Legal Question in Family Law in North Carolina

If you are capable of self-support, you can file for emancipation. When will you be 18? This may not make sense in your case if you will turn 18 anyway very soon. At age 18, you are a legal adult and can do what you want.

As a practical matter, you are 17. If you want to leave, you can. Can "they" (I do not know who "they" is) force you back? If you mean your parents, it depends. Your parents could have you declared to be an undisciplined juvenile. If the juvenile authorities agreed, you could be put in foster care. That is no picnic so I would not recommend that you just leave. Some police will not interfere where a child is over 16 and will not force you back.

I would sit down and have an adult talk with your parents. You want to be an adult so start acting like one. Sit down and tell them where you want to go, with whom and why. Tell them where you will be and how you will support yourself. If they do not approve, then you will have to either wait until you are 18, file emancipation or risk it and leave anyway.