Starting Over

I believe in starting over. At seventeen I decided to run away, this is when I started to ruin my life. Running 300 miles away to Andrew, my abusive boyfriend, what was I thinking? Well a life with him is what I thought I wanted. Five months later I found out that I was a four weeks pregnant. I was excited, he wasn’t. He told me to get an abortion, told me he’d put it up for adoption if I had it, and plenty more things that someone in this position shouldn’t hear. For the next month he became more abusive and even tried to punch my stomach. So, one day when he was at work I packed my car and left. He had no idea. For all he knew I was staying, going to an alternative school to try to get my GED and having the child, if he didn’t force me into a miscarriage. I couldn’t stay though. I tried to make him stop, make things work but he needed to help himself first. On the way home all I could think of was starting my life over.

So I finally arrived home and slept in my greatly missed bed at my mom’s house. At this time I was so frightened that when I had the baby he would do everything in his power to take it from me. In fear I told my mom that I wanted an abortion. The next morning I remember waking up to my mom making the call to the doctor’s office to schedule my appointment. A couple weeks later it was done. No more baby, no more Andrew, no more living in fear. It was hard and has caused me a lot of guilt and pain but I believe it was the right decision. Since then I have changed my life.

I have started over. First thing I thought about was my education. From missing school so much when I moved to Andrew’s I thought that I wouldn’t have enough credits to graduate, which meant a lot to me, and my mom, who had pretty much lost faith in me finishing school. We saw my counselor and found out I could graduate this year with all my friends. That’s another thing, my friends. I really only had one best friend, the one I abandoned without saying anything, to leave this town. But things got better after I found out I could graduate. My best friend forgave me and we started over. And my love life? Well I’ve started over with there too. I now have Ryan, who is total opposite of Andrew and my heart is finally mended. I’m closer with my family and I have plans to join the Air Force and go to college. Eventually, when I’m ready, I’ll start a family. As for Andrew, he started over too I heard, joined the National Guard to better his life. I guess he finally helped himself. Anyone can start over.