The Unfamiliar Familiar

One: A Rainy Tuesday

     Fred dashed through the rain, feeling the water splash down onto his hood like marbles being dropped on him. The water splooshed and splashed seeping into his shoes, freezing him down to the bone. As he raced through the streets his bag became soaked, making it heavier and harder to carry than ever. Then, a car sped by racing over a puddle coating him in mud and murky water. Spotting shelter up ahead Fred picked up his speeds and dashed like light itself under it to evaluate his path. Just then a large ball of water dropped off a leaf and slapped his hood, setting him off running again. Dodging and diving about he avoided puddles and branches along the country road. Just then, he saw the fence and leaped over landing on the mud, which made a large sploosh sound and dirtying the cuffs of his school trousers but it didn't matter, because his destination was right ahead. That ran down little house on the edge of the field with its peeling paint, blown off shingles from the roof littered the overgrown grass. It didn't matter that it was messy or falling apart at the seams, it was home. Fred dashed, covering ground faster than before, and he was home.
     "Hey Dad! I'm home!" He yelled, bursting through the door.
"Hey son! Real nail biter this game, be in in a minute." Fred's dad hollered, "OH KID? Can you grab me a brew?"
"Yeah dad, I'll get it now!" Fred opened the fridge to see it full of bottles of 'NutriBoom'. Yet another pyramid scheme his dad had been caught in. Suddenly the floorboards creaked and dust fell from the cracks and chips in the roof, Fred's dad walked in his booming, liw voice hollered "Ay, sport! Where's my brew?" Fred's body trembling as he turned and said "uh dad, I think you should try to- " but Fred was cut off by his dad saying "Try to what boy? Hmm?" Fred's entire body quakes as he tried to muster up the courage that had dissipated since he began his statement, until suddenly to his surprise the words "stop drinking" blurted out of his mouth jumbled and sped up.
"Kiddo I couldn't stop if I tried!" He chuckled, sneaking his hand past Fred and grabbing a beer before taking a large swig.
"You see but the thing is, the thing is you haven't" Fred continued, taken aback by the fact these words were coming out of his mouth. He trembled and sweated profusely as he continued his argument "You-you-you haven't ever tried because your scared. Um...yes! Your scared that-"
"Scared that what?" Fred's dad slowly moved in, his tone became serious and Fred was terrified.
"Uhm" Fred gulped, drenched in sweat by this point "That you'll hurt again once you stop!" The words fell like the rain outside each hitting the floor with what felt like a bang. Fred could hear his heart thud uncontrollably, see his dads face turn red and fists clench.
"I've put up with you for 5 weeks now, boy, that's long enough don't you think?"
"Dad? Dad?"
"No kid, you've crossed the line, it's back to Mr.Graham. Your goin' back, Too many infractions, that's what I'll tell 'em. And you, your gonna be stuck back in the system again"
"No please no, I'm sorry. Please! Mr graham please!" But it was too late, he had moved on.
     And back Fred sat, looking out the window in that dingey, messy little orphanage in the bad part of town that was coated with smog and ash that made the bricks look black like coal and the building look cold and gloomy.
"Sorry things didn't work out with Mr.Graham, Fred" Mrs Quinn said sweetly, keeping her distance. From experience she knew how the next 10 minutes would go, and as expected, Fred exploded.
"I should have known he wouldn't keep me!" "I didn't like him anyway" "He wasn't right" "I hate him" "He didn't pay attention" and "He drank too much beer" were all sent into the air, and he felt like he was free. That was the cycle for Fred: stay with a family or parent, get along fine(ish), make one big mistake, get sent back to the orphanage. Once he had accidentally broken an urn containing his current guardians husband. Another time he had lost the dog on a walk and spent all night looking for it, only to find it had just run back home, which left him with no excuse for being out all night. It was fine the first time but the dog seemed to like doing it, he fell for it a second time (it was a rather big dog, he was about 9 and his guardian wasn't very smart) but the third time he decided to just go home because the dog would come back, but it didn't, and that was the nail in the coffin because the dog, unbeknownst to Fred, had belonged his guardian's parents. Checking it out later the dog came back about 2 hours once they got back from the orphanage. Both guardians got a baby, or a toddler, someone they could see grow up, and Fred was stuck. Still in the system at 15, and desperate to get out.