The First Escape

An unfamiliar alarm began to ring, causing myself to wake up. Since I have just awoken, I cannot fully process what is happening or where I am.

I am in some unfamiliar room. I am surrounded by framed awards. My ears being annoyingly tickled by a jarring alarm noise coming from the room in front of me. I am still in my normal daytime clothes instead of some pajamas. I was asleep on a couch for the first time in ages. I had my drawing tablet connected to my laptop set up on the table in front of me.

All of this is unusual scenery for me. It’s so odd that I find myself questioning whether this is a dream or not.
This question is immediately evaporated thanks to John opening the door to his bedroom. His wrinkled shorts and shirt looked overused. Does he even wash his clothes properly?
He initially looked shocked that that I was sitting on his couch, but his look quickly shifted, indicating that he remembered what happened yesterday. He riffled his messy bed hair and waved awkwardly. I waved back.

    “Good morning, John.”
    “Good morning, Alice. Um, thank you.”
    “Don’t worry about it.”
I had to dismiss his sincere thanks. He cannot assault me with emotions this early in the morning, I've only just woken up. I’m in no state to do anything proper right now.
Oh right. I did not bring anything to prepare myself. My morning routine cannot be done today. Right. That’s what I’m doing to get done today.
    “I should thank you, John. I’ve made great progress thanks to your help last night. Do you mind if I stay for the next few nights?”
    “So now you're asking, after you already stayed one night by force? You know what? Feel free to call this place your new home.”
He left his rather dismissive statement with me as he left his apartment.

Oh? He trusts me so much that he’d leave me alone in his alarm. This is progress. So staying over was the right choice to take.
I felt myself sigh as I leaned back into the couch. It’s of similar style to the ones littering lounge areas in our university, which makes me wonder how he even acquired one.
It’s a good sign that I’m having such random thoughts. That means I’m relaxed here too.
This is a different kind of relaxed compared to whatever I have to endure in Father’s mansion. This kind of freedom from his pressures feels deflating. I am deflating on the couch, something that I have not had the chance to do ever since Father came around.
Maybe I should really move into here. This would require me moving more of my stuff over, which I am happy to do. However, Father will be an obstacle in this plan. I’ll need to win him over somehow.

That’s what I began to think over as I made my way back to that dreadful mansion.

Thanks to the taxi I ordered, I reached the long driveway of that mansion a few minutes before 07:00. This is around the normal time that I’d be awake at. Considering that it’s a weekday, I should be getting ready for my classes today.
As you can already tell, that is not happening, nor is it going to happen. Seeing John still be alive is more important than some education.
That is what I tell myself as I step inside the oppressive mansion.
I opened the door only to see Father stand behind it.

    “Good morning, my dear daughter.”

He wasn’t smiling. Neither was I. My heart sunk through the ground.
    “Mind telling me where you were last night?”
Father began interrogating me in the living room, where we have our usual meetings.
He expects answers out of me. He expects compliance. That is the last thing he’s going to get out of me.
    “I was developing professional relationships with my peers, if you must so desperately know.”
    “Who were you with?”
    “My peers.”
    “Names, Alice. Give me names.”
His sharp stare focused in on me, trying to make me fall in line with his sheer intimidation alone. Such a tactic has worked previously, but not today. I met his stare and shot it back.
    “I refuse. You do not need to micromanage my relationships, Father.”
This caused him to stand up from the couch to look down at me.
    “As your Father, it is my job to guide you to a good career, a good life. Therefore, even such seemingly irrelevant information is vital for my continued evaluation of your path. So, I implore you, tell me the names.”
I stood up to match his energy.
    “If you’re only asking about my recent activities and associations, then I will be taking my leave. Such questions are, frankly speaking, a waste of my precious time.”
I tuned to leave the room, and left without much resistance from my Father. In general, he did not stop me from further packing my bag with my essentials. I would be living over at John’s for the foreseeable future, and I do not plan on returning here to live, so it’s only essentials that are being brought. Makeup, a change of clothes, other computer accessories, the stuff. I did feel a tint of sorrow that I would be leaving this base of operations, but I wasn’t even using it for more than a year, so this place doesn’t bear some major significance on my heart. I can leave without any regrets.

When I reached the main hallway, I seen Father standing in front of the last door I needed to pass. Despite his lack of protest when I initially left, it's clear now that he does not intend for me to leave. Unfortunately for him, my mind is made up.
    “Where do you think you’re going, Alice?”
    “I’m going to further develop my professional relationships.”
    “As your Father, I command you to stay in this household and study for your upcoming exams.”
I felt my fist involuntarily tighten up. He still intends on bossing me around.
I see.

    “Father, where is James?”
    “Why do you ask?”
    “I haven’t seen him all morning.”
    “I had him return home due to your absence.”
That was a stupid move. Why would he do that?
    “Are you sure? I see him in the kitchen.”
I pointed towards the living room, which had a view of the kitchen further down the room.
    “What? Don’t tell me James disobeyed my orders again.”
Father stormed into the living room only to be met with an empty room. There was no James.
    “Where did you-”
There was no me either. I was already out the door.

I felt the wind blow past me as I ran down the driveway, towards the taxi that sat at the end, awaiting my arrival. Once I jumped in and urged the driver to floor it, I shot one last look at the mansion entrance. I could spot Father staring with this arms crossed at my escape vehicle. It was a truly stupid plan, but sometimes the more illogical plans work the best. Who would have guessed he’s fall for something like that so easily?

Now that I had a bag full of my essentials, all that was left was to set up at John’s place.