𝓓𝓔𝓐'𝓼 𝓙𝓾𝓷𝓴𝓲𝓮 𝓝𝓲𝓮𝓬𝓮 // 𝒥.𝒫.

CHAPTER ONE

𝗜 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗛 as I finish ranting to my Aunt Marie on a payphone. I insert more quarters feeling like this call will take awhile. "So wait a solid second, let me get this straight, Rena. They... They literally just only kicked you out for partying and mingling with your friends?"

No. I seriously cannot tell her that I was getting verbally degraded by my step-mother and abused drugs in the house, too. And the fact that my step-mother found out about my drug addiction and threatened to tell my father if I didn't leave.

This is the fifth one my father has met, at least she treats him differently and actually loves him and only him; oh and the pests – I mean, uh, my three younger step-siblings.

"Serena Katherine Schrader, are you there?" I hear her voice call out to me in a hushed scolding whisper, meaning she is probably at her job as she uses my full birth name. I clear my throat and shake my head and I immediately snap out of my thought.

"Hm? Oh! Sorry Aunt Mars, ahem. I-I'm here, yes. I will be driving out, dear. Same address?" I ask in my thick accent, I can feel her nod, "Sorry, sweetie, forgot you weren't here." Her and I laugh a bit, I have always been closer with her than her sister, my Aunt Skyler. But I bond well with Uncle Walt, we both love chemistry.

"I meant to say yes, Hank and I haven't moved to New Yo—Ooh, maybe we all should talk about somewhere else." I can see her wincing a bit. I laugh slightly with a shake of my head. Oh, Aunt Marie.

"Okay, well I have to go. I'll be there soon! Bye, Aunt Mars!" She responds back, "Bye, my precious star, I love you." I hear her say, which makes me get slightly teary eyed as I hang up. My mother always called me that before she died doing her duties as a U.S. Navy Seal, my father is a retired Marine.

I was a surprise pregnancy, once my mother had found out, that is. My Uncle Hank, my father's brother, was over the moon, so was my other uncle, Walter White, his brother-in-law. My father's brother had a biological niece to spoil, my Uncle Hank loved me with every fiber in his soul and when I found out that I was going to have a cousin, I was ecstatic.

A few months after that the cousin was born, the baby cousin joined my Mom all at once at a young age of five years old, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

But during that period of time of grief for my Aunt and Uncle, including my father, my Uncle Walt took care of me during their healing processes. I soon found out that they were expecting and it was a boy. I was going to get a cousin after all. Nine months later, Walter Jr. was born.

A knuckle hitting on the glass door snaps me out of my daze. "Aye, are ya done in there? I'm freezin' out here, I want to check on my ma' by my wife!" He exclaims, I nod and step out then hand him a decent amount of quarters, with a smile. "There ya' go, doll." I say and he stares in disbelief but hugs me.

I shriek in shock. "Thank ya doll, my ma' is in ICU, you know how long payphone calls take, God bless ya', this means a lot!" I laugh softly but hug back softly, "It's no problem, sugar." I purse my lips together before lightly smiling.

"Now, go call that wife of yours. I sense there's good news. Look on the bright side, always have hope, have a good day, sir." I depart from the hug, he immediately follows my order, I hear him rotate the number dial key then speakup from behind me as ai walk away.

"Hello? Operator? Ring me to St. Louis, Missouri. Urgently, to—"  As he's talking, I sigh softly then walk to my car which is a minivan. I open the door and hurry inside because it never fails to stay cold outside.or get cold outside no matter what temperature it is, it can be sunny and warm one day but turn chilly then suddenly very cold, once you turn your back.

I hop in the driver's seat and quickly shut my door, I buckle up but start my car after putting my two bags on the bed in the back of my car. I begin on my long journey to Albuquerque with in-between stops here and there for sleep on the bed.

About a few couple of hours in, I take out a cigarette and light it, it's a good thing I saved up my allowances and paychecks worth for this trip. I begin drumming my thumbs along to the beat of Danzig's Mother on my steering wheel as I nod my head along as well.

I love rap, trap/hip hop, classic hits, and anything in the alternative category. I remember growing up that every time I'd play music my father would just warn me it's too loud, but then start screaming at me like he was back in the Marines and as if I was the Marine and he were the Drill Sargent if I didn't listen.

But soon, his demeanor would change once he'd look at my hair because I have her hair color. He'd start telling me stories about my Mother. Her looks, her laugh, her smile, her wit, her jokes, her taste in music—it was all just like mine, ironically enough.

I guess really am just like a young adult version of her. But a version of her who does drugs, drinks, smokes, and is a drug dealer, an pot planter, and a methamphetamine cooker.

I eventually start playing my Snoop Dogg CD, Tha Doggfather. I start sniffling as memories of my father and faint memories of my actual mother clog my mind.

I try hard to not burst into tears and show weakness because I was raised to not fucking cry, I was raised to not cry. I could only cry if someone dies.

I make my mind up to stop for only when I need gas, get more cigarettes if I am almost out, to use the restroom, or hotel room to shower and change and a free breakfast (since I already have snacks and a cooler of vegetables and water for the road packed up), go back on the road, and repeat.

All until I get to my location.
My Aunt Marie and Uncle Hank's house. Nothing and no one will get in my way.

But boy, was I wrong about that statement. The only is I didn't know how wrong I would soon be about this.