It All Started With A Deal

Chapter 24.2

Chapter 24.2
Chase and I stood outside the steps of the place we had once called home, though I guess it was never truly home, more of a confinement. I held Chase's hand in mine, both of us still dressed in the clothes we had slept in. I couldn't muster the motivation to change and in an act of solidarity, Chase did not either.

Mrs. Harding stood off to the side, her hands gently clasped in front of her, her legs shoulder width apart, her smile as warm and honey-like as usual. She waited to the side, giving us time and privacy to say goodbye to our home, to our life.

We had still yet to be told any information about what would be done with us, or more importantly, Chase. She requested that we gather our belongings before having 'the talk'. Chase and I agreed; perhaps because if we delayed the discussion, we could pretend that everything would be okay, that Chase and I would not be separated. We could live in denial. The most excruciating kind of bliss.

We took hesitant yet confident steps forward, one foot after the other, until we crossed the threshold of our once home.

The house looked exactly the same, everything had been left untouched, and yet it felt so different, so cold, so foreign, like it had never been my home at all.

We stepped over the shattered vase, most likely collateral damage. I couldn't imagine Charles wouldn't go down swinging. The look in Chase's eyes as the memories flooded back in confirmed my theory.

The painting, which had once covered a while in the wall, left after Charles got a bit too angry, was now left torn and mutilated on the floor.

We headed up the creaky staircase, my fingers dragging across the broken railing that had never been fixed after Brandon threw himself into the wall one drunken night.

Brandon.

I hadn't even thought of him, in all the chaos I almost forgot he existed. What had happened to him? He was of legal age after all, he could do as he pleased. I'm sure right now his main desire was to see me dead. But that was a worry for another day.

I hadn't heard from Bradley either, thankfully. I had no desire to hear for him and if I was lucky he would forget I ever existed.

But these were all questions for another time.

I didn't let go of Chase's hand the entire way, I didn't even separate from him to head to my own room and instead followed him to his. He didn't seem to mind.

I watched in utter silence as he collected his things, not that there were many things for him to grab. We had learned to travel light after moving so many homes and even after finally being adopted, it had become second nature. Just in case.

He picked up his stuffed penguin, the poor thing barely holding together after years of providing love and comfort to a broken little boy who was barely holding it together. That was the first thing he picked up and placed in the trash bag that was acting as our luggage, something we had done countless times before.

Chase pulled out a box from under his bed, popping it open to reveal at least ten, fifteen, stuffed bears. I had a similar collection, small momentum's given to us each time they had to remove us from a home. Their way of apologizing, as if to say 'I'm sorry you didn't get adopted'. We had both kept them as a reminder of everything we had been through, to remind us that nothing was permanent, that all things must come to an end. I could still remember the social workers handing the tiny, one dollar bear to me right before the sent me into the courtroom.

Chase tossed the box into the black bag. He lazily tossed a random assortment of clothes into the bag, not bothering to pay attention to what he was grabbing. It didn't matter, nothing mattered.

I watched as he emptied his room, collecting his most important items and leaving the others to rot.

He kicked up the floorboard, grabbing the box from underneath. The box was coated with dust, clearly not having been touched for ages. I didn't even know what was in it. Without opening it, Chase added it to the collection.

"Ready?" I whispered.

He took one last glance around his room, which had been his only sanction at one point in time. Now he had to say goodbye. "Ready." He answered, following me to my own room.

It had been completely destroyed, though I wasn't sure how much had been from my own mental breakdown and what had been from Brandon.

I gathered my scattered art supplies, compiling the various fragments into a small container. I added it to my own bag. My closet was next, I stuffed whatever clothes I grabbed first inside. I paused, staring at my closet for a few long seconds before pulling back the pile of hangers to reveal the clothes I shoved behind them so many months ago. Without leaving room to think, I grabbed Liam's jersey, adding it to the bag.

It had been behind there for so long but I never forgot about it. Sometimes I would pull it out just for a simple reminder that for a few seconds, I was happy.

The bag could barely hold the weight of my sketchbooks and I almost debated just leaving them, I mean what could I possibly need them for. I had already lost any shot at an art scholarship, I wouldn't be working with Ms. Marlot. What was the point in keeping them? They were meaningless. But when I stopped to leave them behind added them to his own bag, pulling out some of his clothes to make room.

I, like Chase, saved the memories under the floorboard for last. The box was free of almost all dust, as I had opened it numerous times to bring me comfort. I closed the cardboard box, which was now beginning to fall apart, and held it with me, refusing to allow it to get jarred around in the bag. I had always done this, ever since I was a small child.

"Ready?" Chase whispered.

I glanced around my room one last time, seeing everything I was leaving behind. The thought didn't seem so terrifying as long as I had Chase.

"Ready." I answered.

We crossed the threshold for the last time, with no plans of return.

It was finally over.

A/N
Does anyone have any good song recommendations? I need more things to listen to while I write.

This chapter was a bit short but I was trying to get updates out to you all as quickly as possible, I know I haven't updated recently.

I love writing this book, I really do. But I have to say, I'm excited to finish, I can't wait to begin writing It All Started With a Game again, it's been a long while.

But I have to finish this book first and boy do I have a lot of ideas for that.

Are you guys enjoying the story? What do you think will happen to Chase and Saph?

Lots of love,
Rachelle <3