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My brother Elias was two years older than me and is currently in college in Montana. I missed him like crazy. He was working towards a degree in mechanical engineering. My dad wanted him to become a star baseball player, but Elias didn’t listen to him. It was his life, after all. That’s how I learned to stand up to my dad. Elias was my inspiration. His voice came to mind. “Keep your chin up and grin. Keep your chin up and stay strong. You’re a strong person. You know why?” I’d smile at him, knowing what he’d say next. “Because I’m your brother.” We’d have a laugh and a bit of tickling until I was almost out of breath.
It was getting dark, and I could see the stars in the sky. I was sitting in my massive bedroom, looking out the window at the backyard. The only thing I didn’t like about this place was the forest that was a few feet away from my house. It was strange and creepy. It looked like one of those forests in those scary movies you always hear about, the ones you’re told not to go into.
The fog was all around the trees, and I felt a shiver run down my spine at the thought of walking into the forest. I wondered what could happen if I did. I was just about to say that when I saw something black zipping through the trees. What on earth was that? I started to panic. Was it a dog? Dogs weren’t really as big as that back then. Maybe it was a bear. But bears don’t move that fast, a little voice in my head kept saying. I felt the goosebumps as they always do, and my heart started going a bit faster. I closed my eyes, shook my head and looked back at the forest. There was nothing. It just looked a bit creepy, as usual. Maybe I was hallucinating, I was tired after all.
I was in a bit of a daydream when I felt someone knock on my door. “Come in,” I called, still looking outside. The door opened slowly and my mum’s head popped inside. She looked concerned and worried. She came in and obviously changed into something more comfortable. Her hair was tied back in a messy bun, and she was wearing a loose white shirt and grey sweats. “Honey, you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m just a bit annoyed with dad.” I let out a sigh.
“You’re totally right. I can’t believe he married a skank.” My mum spat and shivered in disgust. “I can’t believe he chose her over his own daughter.”
I was there for the whole time my mum was going on about why she divorced him. “He was selfish. He wanted things to go his way. Gosh, when is he ever going to learn?” My mum just kept on talking and talking until I got up and started getting my clothes out. She was watching me out of the corner of her eye and started helping me unpack. It was nice and quiet, and I was glad about that. I didn’t feel like talking about my dad anymore. What’s done is done.
By the time I’d gone halfway, my right shoulder started aching. I flinched and started rolling it. I rubbed it, but it didn’t help my burning shoulder at all. My mum saw and looked at me worried. She bit her lip. “What’s wrong?” She asked.
“Nothing major. It’s been happening for a week.” I rubbed my shoulder, wincing. I closed my eyes and counted to ten, trying to calm myself down. “I’m probably just tired.”
“I think your sh-” My mum stopped mid-sentence and looked a bit scared for a moment. I looked at her curiously. She bit her lip again and looked off into the distance.
“Huh?” That seemed to jolt her out of whatever she was thinking. Gosh, what’s wrong? Weird things just keep happening. “Mom, you OK?”
“Yeah, it’s probably because you’re tired. I mean, you’ve been under a lot of stress. You’ve been through a lot.” She said, a bit nervously. I looked at her suspiciously and she sighed. “Honey, you do realise I’m sorry, right? You don’t deserve any of this.”
“Mum, it’s not your fault. Trust me. I’m on the same page with you now, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.” I gave her a hug when she started crying.
“I feel like a horrible parent. I mean, my daughter’s not happy. What’s wrong with me?” She sounded pretty upset. She wiped her tears away. I felt a bit of a pang in my chest. She thought this was her fault. “Let me make it up to you. Spa day Saturday.”
“Mum, it’s not your fault. And I’d love to.” I let out a sigh and gave her one last hug. She looked excited, so I smiled. I really missed these moments with my mom. The times when we were just the two of us, like when we were shopping, unwinding, getting our nails done or just chatting. She always had a way of cheering me up.
“That’ll stop your shoulder hurting,” she said, with a wink. “And you look terrible.” She said, her face scrunching up. “And you stink too. You really need to take a bath.”
“Thanks, Mum. I love you too.” I said sarcastically. “Anyway, what did Dad say to you?”
“He didn’t say anything. He was a chicken,” my mum said, rolling her eyes. “I did most of the talking. I told him you needed space. I also said some violent things, but you don’t need to hear those things.” She said, proud of her team. She didn’t like it when someone messed with her or her kids. When she gets mad, she gets mad. Just to be clear, don’t get on my mum’s bad side. “Hey, how are things with you and Brandon?”
I got a bit overwhelmed. I reached breaking point. It was really hard not to cry. My heart was aching some more. My mum looked at me curiously while she held my hand. She looked like she was feeling sorry for me. She probably thought I only missed him. I have to admit, I do miss him and I hate myself for that. “He cheated on me,” I said, sobbing. My mum gasped and gave me a big hug. “W-with Jenna.”
“What!” She said, sounding pretty annoyed. She looked like she was about to kill someone. “Honestly, if I see those two, I’m going to –”
“Mom, no way. They’re nothing to me anymore. Since I’m here, I’m going to leave the past behind and start fresh.” I jumped in, putting on a bit of a smile. I’m going to hop in the shower – I’ve got a bit of a stench! I said, making the last two words really clear. She laughed and I smiled. I loved my mum’s laugh. It made me happy to know I made her happy. “Do you have any Epsom Salt? My shoulder really hurts.” I started rubbing my shoulder again, wincing as the pain intensified.
“Yeah, it’s in your bathroom drawer.”
“OK, thanks.” I started walking to the bathroom. “Good night Mum. I love you. Thanks for everything.” I could tell she was smiling even if I wasn’t looking at her. I could tell she was happy.
“Good night, Tali. No problem, sweetheart.” She said softly. “Oh, by the way, you’re starting school in two days.”
Great, I thought. Now, here’s where it gets a bit tricky.
“Hi, I’m Lila Redford,” said a gorgeous girl as I was entering the school. I was frozen to the spot and looked at her cautiously. I wasn’t expecting to meet anyone this quickly and I was actually hoping I wouldn’t meet anyone at all today. I’m just so unlucky! Lila had clear blue eyes and long, dark hair that reached up to her belly button. Her fringe was cut to the side and she had a gorgeous smile. She was also tall and wore a black leather jacket. Her olive skin was glowing in the sun. I thought for a second that she might’ve just come from a photo shoot, but I quickly shook the thought away and gave her a little smile. “Welcome to Ridgeview Academy, Home of the Eagle,” she said, smiling, and held out her hand to shake.
“Hi, I’m Talia Ainsley,” I said, shaking her hand. I smiled gently at her. “But just call me Tali.”
“Great. Sorry if the welcome was a bit creepy,” she said shyly. “I’m on the Welcoming Committee here at the school. As it’s a small town, not many people enrol here. Obviously, since the welcome was terrible, this is my first time.”
“Oh, come on, it wasn’t that bad.” I laughed along with her. We went into the school and, just like in the movies, everyone was in their little cliques. The jocks and cheerleaders were near their lockers, the nerds were sitting at the stairs getting bothered by the bullies, the scary students were leaning against the wall trying to look innocent, the sluts were looking at the mirrors in their lockers… well, you get the idea. The school was pretty small, and the hallways were always packed. It was pretty old too. The lockers were a bit rusty, the red paint was faded, and the sign at the school entrance was missing the ‘v’ so it read, ‘Ridge View Academy’. It was a public school. I begged my mum for about an hour yesterday to enrol me here because I didn’t want to go to a rich, snobby, stuck-up school.
“I’ve got your schedule and school packet,” Lila said. She gave me my stuff. I had a look around. I started to panic. I’m going to be on my own and I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. I thought to myself. Lila must’ve seen the look of horror on my face because she said, “Oh, don’t worry. You’ll get used to it. Also, I’ll be working with you today. It’s just part and parcel of the job.” She gave me a wink.
I opened the packet. “So, what was your first period like?” Lila asked, looking over my shoulder at my schedule.
“AP Calculus.”
“Oh, that’s A218 with Mr. Brooks. He’s pretty cool, but he does give us tons of homework. What else do you have?”
“Second period’s world geography, third period’s gym, fourth period’s literature and/or drama class, and fifth period’s AP chemistry,” I replied. I made a face. “Shit, I’ve got gym for third period.”
“Hey, I’ve got you covered for everything but first and fifth. “Hey, looks like we’re on the same team. Oh, wait, I’ve gotta run.” She said, looking a bit panicky. “I completely forgot I had to do something! If I’m not back by the time the first bell rings, I’m sorry! But you’re a smart girl, you’ll figure it out,” she called out to me while speed walking down the hallway. Great, I thought, I’m all alone now. I ignored all the stares I was getting. I put on a bit of a smile. I’ll give them something to look at, at least.