Where We Began

Prologue

"I fucking hate you all!" the young girl had an irritated look, ran down the hall to her bedroom. The door slammed behind her. Her hands grasped tightly to her brown braids of hair. In her mind, she wanted to hit her head for the countless times she had made mistakes. And that's what she did. She pressed herself to the back of the bedroom door.

Hayden North slowly slid down with tears streaming down her face. Down the hall, her parents sighed in defeat. Hayden's mother wiped her mouth with a napkin. There are wrinkles under her eyes. She kept her hair short with how jet black it was. Her appetite was gone from the recent argument. Hayden's mother wanted her to go to college as soon as possible.

They didn't give her an option to live there either. High school is over in two months. Hayden wanted to take a year before starting. It's hard for them to understand how she feels. Hayden always fights to get her way. All Hayden wants is to live life without her parents controlling what she does.

We shouldn't start on the quarrel that happened days ago about Hayden getting a job. That left hurt in her father's eyes for the constant protest against their orders. She ended her mother's distaste by getting a part-time job in washing cars. Hayden's mother had seen other families with kids her child's age that would make the family look good. On the other hand, Hayden's father supports any choice she makes. Life is too short, is what he quotes.

"Hayden is at this stage where she thinks that life will wait for her," Hayden's Mother exclaimed. She wondered if it was any use yelling back at her daughter.

"Bridget, it takes time. All we can do as parents are respect her decisions," her husband helped pick up the remaining plates and cups. The rough and freshly cut beard moved as he talked. His dark brown hair with strands of grey moved on his head.

The plates clattered on top of each other. He brought it to the kitchen sink. Bridget had worried lines on her forehead for the path that her daughter is taking. It wasn't good enough for Bridget to be satisfied. She needed discipline. Her husband thought otherwise.

Bridget raised her to be an adult and not become any other kid in her school. Competition amongst Competition. Bridget pushed in her chair a little too forcefully.

"I don't think you understand how different we are raised. In your eyes, she is an angel, but to me, she could be doing better if she wants to keep the reputation of the family," Bridget spoke quietly.

The one-story house is silent. Not a peep of sound from Hayden's room. A few years ago, they moved into this house. Nice lawn with a great view of Denver, Colorado. Her husband shook his head and chuckled dryly.

"It's not always about being the best, honey. I think there is a point in time where the most you can do is be a teenager. If it makes you feel any better, I'll check on her." No matter how frustrated Bridget is, she couldn't be mad. There are far worse things in life. Maybe he was right. She excused herself to their room.

While that was happening, Hayden was trying something risky. There is a likely chance she'll get caught watching porn.

After shedding a few tears to her parent's forceful demands, she found her laptop on her yellow bed. Never let things hurt you is easy to say than do. Her walls are all painted white with black flowers. She did it herself. This room meant nothing to her if nobody understood her on the inside. Not a single person liked her at school.

The friends she used to have, left. It took one mistake of them skipping class for their parents to stop their kids from hanging out with her. A low-life is what they call her at school. There's a weird relationship Hayden has with schoolwork. It's either she studies or she wings it.