Chapter 1
Skyler
I wonder if I’ll ever get over it.
The heart wrenching pain caused by my parents splitting up a few weeks ago.
The divorce was still being finalised but it felt to me like it had been finished years ago. I already missed my Mum more than I could put into words. It felt to me like everyone else had already moved on, but I had always cared most about Mum.
I knew my Dad had to be suffering too; but by the way he was acting, one could think he never loved her at all. He had though, he had loved her so much, but it had become too much, her OCD. She wasn’t taking her treatment anymore like she was supposed to.
It made her crazy and she had done something horrible, something she couldn’t take back, all my siblings hated Mum now, but I couldn’t bring myself to hate her.
I sighed and leaned my head against the backseat window as I watched the trees blur together as we drove on. We used to live in New York but now we were moving to Boston.
We were split into two cars, Dad, Noelle, Odin and Evelyn in one car and Isiah, Alexander and I in the other. I looked over at the GPS and saw that we were set to arrive just under the hour, so I plugged my headphones in and dozed off for the rest of the journey.
“Wakie, wakie Sky,” I groaned and opened my eyes slowly, blinking a few times to unblur my vision.
“Come on get up we’re here.” Isiah added.
I plastered a smile on my face as I unbuckled my seatbelt and shuffled out of the car. I closed the car door behind me, then opened and closed it once more. Alex frowned at me and I shrugged, walking to the other car.
I lifted a hand to open the car door and hesitated, I shook my head and opened the backseat door. I was then faced with my cute little sister – Evie – and her wide grin as she looked at me with pure joy and content. I beamed at her, feeling happy just by looking at her. The whole world could light up with her happiness.
I lifted her out and swung her around, placing both her feet firmly on the ground before I planted a kiss on her cheek leaving behind a pink mark on her skin, which caused her to squeal and run towards dad, jumping on his back. He chuckled and gave her a piggyback to the door before dropping her on her feet and fishing around in his pockets for the keys. He grimaced when he couldn’t find them and headed back to the car.
“It’s in your back pocket Dad,” I said with a sigh and began to absentmindedly twirl a lock of my hair around and around my finger.
Dad then reached a hand into his back pocket and pulled out the keys, turning to me with a sheepish expression as he ran a hand over his face.
“You have to tell me how you do that.” He muttered with a slight smile as he walked back to the door and unlocked it.
We all followed him inside and I glanced at the moving truck sitting in the driveway. I sighed and dragged my fingertips along the surface as a walked towards the house. While looking around our new home I glanced around at the empty rooms and freshly painted walls. After my inspection was complete, I continued walking until I made it to a large room where everybody else was sitting on the floor. I plonked down next to my little Evie, ruffling her hair, and making her smile as she giggled, then I wrap an arm around her, pulling her closer to me.
“The movers will be here tomorrow at 8, so for tonight we will be sleeping in sleeping bags.” Dad announced to the group and Alex sighed loudly, scowling at dad.
Noelle rolled her eyes at him and he stuck his tongue out at her.
“Ok enough. Evie, Odin and Skyler can you guys please go and get the sleeping bags from the trunk? Isiah and Alex can you two order some food and Noelle and I will bring the suitcases inside.” Dad directs everyone.
I look happily at Evie and Odin as we get to our feet, then turning to face Isiah with a smile on my face. He rolls his eyes at me and hands me his car keys, so I grin at him and give him a quick peck on the cheek before grabbing Evie’s and Odin’s hands and heading out towards Isiah’s car where the sleeping bags were packed away.
When we near the car I press the unlock button and lift the trunk open, to see the pile of sleeping bags. My two younger siblings each grab two and I grab three so that we have enough for everybody. Odin and Evie quickly run back inside, laughing at each other and I giggle to myself trying to gain some of their enthusiasm for this new chapter in my life.
I sigh to myself as I take a few steps towards my house but then a catch a small movement in my peripheral vision and turn my head towards the source.
There was a handsome boy standing only a few meters away from me dragging a trash bag towards a garbage bin. I smiled at the boy and quickly walked over to him while waving, he squinted at me then looked at my new house then back at me and rolled his eyes.
“Hi!” I said excitedly at the boy who was pointedly ignoring me.
“Umm, I’m Skyler, but everyone calls me Sky. It’s really nice to me-”
“Fuck off” He cussed at me.
My eyes widened in shock as he walked away from me. Well he was rude... and mean. I frowned and slowly made my way back inside feeling a bit deflated.
But when Evie barrelled into me and caused me to drop my bags on the floor I pushed the feeling away and lifted her in the air twirling her around and around until we were both dizzy and laughing.
That night we all slept in the living room together after eating so much pizza that I could have vomited. Everyone was happy except for me, but for my family I could pretend, even though I felt like she was supposed to be here laughing with us, eating with us. But she could never be here, could she? Because we came here to get away from her, and for that I couldn’t help but despise this new place.
The next morning I awoke with a snoring Evie nestled into my arms. I quickly placed a kiss on her forehead as I detangle myself from her and stand up. I glanced at my family, idly watching their sleeping bodies lying on the living room floor. I let out a breath and swept up my duffle bag, as I head for the bathroom at the end of the hall. Mindfully, I stepped inside and closed the door quietly behind me, in an attempt not to wake any of my family. I rummaged around in my bag and pulled out some black Nike running shorts and a white singlet.
Careful not to wake the others, I slipped the outfit on and put my pjs back in the bag as I walked back out into the living room. After I yanked on my trainers and pulled back my hair into a messy ponytail I opened the front door and left my supposed home behind me. Putting my beat up old phone in my pocket, I secured my earbuds in my ear so I could listen to my favourite workout mix while I ran.
I sprinted down streets and tried in vain to remember which direction I had come from but it was pointless. I would have to ask a local for directions I decided, as I ran past a lone dog walker.
It was around 6:30 in the morning and I was starting to wish I had stayed home, but I knew better than that, if I missed a day then I would miss more and more and I needed to stay fit if I wanted to make the cheer squad when school started.
I winced just thinking about it but before my mind could begin to overthink all the problems that would surely occur at the cheer tryout, I saw the beginning of woods in the distance and I smiled as I made a beeline to the tree line.
I had already run for 15 minutes so I figured I could run for 30 minutes in the forest then turn around and try to find my way back. I entered the forest and immediately spotted the trail that others must have used to trek through the forest. I decided to stick to the path until I knew the area a little better, which, I hoped would be soon because I don’t think I would be able to run the same path every day for very long.
I mentally rolled my eyes at my own impatience. Back home I knew so many different paths that I never did the same track in a fortnight. I hoped I would learn this place like I did New York City. Ugh New York, I already missed the busy streets and food stalls at every corner, there was so much to do there, I knew there would be things to do here to, my friends and I used to come down to Boston on the odd long weekend and we had fun. I just couldn’t seem to remember much about what we used to do.
We went ice skating once I’m pretty sure but I didn’t exactly remember, there was always so much drama going on that was my main priority was trying to wrap my head around what was actually happening that I forgot all those fun activities we did.
My old friends, I missed them but at the same time I was kind of glad to be away from their behaviour. I knew they were toxic but I was always too scared of them to say anything or find new friends, so I guess I just kinda stuck with them. Our group was what people like to call ‘popular’.
At first I hadn’t really cared much about social status and what people thought of me, but those girls had hardwired it into my brain and now I was wondering if I would still care at my new school. I hoped I wouldn’t, I wanted to better at my new school... my new school. My new school with all new people that I would have to meet.
That was the moment I started to panic, the trees seeming to block out any early morning sunlight.
I was going to a new school and I was going to meet all new people that I would be forced to go to school with 5 days a week almost every week of the year for two more years. That felt like a really long time, like a really, really,reallylong time.
What if they didn’t like me, what if I didn’t like them, what if they were mean? Wait no- they wouldn’t be mean... well maybe they might be a little mean but they couldn’t possibly be that bad, I bet they would be nice.
Right?
Sure, high school kids were always portrayed as mean in those movies and books but I had never really experienced it. But when I really thought back to it I realised that people were mean at my old school, I was just sort of... sheltered.
I suppose it must have been Isiah but it felt weird now, because everything was slowly coming back to me. The fear people had when they looked at us and how some of my friends would disappear and return with smirks on their faces.
I felt retched knowing I had been friends with such nasty people.
But I was starting fresh in a couple of days so this was my chance, and I was going to seize it. I vowed that I was not going to make the same mistakes that I made before. This time had to be different. That, I would make sure of.
"What a wonderful way to end my jog”Some small part of my brain thought.
~2101 words~
A/N
Hey guys thank you so much for reading the first chapter of my book! I actually haven’t named this book yet because I am writing the first ten chapters before publishing. Anyway, I really appreciate you giving this story a chance. I’m pretty sure I left the second-hand embarrassment out of the first chapter but correct me if I’m wrong. (Be sure to know that won’t last very long.) *Laughs hysterically then starts to choke*
If you guys noticed any grammar or spelling problems please let me know so I can fix them.
-What am I to you??🥲(Editor-san)-
I will try to read your comments but I am relatively busy so just give me a chance, yeah?
Anyway enough of my useless rambling
Xoxo Tris
