“Can I please go to the movies Lane?” Max whinged for the third time in less than ten minutes. It was a warm Friday night and I found myself yet again stuck at home babysitting my step brother Max.
It was not like I hated looking after him, it was just Max was very demanding.
He had more of a social life than I did, and I was freaking six years older than him. Max was a twelve year old typical teenager, he had girls ringing him for what my friends called ‘play dates’, and just tonight he had been asked to the movies by no less than three of them.
I re-filled my ‘Tough in Pink’ Wrangler coffee mug with fresh coffee and turned to look the sulking Max in the face,
“I told you Max, my car is in the shop getting fixed and I can’t drive you anywhere until dad and Lee get home”. It was already past seven and I had been sure they would have been home by now, they had only gone down the road to pick up the Chinese dinner they had ordered.
Max stamped his foot and pouted, I simply smiled at him.
Max was already a good looking boy, I was sure he would be a heart breaker when he got to high school.
“Don’t pout Max, those fish lips are so not becoming on you” I laughed taking a sip of my coffee.
“Don’t breath, living isn’t becoming on you” Max replied with a childish voice stamping his feet and crossing his arms. I knew he was only venting his upset at being stuck at home, and refused to take his stab to heart.
Clutching my chest I feigned hurt at his comment and stumbled a step backwards,
“Oh Maxey that hurt” I whimpered with a small but bright smirk.
Max laughed and shook his head, his tight blonde curls ruffled around his forehead causing me to smile at him again. He really was too cute for his own good.
Taking my mug with me, I stepped around Max and headed back to the dining table where my College stuff was spread out ready for dad to see when he got home.
I had only received my acceptance letters from both UCLA and Harvard today, and I couldn’t wait to tell my dad. I knew even Lee would be proud of me. Bill, my dad, and Lee had met three years earlier when him and I still lived in Southridge, Texas.
Dad was the high school’s football coach and was a well-respected member of the small community. My mum had disappeared on my tenth birthday, she had just packed up and left when Bill took me and some friends to the park to throw around the football I had been given for my birthday.
When we got home she was gone, no note, no phone call, she had just up and left.
Bill was devastated but never showed any signs of weakness in front of me, But it was obvious he was hurt, I had heard him crying in his room at night. Word got around town fast about the Coach’s runaway wife, but dad and I showed them we were made of tough skin and moved forward with our lives.
High school was hardest for me, with not having a mum to talk to about girly things. But when dad came home from an away game and told me he had met the woman of his dreams, I was so happy for him.
I didn’t want to ruin his good mood by telling him that his beloved team were behind the lynch mob harassing me at school, so I kept it to myself.
Dad and I moved to Brisbane shortly after my fifteenth birthday. It was hard, going from it being just me and dad to a new brother and a step mother, but Lee went out of her way to be an active part of my teenage life.
I loved Max from the moment I had first met the blonde haired blue eyed nine year old. I was captured by the way he attached himself to my side and didn’t once pick on me for being overweight or ugly.
He seemed proud and happy that I was going to be his sister.
“Your cell keeps vibrating Lane” Max startled me back to the present. Looking down at my iPhone I scowled as I didn’t recognise the number flashing across the screen. Picking it up I swiped my finger along the screen and spoke into it.
“Hello?”
“Is this Laney Veres?”
“Yes this is she…may I ask who is calling?”
“Yess I am sorry, I am Officer Coles from I am ringing to inform you that your father Bill Veres has been in a car crash” my gut dropped and my palms broke out in an instant sweat, Max was standing beside me taking in my pale face with worried eyes.
“Is he ok? Was my step mother with him? What happened?” I had so many questions to ask, but right now I just wanted to know if they were ok.
“Um” the officer paused and I could hear the grimace on his face and his adams apple bob as he swallowed hard.
“Both Bill and Leanne Veres were pronounced dead at the scene…I am sorry to be the one telling you, it was a head on collision we believe the driver of the other vehicle was in an argument with his occupant and did not notice the lights turn red” the officer sounded young, and I wondered if this was his first ever ‘death’ call. I refused to believe what he was telling me and almost laughed as I imagined one of my friends pranking me.
“Miss Veres are you there?”
“Yes I am here officer” I replied somewhat calmly
“We need a close friend or relative of the couple to come down to the morgue within the next forty eight hours to identify the bodies before they can be released” the officer continued, now it seemed real.
This was no prank call…my father was dead…Max’s mother was dead…we were alone.
As my eyes heated up threatening to release tears, I blinked my eyes rapidly to hold them off.
I couldn’t cry in front of Max, I refused to show weakness…I was all he had left, I needed to be strong for him.
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this is my first story for here, i love writing and hope you guys will enjoy reading what comes out of my head.
please comment and vote...let me know what you think...i will continue the story if i have support.
