"I want to be a musician," the girl says to her mother as she hands her some more college brochures, "I don't need college."

"You are going to college, or you will not be living under my roof." she rebukes.

"But mom! This is what I believe in. Music is very important to me, I am going to form a garage band and tour the globe. I'll make lots of money some day, just give me a chance!"

"No."

"Fine! I'll go get my stuff." The girl runs up the stairs to her bedroom, and begins to gather her things. Reaching for her guitar first, then her box of cigarettes. Quickly she leaves the house, with everything she really cares about in her backpack. Her mother watches her leave, without flinching.

She walks to the streetside, heading for a friend's house. Never before has she walked there before, but she has no car so she must. The calm, yet cool, day breaks away into a dark, wet night. She arrives at a friend's doorstep completely soaked. Three nocks on his door arrive from her fist.

"Yeah? What are you doing here this late?" answers a man at the door.

"My mom kicked me out because I don't want to go to college, but make a band and tour the world."

"Anna, your timing is great. Do you want to go with me to chicago? We can make our own band there where there are millions of people! Sure, our first few days we may need to make our money by playing on the streetside, but that won't be for long. C'mon Anna- lets go!"

"Okay! I'm in." She follows him inside where he rushes and packs everything he needs into one small bag. He writes his mother a note explaining that he is going to be away for a while, and that he loves her before he steps out the door.

His car's engine starts with the beautiful hum of freedom. They are going to do exactly what they want now. No more parents. No more college worries. No more problems. They quickly leave the driveway and head towards the interstate.

"Anna, we're almost out of gas. We'll need to tank up to make it to Chicago tonight. I don't have any money though, do you?"

"No I don't have any money! What are we going to do?"

"I have an idea, but you won't like it," he pauses, analysing the desperate look on her face.

"Well, there is a truck stop nearby. You know truckers, they'll pay anything for a little...company." A shocked and disgusted look flashes across her face. "Anna, we all have to make some sacrafices to make our dreams come true." She nods, and as soon as the car stops at the truck stop she leaves and performs her duties.

"Ethan, wake up! Unlock the door!" He reaches over to open the passenger side door. "I did what you asked, in fact, I did it three times! You would not believe how much money you can make off of just being a little permiscuous!"

"How much did you make?"

"Enough, just pull up to the gas pump." He complies, and soon afterward begins filling the tank.

Just a few hours later they arrive in the city. By now the orange sunrise is visilble across the skyline. With a sunrise that beatiful, Anna was sure this is what she wants to do. This is where she wants to be. On their first day they eat at a very fancy restaurant to commemorate the great occasion of making it here, spending the last of the money she earned at the truck stop.

The next morning, Ethan and Anna are both hungry. But they know how to make some quick cash at such an early hour. Ethan and her unfold one of their guitar cases upon the sidewalk, sit down and begin playing beautiful music.

But after a few hours, they only accumulated a few dollars.

"I guess we could share a big mac or something."

"Yeah, its just a slow day. I'm sure we'll make more tomorrow." But the next day comes, and nothing changes. In fact this time somebody poured their coffee into the guitar case, and somebody else yelled profanities to the effect of how much better his pet donkey could play the guitar than them. Two weeks pass, nothing improves. By now they are both cold and hungry, Anna couldn't even make any money being a whore because nobody wanted her since she hasn't showered in weeks now.

"Ethan, I'm not sure what we're going to do. We need to make some money somehow."

"I have an idea of how we could eat today, but you aren't going to like it." he pauses, analyzing her facial expression. "There is a restaurant nearby here, this one homeless man says that they can sometimes find sandwiches there with only a few bites taken out of them. Apparently the food isn't great, but what else can we do?" She nods and follows him to the dumpster.

Every day progressed the same. They would either sleep in ethans car or a cardboard box, and eat from the dumpster.

"Ethan? Where are you?" She says waking up, scanning the area for him. Last night they both slept in a box in an area where several homeless can be seen. But now she cannot find him. She walks down the road toward where Ethan's car had remained since they arrived, they had never had enough gas to move it, but it was not there. Then she glances down, and notices that there is a note shoved into her guitar case.

Reading aloud, she says, "Dear Anna, I just couldn't stay anymore. The music business is just not what I thought it would be. I didn't want to say anything to you because I know how much you love this. I'm very sorry. I hope to see you again someday. Love, Ethan." She falls to the pavement crying, takes out her guitar and begins playing a sad song. To her surprise people were giving her money this time. A three hundred pound man even offered to show her his bedroom.

The day just kept getting better, so she decided to celebrate by ordering some cooked food. She goes to McDonalds, shaking just thinking about the wonderful luxury of real, uneaten food. Ordering only a hamburger and fries, she eats quickly, but sits in her chair, trying to soak in the wonderful cleanlyness of the McDonalds restaurant.

She then notices a man staring in her direction. Pretending not to notice,she looks down. Only a few seconds later he approaches, very slowly. She looks even further away now, avoiding what could be an embarrassing situation. But then he grabs her guitar and runs out the door!

"Come back! That is all I have left!" she screams angrily. She silences her own futile screams, knowing that there was no chance for getting it back, and cries, walking back to where she had been staying the past few nights.

Slowly, and somberly she crosses the street for the last time that day. Paying attention to only the ground. But then suddenly she hears a car honking. With a loud thump, and crack the car slams into her small, fragile body tearing her tiny bones apart. She falls to the ground a few meters away, and a single tear escapes her eyelid before the end is reached. Just before death she thinks to herself, "If only I had went to college..." and then the last lights reach her eyes before the darkness draws in.