All It Takes

Chapter One: Boxes

*Hey Guys, sorry if this first chapter is a little boring. I know there isn't much dialog! It'll get better though I promise!*

I'd spent most of the car ride there looking out the window with my cheek resting in the palm of my hand, and my elbow balanced up on the door frame. Every time i'd start to nod off my arm would drop and I would jolt awake, to my parents screaming at each other or Jacob - my little brother, lying across the car seats, kicking me further onto my side of the car. He was a brat, but I gave him slack because of his condition.

Ever since he was born my parents relationship had spiralled, into constant arguing. My dad, who I now just called David, was an abusive alcoholic and my mum close to losing her job.

We pulled up in the drive way of the new house. I was too tired to take notice of how big and beautiful it was. I walked straight up the stairs carrying two of my boxes and slumped them down in the middle of my new, empty room. The house was old and my room had two tiny windows and window seats on each wall - expect for the door, wooden floor and plain white walls. I walked back down the stairs and out to the car again. Mum and David where already fighting again, and Jacob was somewhere else.

"Going for a walk" I yelled out to mum over David's screaming.

"Okay, back for dinner though"

"Yes mum"

Theres no way she'd even notice I was gone, not with everything else going on. But I wasn't going to ignore her, she was still my mum.

I just needed to get out of the house, get some air. I walked for 10 minutes straight on one pathway. It was so clean and grey here in Bradford, different to home in Australia.

I found a park and stopped at it, swaying on the little kids swings, looking through old photos on my phone of me and Lauren - my best friend from Australia.

Across the park leaning against one of graffitied walls of the basket ball courts, was a guy not much older than me, smoking a cigarette. It was almost 7pm, so it was getting dark and I couldn't make out his face. His hair was straight with a long quiff at the top. He was wearing black skinny jeans, a grey tank top, and a leather jacket.

He gave me a small nonchalant wave, staring right at me then turned away, day dreaming, looking out at nothing. He pressed his cigarette between his lips, making his jaw line tighten.

I turned away feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable, but he was so attractive, I wanted to know everything about him at that very second. I looked up again but he was gone, like he'd ran off or something.