Chapter 1- Back Home
Emily Windsor
All I can do is reflect and think about my childhood as I stare out the window of the plane on my way back home. Being the youngest of three, I had it pretty well off. I guess, at least in most people’s opinions. My two older siblings are twins and my parents are retired pro hockey players. My dad was the captain for the Penalty Killers. His name is Adam Windsor, and my mom is Tori Fields. She played for the Frozen Pucks. My dad currently runs the youth hockey team for our area and Mom helps out when she can now.
We grew up right next door to Keith Capulato. He was my mother’s captain and my dad’s best friend. Along with my best friend Seth’s father. That’s probably by default because of how much time Seth and I spent together because we were literally raised together. Our birthdays are literally four days apart.
I had fallen head over heels for Seth early on. He had become rather quickly the center of my world, with his shaggy brown hair and hazel-green-brown eyes. We both also loved playing hockey. He even stuck by my side when I got hurt on the ice and stayed by my side when I was told I shouldn’t play hockey anymore, at least for a while. I don’t remember what they said I broke. I just remembered I had to have a few surgeries on my hip area, and it hurt a lot.
Seth always kept me laughing, though, no matter what was going on. I never felt the pressure to live up to anyone’s name, not when he was around. I never felt like I had expectations set for me or shoes I had to fill. That is until I reached high school. Everything changed then, including him.
I let out a sour laugh at the thought as I shake my head. He had turned out to be some great friend. All it took was simple peer pressure from a few people in high school, and he completely abandoned me. Granted, I handled that phenomenally. Not.
Rolling my eyes, I glance down at the sleeves of my hoodie and tug them down, making sure the scars on my wrists are hidden. I try to push the thoughts of those dark times from my head.
Closing my eyes, I rest my head against the cool plane of the window as the thoughts I try to push out of my head flood in, unwelcomed and unwanted.
It was homecoming freshman year and Seth went to an after-party. One that I had thought he sent me a message inviting me to join with him. Unfortunately, either someone snagged his phone and sent me the message as a cruel joke, or he definitely changed more than I want to admit to myself. Like a fool, though, I jumped at the opportunity. I got dressed and dropped off to it. When I arrived, I should have known just from the whispers that started when I walked in that something was off.
Seth’s girlfriend quickly approached me, grabbed me by the back of my hair and tossed me into a wall. She cornered me, telling me I would never amount to anything and that all I would do was drag him down. That I would keep him from succeeding because I couldn’t fill the shoes of my parents like he could fill his. I knew what she meant. I couldn’t play sports because of my injury. Heck, at this point I found new interests, and I was amazing at them. I loved writing, drawing, and dancing. She definitely had been drinking and used a lot more colorful words back then. Then she hit me.
Which caused my temper to flare and I let it get the best of me so I ended up swinging at her, catching her in the face. Of course that is when Seth made his appearance and of course he didn’t ask about why my lip was bleeding or my eye was bruising. He only cared about what he saw and chose to verbally attack me so I left and chose to never really speak to him after that.
He tried to come over and talk to me a few times after that in the following weeks once he sobered up. All of which I ignored; I was always taught a drunk man’s words were a sober man’s thoughts.
Thus began my downward spiral into my depression. He quickly started to ignore me as well. He stood by while his group of friends would berate me, shove me, and bully me right in front of him. Of course I would fight back. I started getting kicked out of school. I never told my parents he was involved or anything. It was not like I could just forget about the feelings I had for him or anything, as much as I wanted to. I am sure that was what made everything hurt the most for me. I started to drink and cut a lot as I got caught up with the wrong crowd in my final years of high school when my depression got really out of hand. I do not know how I managed to hide that from my parents. Somehow I still managed to keep my grades up, though, and get into a college.
We are 21 now, and I am on my way home from my third year in college and presently transferring back to our local one. My dad called and informed me my mother had multiple relapses with her MS over the last year and was worried that her condition may be starting to get worse. So in case it is, I want to be nearby. I know that my older siblings Amaya and Andrew are already back at the family home so everything is handled there.
It is only a handful of days before Christmas, and right now the only person who knows I am on my way home is my dad. That thought brings a smile to my face, as I already shipped the rest of my belongings to campus, where I will be staying primarily. As that is only a short thirty-minute drive from my parents’ home.
Sighing I really cannot wait to see them. It has been almost a year and a half since I have seen them. It really has been too long. I let my spite towards Seth keep me away for way too long.
The ding for the seatbelt sounds as the light turns on, letting me know that we are finally descending and will be landing in just a few moments. I quickly buckle my seatbelt, anxious to see my family.
The thought of my dad waiting to pick me up causes a smile to form on my lips.
My eyes quickly find my father leaning against his truck, wearing his familiar leather jacket, distracted, clicking away on his phone. His hair is a little more salt and pepper than I remember from the last time I saw him.
“Dad!” I jump up into his arms, knocking his phone out of his hands accidentally as his arms quickly wrap around me as a soft laugh sounds from him.
“Hey, sweetheart, I missed you.” His voice is soft and loving, just as I remembered. My dad lifts me up, spinning me around before setting me back down on my feet. His eyes quickly taking me in. “What were they feeding you back at that school? You look like the only thing you got back there is some sun.” He grins before ruffling my hair as I roll my eyes, knowing he is just picking at me.
“Ha ha, very funny, Dad.” I swat his hand away from my head as he laughs while I lean down, picking up his phone. “I see you still haven’t learned to invest in a phone case yet.” I smirk at him. “Mom is going to get on to you about that.”
“Oh, hush, Em. It was already cracked anyways.” He laughs, scratching the back of his head, averting his gaze from mine. “Haven’t you learned yet that it is not nice to pick on your elders yet? Didn’t that school teach you anything?”
Raising an eyebrow at him, I give him another hug, smiling. “I missed you, Dad. Is Mom doing okay?”
“Yeah, she is doing a lot better. She hasn’t had another relapse since they adjusted her medications, and like you asked, no one knows you moved back or are here for Christmas.” He grins at me.
“So where do they think you are?” I smirk at him.
“Well, your mom might be a little pissed off with me, but she thinks I had to take care of some last-minute things for the youth hockey team.” He chuckles, shaking his head as he opens the truck door for me.
Nodding, I climb in, watching him make his way around to the driver’s side. I smirk at him. “She actually believed you?”
“Not in the least. I am pretty sure that is why she is upset with me right now, because she knows better. Remember she ran the youth teams for years before I retired.” He glances over at me as I nod before he pulls off, glancing back at the one bag I set in the back, raising an eyebrow. “Just the one bag?”
“Yes, that’s all. I sent the rest of my stuff ahead to the dorms. I don’t want to cause too much headache at home with going back and forth to school, especially with Mom.” I smile at him, hoping he buys it. The reality is I just want to avoid Seth as much as possible.
“Oh, well, I hope you visit more often now. I know your mother misses you, Em. Which college did you transfer to again?”
“Northern Central.” I lean back, pulling out my cell phone and turning off the airplane mode.
“Oh, that is the school that Seth plays hockey for. At least you will know someone there.” My dad smiles, glancing at the road as he pulls out of the airport.
And just like that, my whole plan of avoiding the bane of existence goes up in smoke.
