Runaways(Lily Verhoff) Callie jumps down from her bike and blocks the sun from her eyes. She pulls her hair out from a beat up jacket and puts it back as she walks into the gas station. As She begins to browse the store, the cashier calls out to her, "How about a smile!" He chuckles. She stays quiet, grabs a pack of sunflower seeds and puts them on the counter. "That'll be 99 cents". Callie pulls back the side of her jacket to reveal a gun tucked in her jeans. "Yeah I aint paying that". The cashier throws his hands in the air. Callie reaches across the counter, gives the cash register a tap. It swings open, she grabs a handful of bills, and stuffs them in her jacket. She begins to walk away, but turns back around and slides the sunflower seeds off the counter. The cashier hasn't moved. She walks out.

Callie walks into a diner, and Lenny, the owner, calls out to her. "Callie! About time you showed up! I made you your favorite". Lenny slides a plate of sourdough toast towards Callie, who sits down at the bar across from him. "Thanks Len", Callie replies as she takes a bite of her toast. "So how's the old man?" Lenny asks as he hands her a coke.
"Same as always"
"And what's that?"
"Hungover. You know Ron"
Lenny pauses with a worried look on his face. "If you ever need anything-"
"Do you mind if I borrow your car for a while?"
Lenny pauses before replying, "I guess the old toyota could go for a spin. I don't use her as much as I used to". Lenny slides her the car keys. She slides him her now empty plate and replies, "I owe you", before starting to head out the door. Lenny calls out to her "So you running away?". Callie, laughing, responds, "Something like that. I'll pick it up tomorrow morning."

Callie notices a boy about her age in a hoodie slouching against one of the booths. He seemed to perk up at the mention of running away, but she can't get a good look before she leaves the diner.

Callie pulls into her driveway on her bike and locks it to the side gate. She walks in the door to find her father, holding a beer and sitting on the couch watching TV. Without turning to look at her, he groans, "Where have you been?". "Out", replies Callie. She tosses him the sunflower seeds. "I asked for ranch," Ron complains. Callie holds up her middle finger as she walks to her bedroom. Callie pulls out an old backpack from under her pillow. She takes the money, gun, and keys from her jacket and stuffs them in the backpack, which is already filled with cash. She puts the backpack back under the pillow, lays down and takes a deep breath. Callie pulls the lamp switch and rolls over.

In the morning, Ron is passed out in the same spot Callie left him. Tv is still on. Callie walks out of her room and empties the cabinets of stale granola bars and plastic water bottles, shoving them in her backpack. She sets a donut on the table beside Ron. He takes a deep breath in, & his head rolls over. Callie stays quiet. He takes a drink of his unfinished beer and falls back asleep. Callie zips up her backpack, and walks out the door.

Callie rides up to the back of the diner where Lenny's car seems to have been sitting for years. She unlocks it, stuffs her bike in the trunk and throws her backpack in the backseat.
"Ow!" Callie pulls her gun on the unknown intruder in the backseat. "Get out of the car or I'll shoot!" Mason peeks his head out from a blanket with his hands up. He is cautious, but not afraid. Callie says "Hold on, I saw you in the diner the other day. What are you doing in my car?" Mason replies, "your car? This car hasn't been used in forever. What are you doing here?"
"None of your business. I have permission to be here."
"Do you have permission to be pointing a gun in here?"
Callie puts down the gun. "Fine, I'll trust you aren't a murderer."
"Can't say the same about you", Mason replies, as he jumps through to the passenger seat of the car. "I'm Mason". He holds out his hand for her to shake it. She doesn't. He puts it down.
"Get out of the car," Callie demands.
"That's not very nice."
"I don't know you"
"Well, I'm Mason Turner, I'm 17 years old, and this car has been my home for the last 6 months"
Callie stays silent before Mason speaks again. "So where we headed? I heard you were running away - I was thinking California." Callie replies, "You can come with me, but I am dropping you off at the first hotel". "I have no money" mason objects. "I do," Callie replies. She starts the car. After a stretch of silence, Mason begins to fiddle with a bobble head toy in the car. "So what's your story?", he asks. "Again, none of your business", replies Callie. "Fine. I'll stop asking if you will at least talk to me", mason says. "Fine". After a while, the two start to talk and laugh together. They pass a motel 6 and it goes quiet. Mason does not test his luck. "Its getting late, we better get some food", says Callie.

Inside the restaurant, Callie sips on a coke, and Mason devours a burger, fries, and a chocolate milkshake. "Fry?" mason offers. Callie declines. "Can I ask you something?" says mason. "What's your plan? I know you don't want to tell me your past or whatever but you don't just run away with no plan. I am coming with you, I deserve some information." Callie replies, "I think I want to find my mom." After a pause, she decides to go on. "I found a letter she wrote me stuffed in my dads closet under some trash. I guess he wasn't planning on giving it to me". "He seems like a character", Mason says. "That's one way to describe it", Callie remarks. "I guess I should be grateful I have someone. But I'm not grateful for Ron. Never will be." "Well I guess we should both be grateful for that car out there then", Mason jokes. "You and I both".

Outside the restaurant, Callie and Mason find themselves gathered around a now empty parking space.
"Are you serious? The one thing we had. And this restaurant is in the middle of nowhere"
"It's fine. We can stay here until another car comes and take that one."
"No Callie, we are not stealing someone's car."
"Well there must be something we can do!"
Callie sits down on the curb and covers her face with her hands. "This is all my fault".
"Don't say that", mason replies, "Let's go inside for the night and we will figure something out tomorrow".
Mason offers his hand to help Callie up. She ignores it, stands up, and walks back inside the restaurant. He follows. The two find a booth near the back and lay down on either end. "The gun is fake right?" Mason asks.
"What?"
"Your gun. Is it fake?"
"How'd you know"
"If I were you…I would have killed your dad by now."
Callie doesn't know what to say. Maybe he's right.
"Goodnight Mason"
"Night".

Callie wakes up to the sound of a man arguing with a waitress. "If I ask for hash browns, I expect to be served hash browns. For all you know I could be allergic to sausage! Are you trying to kill me, woman?" Mason gets up to help the poor woman being yelled at. Callie has something else in mind, and walks out the door. Mason glances at her as she walks out. Mason shoves the man sitting at the bar. "Leave this woman alone". The man is in shock. Mason runs out of the restaurant, and finds Callie starting what he thinks is the rude man's truck. He stops, looks back at the restaurant, and decides to hop in the car.
Callie starts, "I'm sorry. I know you said we shouldn't steal but-" "He deserved it", mason interrupts. "But how do you know it's his?" "Just a lucky guess", Callie replies, gesturing to tacky American pride stickers.

A couple days later, Mason and Callie are eating Chinese takeout. Mason is now in the driver's seat, while Callie looks at the letter from her mom. "It says she lives in Pasadena at this address".
"We can be there by tomorrow morning", Mason replies.
"Perfect. I'm getting some sleep"
The next morning, Mason pulls into a parking spot, then wakes up Callie. "Callie. We're here."
She groans and stretches before sitting up. She grabs her backpack from the back. They hop out of the car. Callie approaches the door, takes a deep breath and knocks.

Back at the diner, Lenny opens a letter and begins reading.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but your car was stolen. That's not the point of this letter, though. I went to meet my mom. Funny enough, I brought along the guy that had been living in your abandoned car for months. A lot happened. But, we tracked down my mom in Pasadena, and we got there to find she had passed almost a year ago. Mason told me his mother had passed around the same time. Anyways, we are renting her old apartment here that has been empty ever since. I didn't miss much back home, except you of course. Job search is going well, be expecting the money to pay for your car.
Till next time,
Callie."

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