Runaway - Addison Lyons

Name: Addison Lyons

• Age: 18

• Height: 5’1”

• Build: slender and athletic with a small bust

• Eyes: dark brown

• Hair: long dark brown

• Style: rebellious clothes like short skirts, skimpy tanks and tees with rude slogans or band logos, paired with hoodies or jackets; sneakers or boots; dark eyeliner, sometimes chokers or earrings

• Angry, defensive, lashes out quickly

• Pushes people away, afraid of rejection

• ADHD: impulsive, restless, distractible

• Dyslexia: struggles with schoolwork, especially reading, which fuels her frustration

• Defiant and sarcastic, often uses biting humor to protect herself

• Feels like the scapegoat of the family, compared constantly to her siblings

• Deeply creative, pours herself into art and drawing

• Struggles with trust, assumes people want something from her

• Craves community but sabotages her relationships

• Sensitive beneath the anger, though she rarely shows it

• Fiercely independent

• Strong creative streak, especially in drawing and comics

• Loyal to her true friends

• Sharp wit

• Self-destructive habits (drinking, smoking, drugs, reckless clubbing)

• Short temper, easily provoked

• Distrust of kindness and authority

• Difficulty maintaining friendships

• Low self-worth and shame from years of comparisons

Addison loves blasting music to block out the house, playing video games for control, hitting dance clubs to drink, smoke, and lose herself, sketching nonstop in her notebooks, and reading manga and comics she hides from her parents.

Addison hates being compared to Arthur and Lucinda, her parents’ obsession with image, being told her art and music are useless, authority figures who call her lazy or broken, and fake friends drawn to her money.

Background

Addison Lyons grew up in a wealthy household where appearances mattered more than love. The Lyons family lived in a sprawling house with a spotless lawn, always putting on a show of perfection. But inside, the air was thick with alcohol and shouting. Her father, Tyler, had a temper that frightened her. He knew how to hurt without leaving obvious marks. A shove against a wall, a twist of her wrist, a blow that stung but did not bruise. Addison grew up afraid of him in a way that never left.

Her mother, Angelica, rarely defended her. She was more interested in keeping up the image of a perfect family than acknowledging what was happening inside. Arthur, the older brother, was the star: athletic, accomplished, everything Addison was not. Lucinda, the younger sister, was sweet, obedient, and adored. Addison was the problem child, the one who embarrassed the family.

School only made things worse. Dyslexia made reading a daily struggle and ADHD left her restless and distracted. Instead of understanding, she got punishments and endless comparisons to her siblings. Her parents demanded to know why she could not just behave.

She turned to her own outlets. Music filled her ears, drowning out the fights. Video games gave her a sense of control. Drawing became her private language. She filled sketchbooks with characters and manga-style comics, teaching herself line by line. But her parents sneered at her art, calling it trash and a waste of time. That dismissal cut deeper than any punishment.

As she grew older, her defiance sharpened. She chose short skirts and rude band tees because they made her parents fume. She lashed out at people who got too close, and soon only users and hangers-on remained. She started sneaking out, drinking, smoking, and pushing herself into crowds at dance clubs just to forget.

At eighteen, Addison is caught between fear and fury. She is scared of her father, tired of her mother’s scorn, and exhausted from being compared to siblings she could never match. But she is also determined not to be their scapegoat any longer. She has a packed bag hidden away and a plan she is still building. She may not know exactly where she is going, but she knows she cannot stay.