning sun. We usually leave her out there until she barks to come in, which is at least a half-hour later, and by then I should be long gone.
I went to bed at ten last night. Way earlier than normal for a Friday night — especially since it's family movie night and we usually don't get started until late in the evening, but the plans for the day had me restless and I couldn't seem to focus on anything but what we were going to do.
"You feeling okay, sweetie?" my mom had asked. "You're still coughing." I'd had this cough and cold for a couple of weeks now. Although I wasn't feeling great, I was thankful for the diversion. I could just say I was sick and head to my room to finish all the last-minute preparations.
"Yeah, I'm good," I assured her. "Just tired. I think I'm going to head to bed early."
Dad entered the room with a large bowl of popcorn and a stack of napkins. My twelve-year-old brother Mark was waiting for us to join him, his hand on the remote control. The opening credits of a movie were on the TV screen and everyone was about to settle in to watch it together.
"Annika, you're not going to watch the movie with us?" Disappointment washed over him. I rolled my eyes a bit. I was seventeen years old and Dad still wanted me to be his little girl, joining in excitedly on any family activity. He'd be happy if I was still coming over for movie night at forty. Mom came toward me and kissed me on the forehead.
"You feel a bit warm, honey," she said.
"Nah, I'm good," I assured her. "I just need some sleep."
Mom stared at me for a moment. "Maybe we should check your temperature?"
"I'm sure it's fine," I said, brushing her off.
"Okay, well, get some sleep and if you need anything ..."
"Yeah, I know. Thanks, Mom."
"See you in the morning." I'd already left the room, and her parting words cut through me. I wouldn't see her in the morning. Little did she know that if everything went as planned, I'd be long gone before the rest of my family woke for the day. The truth was I didn't know when I'd see them again. Although I was excited for the adventure before Dylan and me, leaving my family behind made me ache.
The last few months had gotten really rocky between us though, and I knew they wouldn't understand. They wanted to keep me from the very thing I wanted the most — a future with Dylan.
When I got to my room, I quickly shut the door behind me and got down on my hands and knees to pull the backpack out from under my bed. It was bulging, the zipper barely able to close. How do you know what to pack when you're about to walk out of your life as you know it? What do you take when you're making a new life with someone you love, but when doing so means leaving everything you've ever known behind?
My phone vibrated. It was Dylan, texting me. can't wait for tomorrow. love u babe. 9:52 p.m.
I reply: Love you too. 9:53 p.m.
My heart surged at his words. I could feel his excitement through the phone. Dylan is such a passionate guy, always wearing his heart on his sleeve and coming up with grand ideas for our life together. He gives so much to everything he wants to do that his enthusiasm is contagious.
I know we'll have a good life together — that he loves me more than anything.
I pressed my hand to my forehead — I supposed I did feel a bit warm. Maybe trying to get a good night's sleep would be the best thing for me, so I could wake feeling energetic and ready for the day. I shoved my backpack back under my bed and did a last-minute swoop of my room for anything I might want to bring. I shivered as I studied my room and drank in all of its contents. I rubbed my arms, my heart heavy. This nine-by-ten-foot room that had been my haven for all of my seventeen years, with its pale yellow walls and flowery bedspread. The lace curtain panels on either side of my window, which I had requested from my grandmother's house after she passed. Bits of scotch tape remained on my walls from when I had posters hung up. I still had posters of Adam Levine (my celebrity crush) and Bruno Mars (my favourite singer) but I'd long removed the others, thinking I was getting too old to have posters tacked on my walls, covering them like wallpaper. My bulletin board had ticket stubs from the concerts I'd been to, a photo of me holding car keys in the air (the day I got my licence), and the honour roll certificates I'd received for grades nine, ten, and eleven. The shelves above my desk held my soccer trophies going back to when I was little, and my two favourite stuffies — LuLu, a honey-coloured bear with only one eye and half of the stuffing missing that I'd had since I was two, and a plush neon-pink smiley face with dangly arms and legs that Dylan had won for me at the fair.
I'd miss this room. Maybe we'd get settled somewhere and Mom and Dad would warm to the idea of Dylan again, see that we really loved each other and that we'd be staying together for good. Then we could visit and I'd get to see my other things again.
I settled into my bed, cuddled into my comforter, and wiped a tear from my cheek. Although I couldn't wait to start a life with Dylan, I couldn't help but feel sad at what I was leaving behind. If only my parents had a different opinion of Dylan. If only they supported us being together, then we wouldn't have felt like we had to run away.
My phone vibrates at 6:05 a.m. Another text from Dylan. This time it's a photo of the two of us that Dylan took on the Ferris wheel at the fair. My long dark hair is blowing softly in the breeze, the lights of the amusement park and the city glowing behind us. Dylan has his other arm around me, pulling me close, and he's kissing my cheek. I'm smiling from ear to ear, feeling every ounce of his love in that moment. This is why I'm leaving. Because Dylan makes me feel like no one else. Because Dylan loves me. Because Dylan is my future.
I brush my hair and pull it back into a ponytail and only pull my hair halfway through the last twist of the elastic. I apply a bit of eyeshadow and blush and my signature lip gloss — shell pink, it's called. Knowing we'll be in the car for a long time, I decide on black yoga pants and my Aeropostale hoodie. It's all about comfort today.
My heart flutters a bit at the thought of being alone with Dylan for so long. Even though we've been dating for six months already, we've really only been able to see each other for a couple of hours at a time. I usually have a few shifts a week at Shoppers Drug Mart and then there's cheerleading practice and dance — well, that is until I quit a couple of months ago. My parents were so upset when they found out I wasn't going to go anymore.
"You've been dancing since you were three!" my mom practically shrieked. "You love to dance!" Both of them looked at me in shock, as though I'd just announced that I'd murdered someone or something. And then telling them that cheerleading came next didn't go any better.
"I don't know what the heck is going on here, but I just don't get it." My dad had sat at the table, his hands massaging his temples. "Why would you give these things up?"
I missed Dylan a lot. My part-time job, dance, and cheerleading took up a lot of time, and we wanted to be together more. And the more time I spent with Dylan, the more I'd started drifting away from my friends at the same time. It's like we started growing apart. Ali and Tara, my two closest friends since kindergarten who also danced with me and helped lead the cheerleading team, seemed more preoccupied with winning the cheer competition again than anything else, and I just lost interest. I still loved the competition, the practice to get everything in perfect synch, the thrill of landing an incredible stunt — but it felt like the commitment was getting to be too much.
Having more time with Dylan is all I want. No one knows yet, but I've also quit my job. Dylan and I will be a long way from home.
DYLAN
We're finally doing it. After all of our talking about it, it's actually happening. We can get away from this damn place and start over somewhere else. I'm so tired of everyone being on my back, how no one really understands me. No one but Annika.
Annika's the best thing to happen to me. She's everything I've ever wanted in a girl. Since the first day I saw her I knew she was the one for me. I've never been one for casual dating. I've always held out for the girl who blows my mind right off the bat. You know, love at first sight.
I'm only eighteen and the thing is — I already know that I'm going to marry her. I've never met anyone like her. She's gorgeous, smart, sexy, and kind. She's the total package, and at times I wonder how I ever got someone like her in the first place.
Yes, I've said it — she's too good for me. I don't deserve her. I mean, look at her. She's every guy's dream and she chose me. Me. It still shocks me. It's not that I'm not a catch myself; it's just that Annika is on a whole other level that I can't match. Probably no guy could. I'm a pretty good-looking guy — I mean I've never had any problems trying to find a girl to date. There are usually line-ups of giggling girls practically tripping over themselves to talk to me after my basketball games. I know it's high-school basketball and not the NBA, but I'm kind of a big deal for our school. As the top scorer on the team, I know how it's done.
It's going to be hard for Anni to leave her family. I know it's been weighing on her and that's why it's taken so long to get to this point. It won't be a problem for me though. The faster I get away from my parents and my job (well, technically I don't have it anymore) and everything else, the better.
My bags were packed weeks ago, and I barely gave my house a glance before loading up and racing to get Annika. I don't want her to change her mind, to decide that we should stick around after all. The thought of us being alone for hours on end, with no one interfering with us, excites me like you wouldn't believe. She's my future and I'm ready for it.
We'll get settled up there, far enough from everyone. I can't wait. I'll fish and hunt for us. I'll teach her how, too, and the two of us will be a team. We'll have fires at night and we'll stare up at the stars. Annika loves animals. I'll find us a dog — a pup from a farm litter, perhaps — and she won't miss Roxy as much because we'll have a new little family member of our own. I'll surprise her with it when she least expects it. She'll light up and gush over the pup. The way she'll look at me, so excited and thankful, I can't wait. I'll do whatever I can to make her happy. I know she'll love this life.
I pull up to her neighbour's house, careful to position my car away from the living room window. The last thing we need is her dad coming out asking questions. He'd be suspicious for sure. We wouldn't be heading anywhere after that. Her parents would stand over us, telling us we'd be staying put. I can picture her dad saying something completely over the top like, "Over my dead body!" and pulling Annika behind him as though I was dangerous.
It didn't start out like this. In fact, we used to hang out together — until they started thinking I was a bad influence on Annika, and then their opinion of me changed pretty quickly.
Her dad has this way of looking at me. His eyebrows raise and his lips purse together as though he's studying me carefully, trying to get a handle on me. I always greet him with a "Hi, Mr. Dietty" when I see him and I've been nothing but completely respectful. All I want is for them to do the same for me. You'd think they'd see how happy their daughter is and be happy for us; instead they're trying to keep us apart.
Her parents are real strict — maybe even more so since we've been dating. They've even forbidden us from seeing each other now, but nothing is going to break us apart. They can't see that they are part of the reason we want to leave. They have no idea how they're driving their own daughter away. Maybe once we're gone they'll take a hard look at their behaviour and they'll begin to understand where we're coming from.
My heart is pounding knowing that Annika will have to slip out undetected for this to work. I pull out my phone to text her and let her know I'm here. It's go time.
7:00 A.M.
ANNIKA
U ready? 7:02 a.m.
Yes. 7:02 a.m.
I'm outside. 7:02 a.m.
I go to the window, and sure enough his two-door black hatchback is in front of our neighbour's house, just far enough from view from our living room window.
Be right there. 7:03 a.m.
I guess this is it. I swing the backpack up over my shoulders and it lands with a thud against my back, almost winding me. I survey the room one last time, tears welling up again. But as hard as it is to say goodbye, I am excited to see Dylan.
If my parents wake up, I don't know what I'll do. They'd absolutely flip out if they had any idea what we were planning. They didn't always hate Dylan. The first time I brought him over, my dad shook his hand and welcomed him in. My brother joined the two of them and they sat and watched baseball on TV. My mom made them nachos and put out bowls of chips and dip and I was thrilled that they were accepting him. Dylan made my dad laugh several times, and by the end of it, it felt like he'd been around forever. Dylan kept dropping by, and at first, my parents didn't seem to think there was any problem with it.
As the weeks went on, though, they were less and less supportive of our relationship.
"Maybe you should spend a little less time with Dylan," my mom said one evening.
"Why?" I sounded defensive, but it was hard not to.
"You just seem to be focusing all of your attention on him instead of your friends or your activities. It's not like you."
It's not like I'd ditched everything to be with him. It's just that I didn't care about those things as much anymore. Dylan was everything I needed.
"Maybe those things don't interest me as much anymore," I told her.
"Maybe they should. I'm not saying Dylan is a bad guy — we like him! I'm just saying that we're concerned about some of the choices you're making."
"You can't decide how I spend my time. I'm not a little kid anymore."
"No, but when we see that you're not even acting like the person we know, we have a right to be concerned."
"So, what? You have no faith in me? You guys can't control my life forever. And Dylan makes me happy. Happier than I've ever been."
My mom stared at me with such exasperation and disappointment that I wanted to scream. I wasn't hurting anybody. Didn't they remember what it was like to fall in love?
The ball game-watching stopped; the friendly handshakes and well-wishes at the door stopped as well. I started running out to meet Dylan before he could reach the front door, and eventually he preferred to stay in the car than face my parents, too.
I decided to invite Dylan for dinner so that I could try to patch things between him and my parents, but then things went downhill even further. In fact, they've basically forbidden me to spend time with him now. But we're still together, stronger than ever. I think back to that dinner and how Dylan said all the right things (or at least I thought he did), but my dad kept interrogating him.
"If you're a responsible young man, then why is Annika coming home so late?"
"If you care about this girl, why are you letting her quit all of the activities that she's worked hard at and loved her whole life?"
"Do you think jeopardizing Annika's future by having her work fewer shifts at her job is a good idea? Because it seems she'd rather spend the time with you. What else would you like her to give up?"
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The 11th Hour"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Kristine Scarrow.
Excerpted by permission of Dundurn Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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