Mute

Chapter 1: A new life

(Leigh-Anne)
A year has passed, I've been doing my hardest, so has mum, but I'm still mute. I hate it, absolutely despise it-all I can do is NOTHING.
Being mute is literally serving as a permanent reminder of the reason why I have no dad or brother-it's as if no matter what I do it will never leave my mind, it will always be there when people talk to me or when I listen to music. I won't ever forgive myself for what happened, I guess this is life's way of getting me back. "Are you ready to go?" Mum walked in the doorway of my room. I nodded putting on a smile for her sake grabbing my duffel bag and the last box from the floor following her outside to the car. I placed the things in the boot walking around to go back to the park signaling to my mum that I would be only a moment. She nodded letting me go.
My feet walked down the familiar path that dad used to walk with Jordan and I when we used to be toddlers, it lead to the park by the lake, it was our favorite place to be, soon enough I found myself standing next to the tree we would play around. Dad and mum would sit here watching Jordan chase me around or feed the ducks. Tracing my hand on the bark I realized there was a change in the texture, I looked down seeing my name engraved on the tree, my eyes widened.

"It's my tree!" Younger Leigh squealed bouncing up and down in front of Jordan showing him the big tall tree. "Nu-uh, it doesn't have your name on it!" Jordan argued shaking his head.
Little Leigh's eyes darted to the tree realizing what she was going to do. She ran over tracing a smaller stick against the bark carefully spelling out her name. "Yes it does!" She turned with a victorious smile on her face. Jordan rolled his eyes at her.

I broke my gaze from the letters in the bark looking at the lake, it was a beautiful Saturday morning. I could see the ducks and turtles swimming around doing whatever they did on a usual Saturday morning (uh-if they knew what day it is). I felt myself crying soon enough, it was already bad enough that we had to leave this place, the place where I was raised, where I had a full family and friends, but in the end I agreed to mum's decision. It's only been haunting her while she remained here after dad and Jordan's deaths. I could/still see it in her eyes when she was in the house, when she came with me to visit the lake, especially when she looked at me. Sometimes I can't help but wish I had a mask when she did, I mean it would spare her having to see me-her daughter, the one that couldn't talk, who survived the crash.
That's how I was thought of. People at school had started to pull away from me, slowly my friends were drifting from me.
I let them.
But Renee was the one that stayed. She has been here for me since I can't even remember. She was the one to soothe me when I cried, she would stay with me late at night until I fell asleep, or dance around the room with me with Justin Beiber blasting in my speakers, I hate being so weak. Usually I was the strong girl, one who would kick someone's butt if I was ever made fun of, but now I feel completely different from her, apparently I'm just another mute girl now.
I ran my hand through the bark once more before pressing my forehead to the trunk. I let myself cry out my remaining tears silently before brushing them away and waking back to the car smiling as best as I could to mum. She walked over pulling me into a hug. "We're going to be fine sweetie." She kissed my forehead; I nodded opening the passenger door and sliding into the seat closing my eyes putting in earbuds while my mum pulled out of the drive of what was now my old house, a flood of emotions went through my body while my old home got farther and farther away-anger, happiness, pain, sadness, acceptance, rejection...
I had texted Renee to come yesterday so that we could spend some time together before I left. She was sad that I would be leaving, yet we both promised that we would stay in touch and get together as much as possible, yet honestly I thought that she would go ahead and forget me and move on with her life, she saw straight through me. She then looked me in the eyes and said that she would never ever forget me, I gave her a small sad smile. Then she leant in and kissed my forehead. I was slightly shocked. She had pulled away telling me she would always love me for who I was, believe me that boosted my level quite a lot.
The drive to the new flat was about five hours, oh did I mention I was moving to South Shields? Well, yeah, mum got a job there so we have relocated there. Did I also not mention the fact that there is a beach where we are going to live!? No? Okay, well it's supposed to be nice! I guess I'm slightly looking forwards to my new life, I'm still having trouble with my old one but maybe-just maybe this new one had quite the twists and turns coming, at least I really hope it does, maybe it will help me leave my old life behind.