CHAPTER ONE ﹐149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR47S9udiQh
hello, thornwood bridge...
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THE MARMALADE skies tint the clear windows as the family inches closer to the town. All siblings are currently preoccupied with their own activities, as their dad steers down the road. Rickey stares at the panning clouds, accepting his impending destiny; living in Thornwood Bridge.
After his father had fallen for the blonde woman, the change in their little lifestyle hit the trio like whiplash. Margo's rebellious attitude spiked as Nathaniel announced his spontaneous idea at the family dinner.
The room lay bare with the sounds of scraping utensils against the plates. The boy barely laid a hand on his food as his focus was on the new lady next to his father. Of course, she was talked about, but seeing her in their home was different. Rickey didn't know if it was a good difference or a bad difference.
"I want all of you to listen up," Nathaniel spoke beginning to reveal the reason why he demanded his children's presence.
"We'll be moving together as a family now," Rickey's eyebrows raised as his brother's head lifted. "We'll be moving soon and Margo and her mother are coming along with us."
"What the fuck." Rickey muttered as his appetite disappeared at the sudden news. Any attempts to satiate his stomach were futile as his mood had been dowsed in unexpected news.
"Watch your mouth, boy." Nathaniel was quick to silence him with a growing scowl.
"I apologize sir." Rickey spat out not wanting this to result in another physical confrontation.
Nathaniel smirked as his ego had been fed as he watched the boy cower before his parental ways. Yet his other son remained silent as his fists clenched in disagreement.
It only took a few moments for Margo to flee the dinner table, and for Billy to silently follow along.
Rickey sighed as he knew Billy went to smoke his feelings away, and it was best to join. Rising from his seat, he glanced toward the new female figure in his life.
He debated quickly whether he should raise the mood and get Nathaniel's mind off of disciplining Billy or should he welcome the woman. If only the first option didn't have the rath of Nathaniel accompanying it he would be delighted to finish the tense mood with a cherry on top. A couple of choice words and maybe a jab at his dear old pops. But looking to the side of the man he saw the timid lady and decided to save her from his theatrics.
"By the way, welcome to the family." A pitying smile was thrown her way as he went outside to join his brother.
Rickey's shoulders shudder at the recurring thought of the family dinner that went down in flames.
As the past is the past, he stares at the house his father parks the car near. Home sweet home, he hopes. Maybe this is the alternate reality where his father realizes his mistakes and marches on to become a better father. But his hopes pause as Nathaniel instructs his sons to haul the boxes into their new home.
The rest of the family wander their separate ways as the boys start their labor. "So, what do you think?" Rickey sparks the conversation as he grabs a large, brown box.
"I think this is bullshit." Billy grits through his teeth, "Now we're stuck with that brat."
"Hey..." Rickey tries to come to her defense but Billy's words trail on.
"Don't start that shit, you know damn well we're going to get stuck with her. Don't start that hope nonsense, nothing's changing." Billy bitterly accepts his own words as he hauls a box toward their new home. Leaving a sighing Rickey to trail behind him.
As the sun continued to fall and the skies returned to their natural darkness, Rickey's body lay flat against his bed. It had taken the duo some time, but eventually, the boxes found their way into the interior. After a bit of sorting, everyone went their respective ways. At the moment it feels as if nothing has changed. No new sibling and stepmother, just the same bland silence that had always roamed between the two boys and their father.
It may not be ideal, but it's what he has grown to accept.
However, it felt unusually unbearably suffocating as the boy begins to feel antsy. Rickey scrambles from his bed and snatches his new skateboard and fastly exits his room. He quickly scans the chilly living room for his father, but with luck, he doesn't spot him and silently steps out of his new home.
Rickey breathes the night air in deeply before dropping his skateboard on the bumpy road. The tiny wheels roll against the rocky asphalt road as he mindlessly rides down a barren road. The farther he travels, the more dark vegetation he sees. Rickey comes to an abrupt stop as he spots a strange path leading into the forest. His mind urges him to return home, yet he shrugs the warning off and hooks his skateboard under his arm as he steps into the forest.
Pebbles and leaves crunch under his sneakers as the moon lights his path through the top of the forest. Rickey begins to lose track of time as the forest lures him in until a clearing appears before him.
His breath hitches as a beam of light settles on a petite figure draped in an oversized rouge-colored trench coat. His eyes squint at the rose-colored bob that seems perfectly cut to fit her head with a few bangs to cover her pale forehead. The unconscious girl seems to be dressed from head to toe in pink, like a piece of bubble gum.
Rickey cautiously approaches her with the horrifying thought that she could possibly be in pain or worse. He wouldn't feel right knowing that he might leave and she could need his help.
He crouches as his fingers lightly press against her throat to hopefully discover a pulse. Rickey sighs in relief as she appears to be amongst the living. He reaches to shake the girl awake when her eyes suddenly pop open. Fear crosses her face as she shoves the boy into the bed of leaves before scrambling to her feet.
"Hey! Wait!" He squeaks, as she throws an anxious frown in his direction before slowly stepping back until she feels safe enough to sprint away from the teenage boy. His eyebrows twist into a dumbfounded expression whilst his loud heaving breaths fill the quiet forest as his mouth slacks open.
"What the hell?"
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