I had all of the troubles.
I moved in with my father when I was 13 after my mom got drunk, and forgotten I had called ahead to be late from my date. She proceeded to throw me up against a wall and tried to choke me out. My father never wanted to raise me because he was always out of town on business, but the abuse needed to stop when it reached that point. My Dad didn't stop his job, oh no, he would buy me and my brother a week's worth of groceries, give my 17 year old brother some money (which he always spent on pot) and leave. I was dropped into a new school in the middle of the year, I made no friends, I fought a lot, and wasn't popular at all, so a few months in I already hated school. At this point not having anyone to tell me I had to go to school, I just didn't. I would stay up all night on a text based role playing game, pretending to live the life of an adult, the proceed to sleep all day. It got to the point that I became what the school called a "truant" after missing so many days of school. On the days my father was home and made me go, I had the principal was begging me to come to school. After about 5 months of this, police where threatening to arrest my dad for not sending me, and yet STILL my dad didn't switch jobs. I still didn't show up most of the time, when my dad was away, I didn't care. This went on for a good solid year an a half. One day when I was 14 I decided that it was time to move out. So I packed a duffle bag, hopped on a bus to Texas in the middle of the night, and ran away to be with my 30 year old "mate" from my roleplaying game; to live the happily ever after we had RPed so many times. Fortunately he didn't beat me or sell me into slavery, but we did play as man and wife with his 2 kids. A week later the FBI showed up at the door after a manhunt to return me to my father. I still have some of the old missing and (exploited children posters (the ones they put up in walmart) with my face on them.)
When I was returned to my father, he had moved to Atlanta to stay with my Grandmother thinking that would change things. It didn't. I was right back on my RPing game (It was an addiction at this point). I went back to school for a little while, but had totally changed my style to be a hot topic skater/punk/goth, and I was proud to show off... I was actually very popular for a time, because I didn't care I was the "rebel".
I got bored though, because I had already failed 3 grades so I was in 8th grade when I was 15, and just stopped going to school again. By this time I was sneaking out in the middle of the night to go hang out with my much older boyfriends that I had met at concerts my father would just let me wonder around unsupervised. So I was too tired to make it to school.
They ended up putting me in what they called truancy school where I only had to show up till 1. The problem with that was, they had no transportation to and from, and my grandma or dad weren't driving me; so I had to take public transportation ALONE at 15 to a bad part of Atlanta. I wasn't afraid though, because 1. I had already run away to Texas how bad could THIS be, and 2. apparently my goth persona just made me look like I would stab people. In the end I just got on the bus, pretending to go and just went into Atlanta to roam, eat out, take pictures, ride the train, and just generally avoid school.
When I eventually turned 16 still an 8th grader I dropped out. Met a boy at a concert, moved in with him 2 months later. I went to-1- day of High school, but the principal insisted I was going to be in special ED for being truant in middle school. I went in did a word search, and maze for 10 minuets, and had a remaining hour and 20 minuets. I asked to go see the principal, where I just asked if I could be placed in an actual class where I could learn something. He told me No, I will be in that class or I will leave. I went back to class my thing and left. I had my first kid 9 months later, my second 2 years later...
When I was returned to my father, he had moved to Atlanta to stay with my Grandmother thinking that would change things. It didn't. I was right back on my RPing game (It was an addiction at this point). I went back to school for a little while, but had totally changed my style to be a hot topic skater/punk/goth, and I was proud to show off... I was actually very popular for a time, because I didn't care I was the "rebel".
I got bored though, because I had already failed 3 grades so I was in 8th grade when I was 15, and just stopped going to school again. By this time I was sneaking out in the middle of the night to go hang out with my much older boyfriends that I had met at concerts my father would just let me wonder around unsupervised. So I was too tired to make it to school.
They ended up putting me in what they called truancy school where I only had to show up till 1. The problem with that was, they had no transportation to and from, and my grandma or dad weren't driving me; so I had to take public transportation ALONE at 15 to a bad part of Atlanta. I wasn't afraid though, because 1. I had already run away to Texas how bad could THIS be, and 2. apparently my goth persona just made me look like I would stab people. In the end I just got on the bus, pretending to go and just went into Atlanta to roam, eat out, take pictures, ride the train, and just generally avoid school.
When I eventually turned 16 still an 8th grader I dropped out. Met a boy at a concert, moved in with him 2 months later. I went to-1- day of High school, but the principal insisted I was going to be in special ED for being truant in middle school. I went in did a word search, and maze for 10 minuets, and had a remaining hour and 20 minuets. I asked to go see the principal, where I just asked if I could be placed in an actual class where I could learn something. He told me No, I will be in that class or I will leave. I went back to class my thing and left. I had my first kid 9 months later, my second 2 years later...