YOUNGBLOOD

As far as back as anyone could tell, the troubles in King's Haven started to occur on the 1st of May, 1990.

That same day in the middle of spring had been marked as normal by most; for girls like Susanna Berry it marked three weeks until Madonna released her newest album, for boys like Mark Tuedin it marked the first time he’d been sucked off by a girl. Both enraptured in their own worlds with no concern for the world or the people around them.

It was also the day that the Fennler family moved into the house on the corner of Saint Janus Avenue and Cain Burrow.

Those who came to King's Haven just for a visit was a rarity, let alone having a family take up residency in the wealthiest area of the town. Albeit the worst house on the corner of the street, it was still on the street. It was chipped and decayed with pieces of it peeling from its outside and deteriorating its inside, much like the rest of the town.

Addaline Wells had been the first resident of King's Haven fortunate enough to witness the family moving into the shitty excuse of a house. Following her last class on the first day of May, she walked home to the sound of Belinda Carlisle on her Walkman. Her backpack hung low on her back and her bouffant of hair bounced around in its ponytail like an untamed animal. She’d been left to walk by herself by several of her friends who instead went to see a film at the theatre, leaving her to her thoughts. As she crossed Saint Janus Avenue onto the opposite path, she quickly became aware of the yelling that followed the wind from the direction of the town dump, loud enough to rupture the cocoon formed by her music.

On the corner of Saint Janus and Cain, several loaded cars where parked around the house where the noise was coming from. As she walked, pausing her tape and slipping her headphones to sit around her neck, she saw two men avidly fighting before the old, run down house which they where supposedly moving into. As she moved closer, she only caught the shrapnel of their heated conversation.

“-a bad idea! If you don’t want to listen to me, then go a-fucking-head. I’m not stopping you!” This man (though man may be a bit of a stretch) was much taller then the teenage boy opposite him whom barely reached his shoulders. They where brothers, that much was evident if not by the tone of the argument then by the too similar features they shared between them. The teenager’s head suddenly turned and Addaline found herself under the stare of several sets of eyes, those of the arguing pair and the single pair which had emerged from the doorway.

She awkwardly stood there, not knowing what to say.

“Hi!” The teenage boy turned away in annoyance, walking inside while the other approached her with a grin on his slim face. Stepping over some of the moving boxes strewn across the lawn, he stopped short of the rise bushes lining the base of the fence. “We’re new to the neighbourhood, do you live around here?” He was polite, smiley and Addaline couldn’t stop looking at his shoulders. Never in her life had she seen someone (potentially a teenager) built with so much compacted muscle before. He looked as though he’d be able to snap her neck if she pissed him off.

“Uh, yeah. I live further down with my dad”

“Oh really? That’s cool. What’s your dad do?”

“He’s a chemist”

The conversation was weird, at least for her. He smiled for a second before suddenly rapping his knuckles against his head. “Goodness! I’m sorry, where are my manners?” He held his hand to her over the fence. “I’m Nathaniel, though Nate works fine as well” She took his hand and the smile she reserved exclusively for Travis Huller pulled itself onto her face.

“Addaline Wells”

“Lovely to meet you Addaline. That-” He turned around and Addaline stared at the muscle which became prominent in his neck. Freckles brushed his cheeks and stretched downwards, doting his sun-soaked skin. “-is my brother David”

Like Nate, David’s skin was lightly tanned but his black hair ran in two straight sheets around his face which looked at her in disinterest. “Then Jude and Rosemary are inside. We’re the Fennlers”

Despite her intense hatred for small talk, Addaline's hormonal teenage mind had already built scenario after scenario of what she could do with Nathaniel. Forbidden romances, secret kisses when no one was looking, and she would lose her virginity to him while he whispered sweet something’s into her ear near the Creek. It was her heated internal storyteller that compelled her to stay, and her irrational teenage vanity that helped her believe her moronic inner monologue.

“Where have you all moved from?”

“Pennsylvania. Jude’s lookin to finish school ’ere though” A sudden flush of realisation slid across his face. “You go to the local high school?”

“Yes sir” She leaned on her right leg, sucking her stomach in slightly. “Just finished actually. We only have a month left until summer vacation” He chuckled, pushing away from the fence.

Quite suddenly, the door opened and Addaline felt the oxygen disappear from her body.

“Nate, I’ve finished cleaning my room”

“Rosemary!” Nathaniel’s grin widened slightly. “Perfect timing” Holding his arm out in a welcoming gesture, she gracefully leapt down the stairs and walked across the lawn to meet him. “Addaline, this is my sister Rosemary”

Addaline couldn’t look away.

It wasn’t a face you could forget easily, genetically the young girl struck better then all three of her older brothers combined. She couldn't quite remember what Jude looked like, but it didn't matter. Jude could be the most attractive male on Earth and still wouldn’t compare to Rosemary’s angelically crafted face. A small, ever-so slightly chiselled face dotted with freckles and large, glassy grey eyes. Thick black eyelashes brushed her cheeks which unlike her tanned brothers was fair and rosy, her slim body already in the stages of later development. She looked almost too proper for Derry in her neat little slip on shoes and black baby doll dress. A beautiful cross lay comfortably against her collar.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you” She smiled and Addaline returned the gesture. “I hope we can be friends at school”

“Of course! How old are you?”

“I’m seventeen, I'm hoping to catch up with my work once I'm back in school” Addaline stared at her in awe. If she wasn’t smiling at her so kindly she might have felt intimidated.

“I’m starting junior year next year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still hang out?”

Nathaniel pulled Rosemary closer, “Well Rose and Jude will be starting school on Thursday, maybe you could walk together?”

“That sounds like a great idea! Yeah!”

“Uh..” Rosemary bit her lip slightly and Addaline felt envy flush her. She was so unintentionally sultry, yet so innocent. So many boys where going to love her at school, and so many girls where going to hate her.

“I think Jude wanted to drive? Maybe we could pick you up?”

“Your brother can get off his ass and walk” Nathaniel frowned, glancing at the house before he looked back at Addaline. “They’ll be waiting for you by 7:40"

That was far earlier then Addaline would regularly leave for school, but she said nothing.

“I was hoping to walk around town a little before school. Is that alright with you Addaline?”

“That’s fine, I can show you some of the best spots in town!” They conclude their brief, albeit odd conversation, both companies reasonably content.

Addaline was content not only because she now had something to gossip about, but because she’d just become friends with the pretty new girl at her school. Nathaniel was content because for the first time in a while, he had hope for his sister, that she may be able to move on from the tragedy that befell her prior to their move, hope that their life may begin cleanly.

If only life worked that smoothly.