It meant that, half an hour later they were all collected in the Raintree high school parking lot. It was almost bizarre, seeing it so empty. There were no other vehicles at all, except for the three that they'd brought, not even a weekend custodian's old truck, or anything like that. The expanse of gray with its fading yellow parking spot lines left her feeling a little sad. Not because of the desolation either. It was just that in a few months, five to be exact, she was leaving it forever. Then there would only be the occasional memory of the place as she drove by. On the one hand she wanted out. Badly. School hadn't been so wonderful that she never wanted to leave it after all, and it was time for her to get out of the house for good. College might be hard to swing, but she could get a roommate and work. If nothing else community college would be a good starting place. It wasn't a perfect plan, but it also wasn't her current life and that was a good thing, to her way of thinking. Then there was a sense of loss, even if she hadn't left yet.
